Top Colleges in California Tuition Comparison

TuitionAcceptance Rate Enrollment SAT Scores Degree Completers Graduation Rate

Stanford University ranked first in the Top Colleges in California rankings, followed by California Institute of Technology and Pomona College.

The average tuition & fees of Top Colleges in California is $14,805 for in-state and $58,624 for out-of-state students for the academic year 2024-2025.

University of Southern California has the highest tuition & fees of $71,647 and Soka University of America has the lowest tuition & fees of $38,728 among Top Colleges in California. For graduate programs, the 2025 average graduate tuition & fees of the schools is $15,171 for in-state and $52,415 for out-of-state students.

The average acceptance rate is 12.07% and the SAT score is 1517 for the Top Colleges in California. Their acceptance rate is low, making it difficult to get into the schools, and the SAT score is very high.

Top Colleges in California Tuition Comparison

Table. Top Colleges in California Tuition & Fees Comparison
Rank	School Name	Undergraduate Tuition	Graduate Tuition	Acceptance Rate	SAT/ACT Scores	Student Population	Graduation Rate
Rank	School Name	1	Stanford UniversityStanford, CA	Acceptance Rate	SAT/ACT Scores	Student Population	Graduation Rate	$65,910 $3,426	$61,878 $2,379	3.61% -0.30%	1,550 SAT 35 ACT0 /0	18,625 179	92%
2	California Institute of TechnologyPasadena, CA	$65,898 $2,643	$65,706 $2,643	2.57% -0.57%	-	2,430 -33	94% 1%
3	Pomona CollegeClaremont, CA	$65,420 $3,094	-	7.09% 0.33%	1,540 SAT 34 ACT 20 /0	1,700 36	93%
4	University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA	$71,647 $3,410	$71,515 $3,387	9.81% -0.21%	1,500 SAT 33 ACT -10 /0	46,566 -581	92% 1%
5	Claremont McKenna CollegeClaremont, CA	$67,980 $3,830	$72,294 $3,769	9.59% -1.53%	1,530 SAT 34 ACT 20 /0	1,393 9	91% -4%
6	Harvey Mudd CollegeClaremont, CA	$68,613 $2,358	-	12.66% -0.40%	1,540 SAT 35 ACT 10 /0	951 2	92% -1%
7	Soka University of AmericaAliso Viejo, CA	$38,728 $1,278	$38,728 $1,278	43.38% -26.14%	1,440 SAT 80	495 19	92% 6%
8	Middlebury Institute of International Studies at MontereyMonterey, CA	$48,654 $1,628	$48,654 $1,628	-	-	526 23	-
9	University of California-Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA	$46,121 ($14,233) $1,597 ($486)	$29,578 ($14,476) $593 ($593)	8.97% 0.24%	-	47,335 657	93% 1%
10	University of California-BerkeleyBerkeley, CA	$47,265 ($15,377) $1,638 ($527)	$30,968 ($15,866) $605 ($605)	10.98% -0.68%	-	45,882 183	93% 1%
	Average	$58,624 ($14,805)	$52,415 ($15,171)	12%	1,517	16,590	92%