2024 Best Public Four Year Colleges in California
Prepler rankings are based on rigorous and in-depth analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education. Discover 2024 Best Public Four Year Colleges in California ranked by Prepler.
University of California-Berkeley
4 Year • Berkeley, CA •
University of California-Berkeley is a public university based in Berkeley, California. It is an institution with an enrollment of over 6,379 bachelor’s degree candidates. The admission criteria is somewhat competitive with the acceptance rate of 17%.
#1 in 2024 Best Public Four Year Colleges in California
University of California-Los Angeles
4 Year • Los Angeles, CA •
University of California-Los Angeles is a public university based in Los Angeles, California. It is an institution with an enrollment of over 6,038 bachelor’s degree candidates. The admission criteria is somewhat competitive with the acceptance rate of 16%.
#2 in 2024 Best Public Four Year Colleges in California
University of California-Santa Barbara
4 Year • Santa Barbara, CA •
University of California-Santa Barbara is a public university based in Santa Barbara, California. It is an institution with an enrollment of over 4,538 bachelor’s degree candidates. The admission criteria is somewhat competitive with the acceptance rate of 32%.
#3 in 2024 Best Public Four Year Colleges in California
University of California-San Diego
4 Year • La Jolla, CA •
University of California-San Diego is a public university based in La Jolla, California. It is an institution with an enrollment of over 5,699 bachelor’s degree candidates. The admission criteria is somewhat competitive with the acceptance rate of 33%.
#4 in 2024 Best Public Four Year Colleges in California
University of California-Irvine
4 Year • Irvine, CA •
University of California-Irvine is a public university based in Irvine, California. It is an institution with an enrollment of over 6,545 bachelor’s degree candidates. The admission criteria is somewhat competitive with the acceptance rate of 36%.
#5 in 2024 Best Public Four Year Colleges in California
University of California-Davis
4 Year • Davis, CA •
University of California-Davis is a public university based in Davis, California. It is an institution with an enrollment of over 5,868 bachelor’s degree candidates. The admission criteria is somewhat competitive with the acceptance rate of 43%.
#6 in 2024 Best Public Four Year Colleges in California
University of California-Santa Cruz
4 Year • Santa Cruz, CA •
University of California-Santa Cruz is a public university based in Santa Cruz, California. It is an institution with an enrollment of over 4,048 bachelor’s degree candidates. The admission criteria is somewhat competitive with the acceptance rate of 50%.
#7 in 2024 Best Public Four Year Colleges in California
University of California-Riverside
4 Year • Riverside, CA •
University of California-Riverside is a public university based in Riverside, California. It is an institution with an enrollment of over 4,598 bachelor’s degree candidates. The admission criteria is somewhat competitive with the acceptance rate of 57%.
#8 in 2024 Best Public Four Year Colleges in California
San Diego State University
4 Year • San Diego, CA •
San Diego State University is a public university based in San Diego, California. It is an institution with an enrollment of over 5,366 bachelor’s degree candidates. The admission criteria is somewhat competitive with the acceptance rate of 35%.
#9 in 2024 Best Public Four Year Colleges in California
California State University-Long Beach
4 Year • Long Beach, CA
California State University-Long Beach is a public university based in Long Beach, California. It is an institution with an enrollment of over 4,138 bachelor’s degree candidates. The admission criteria is somewhat competitive with the acceptance rate of 27%.
#10 in 2024 Best Public Four Year Colleges in California
University of California-Merced
4 Year • Merced, CA
University of California-Merced is a public university based in Merced, California. It is an institution with an enrollment of over 2,293 bachelor’s degree candidates. The admission criteria is somewhat competitive with the acceptance rate of 69%.
#11 in 2024 Best Public Four Year Colleges in California
California State University-Fresno
4 Year • Fresno, CA
California State University-Fresno is a public university based in Fresno, California. It is an institution with an enrollment of over 3,446 bachelor’s degree candidates. The admission criteria is somewhat competitive with the acceptance rate of 59%.
#12 in 2024 Best Public Four Year Colleges in California