#1 Pomona College

State: California

Cost: $62,632

Population: 1,610

The No. 1 college in the country this year, Pomona College is a private liberal arts college in Claremont, CA, offering 47 majors and 600 classes. Established in 1887, it is the founding member of The Claremont Colleges, a consortium of neighboring schools.

 

#3 Stanford University

State: California

Cost: $62,801

Population: 18,346

Located in Silicon Valley, the epicenter of the tech world, Stanford University is a private research university ranked at No. 3 this year. The school is known for its strength in research and successful alumni.

 

#18 Claremont McKenna College

State: California

Cost: $64,215

Population: 1,328

Founded in 1946, Claremont McKenna College is a highly selective private liberal arts college located on a 69-acre campus 35 miles from Los Angeles in Claremont, CA.

 

#33 California Institute of Technology

State: California

Cost: $60,990

Population: 2,181

Based in Pasadena, CA, the California Institute of Technology is one of the top universities in the world for science and engineering. It's ranked No. 33 in the country and No. 4 in the West. Caltech boasts a 97% retention rate and 54% of freshmen receive institutional grants averaging $30,200. It is also home to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab.

 

#35 University of California, Berkeley

State: California

Cost: $57,234

Population: 36,198

Placing at No. 35 on FORBES' America's Top Colleges list this year, the University of California, Berkeley is the oldest of California's 10 public universities, with a reputation for strong undergraduate programs.

 

#45 University of California, Los Angeles

State: California

Cost: $55,856

Population: 40,795

Sitting at No. 45 on the Top Colleges list this year, UCLA is also one of the top universities in terms of applications received. The university has educated and staffed seven Nobel laureates, 12 Rhodes Scholars, 12 MacArthur Fellows, 10 National Medal of Science winners, three Pulitzer Prize winners and numerous Academy Award, Emmy, Golden Globe and Tony recipients.

 

#57 Harvey Mudd College

State: California

Cost: $66,627

Population: 807

Founded in 1955 during the space race and welcoming its first class in 1957, Harvey Mudd is a small private college specializing in engineering, mathematics and the sciences, though it also includes coursework in the humanities and arts.

 

#71 University of Southern California

State: California

Cost: $64,694

Population: 41,368

When the No. 71 school the University of Southern California first opened its doors in 1880, tuition was $15 a term. Since then, USC's tuition has risen to $48,280, and nearly 60% of freshmen receive school grants averaging $26,800. The school is affiliated with five Nobel Laureates, eight Rhodes Scholars, 82 Academy Award winners, 129 Emmy Award winners and 3 winners of the National Medal of Science.

 

#80 Scripps College

State: California

Cost: $63,740

Population: 1,009

Scripps College, a private liberal arts college for women in Claremont, CA, is ranks as the No. 80 school overall and the No. 14 school in the West. It is part of The Claremont Colleges, a consortium of neighboring schools that operate independently but share some facilities and resources.

 

#85 Santa Clara University

State: California

Cost: $61,638

Population: 8,770

Ranking as the No. 85 school overall and the No. 15 school in the West, Santa Clara University is a private Jesuit university in Santa Clara, CA, founded in 1851. Santa Clara’s 106-acre campus is situated 45 miles from San Francisco Bay, where it is sunny approximately 300 days of the year.

 

#94 Occidental College

State: California

Cost: $64,804

Population: 2,128

Sitting as the No. 94 school overall and the No. 16 school on the West Coast, Occidental College is a private liberal arts college in Los Angeles, CA. The college’s proximity to Hollywood makes it one of the most filmed campuses in the country.

 

#103 University of California, Santa Barbara

State: California

Cost: $57,631

Population: 22,225

The University of California, Santa Barbara, the No. 17 school in the West and the No. 19 public school, was established in 1891 as a teacher’s college and entered the University of California system in 1944. Today the school offers more than 200 majors, degrees and credentials through five schools and the Graduate Division.

 

#109 Pitzer College

State: California

Cost: $63,750

Population: 1,081

Pitzer College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1963 for women only. This year it ranks as the No. 57 liberal arts school in the country. Pitzer is a member of The Claremont Colleges, a consortium of schools in the Claremont, CA, area.

 

#121 University of California, Davis

State: California

Cost: $56,637

Population: 33,307

Founded in 1905 as the University Farm School, UC Davis hosts one of the nation’s leading veterinary schools and has strong agricultural and forestry programs. The school offers 36 majors focusing on plant and animal systems, human health and the environment in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

 

#123 University of California, San Diego

State: California

Cost: $54,132

Population: 29,517

UC San Diego offers 130 bachelor’s degree programs in six disciplinary areas, and the most popular majors are social sciences, biology and engineering. The university’s faculty, staff and alumni have started more than 650 companies, and two alumni were members of the original Apple Macintosh development team.

 

#128 Pepperdine University

State: California

Cost: $63,482

Population: 7,315

Founded in 1937 by Christian businessman George Pepperdine, No. 58 research university Pepperdine University remains affiliated with the Church of Christ. The 830-acre campus in Malibu, CA overlooks the Pacific Ocean.

 

147 University of California, Irvine

State: California

Cost: $54,455

Population: 28,895

This year the University of California, Irvine ranks as the No. 31 public school. The university opened its doors in the early 1960s along with two other UC schools to accommodate the post-war baby boom generation.

 

#149 Loyola Marymount University

State: California

Cost: $58,851

Population: 9,661

Founded as Loyola University in 1911, the school merged with Marymount College in 1973 to become Loyola Marymount University. It is a Jesuit university located in Los Angeles, CA. LMU offers 60 different majors and 55 minors in its undergraduate program.

 

#164 California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

State: California

Cost: $35,843

Population: 19,703

One of the largest campuses in the nation, California Polytechnic State University is a public university in San Luis Obispo, located halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Originally founded as a vocational high school in 1901, Cal Poly now includes six colleges and offers 64 bachelor’s degrees.

 

#166 University of Redlands

State: California

Cost: $60,874

Population: 5,147

Located in Redlands, CA, this private university was founded in 1907 by the American Baptist Convention. It is composed of four schools and five centers, including centers for such as Integrative Studies, Educational Justice, and Business Ethics and Society.