Best colleges for Data Science in California
Ranked by graduates a year
San Jose State University, University of California-San Diego and University of the Pacific award the most Data Science degrees and certificates in California: 252, 122 and 68 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 13 California colleges offer Data Science and award 616 degrees and certificates a year in all.
The Data Science program is an interdisciplinary field that combines statistics, scientific computing, and coding to extract knowledge from various types of data. This program is designed for students interested in analyzing and…
13 institutions offering Data Science in California
Graduate earnings are not yet reported for these institutions; ordered by graduates a year.
| # | Institution | Starting salary (1 yr) | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose State University San Jose Public | — | 252 | 69% | — | — |
| 2 | University of California-San Diego La Jolla Public | — | 122 | 86% | — | — |
| 3 | University of the Pacific Stockton Private not-for-profit | — | 68 | 69% | $23,964 | — |
| 4 | University of San Diego San Diego Private not-for-profit | — | 36 | 84% | $26,035 | — |
| 5 | National University San Diego Private not-for-profit | — | 29 | 43% | $31,817 | — |
| 6 | Naval Postgraduate School Monterey Public Graduate only | — | 29 | — | — | — |
| 7 | University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara Public | — | 27 | 83% | — | — |
| 8 | Stanford University Stanford Private not-for-profit | — | 23 | 92% | $12,032 | — |
| 9 | University of California-Davis Davis Public | — | 20 | 86% | — | — |
| 10 | Golden Gate University San Francisco Private not-for-profit Degree completion | — | 4 | — | — | — |
| 11 | Point Loma Nazarene University San Diego Private not-for-profit | — | 3 | 77% | $48,795 | — |
| 12 | Azusa Pacific University Azusa Private not-for-profit | — | 2 | 62% | $20,686 | — |
| 13 | Pacific Union College Angwin Private not-for-profit | — | 1 | 58% | $18,938 | — |
Colleges awarding the most Data Science degrees in California
Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.
| # | Institution | Graduates / yr | Starting salary (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose State University San Jose Public | 252 | Not reported |
| 2 | University of California-San Diego La Jolla Public | 122 | Not reported |
| 3 | University of the Pacific Stockton Private not-for-profit | 68 | Not reported |
| 4 | University of San Diego San Diego Private not-for-profit | 36 | Not reported |
| 5 | National University San Diego Private not-for-profit | 29 | Not reported |
| 6 | University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara Public | 27 | Not reported |
| 7 | Stanford University Stanford Private not-for-profit | 23 | Not reported |
| 8 | University of California-Davis Davis Public | 20 | Not reported |
| 9 | Point Loma Nazarene University San Diego Private not-for-profit | 3 | Not reported |
| 10 | Azusa Pacific University Azusa Private not-for-profit | 2 | Not reported |
ShowHide the other 3 California colleges offering Data Science
| Institution | City | Control | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naval Postgraduate School (Graduate only) | Monterey | Public | 29 |
| Golden Gate University (Degree completion) | San Francisco | Private not-for-profit | 4 |
| Pacific Union College | Angwin | Private not-for-profit | 1 |
Career outlook
What this program leads to: Data Scientists (SOC 15-2051).
What Data Scientists earn in California
Related careers
Common questions
Answers for students comparing Data Science programs in California.
Which California colleges award the most Data Science degrees?+
San Jose State University (252 graduates a year), University of California-San Diego (122 graduates a year) and University of the Pacific (68 graduates a year) award the most Data Science degrees and certificates in California, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 13 California colleges offer Data Science.
How much do Data Scientists earn in California?+
The average annual wage for Data Scientists in California is $156,000 (median $141,590), across about 39,310 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
What is the focus of the Data Science program?+
The Data Science program is an interdisciplinary field that combines statistics, scientific computing, and coding to extract knowledge from various types of data. This program is designed for students interested in analyzing and…
What is the job outlook for Data Scientists?+
The national job outlook is about +33.5% growth with around 23,400 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).
What is the typical education requirement?+
A Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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