Colleges and universities in California
California is home to 659 Title IV-eligible colleges and universities, enrolling about 2,770,411 students in total.
Of these, 193 are public and 466 private. The largest by enrollment include UCA, USC, and UC. Among institutions that report the figure, the median graduation rate is 65% and the median average net price is $20,898.
How the 659 institutions in California break down
Control and level come from IPEDS institutional characteristics. Pick a tile to see just that slice of the list.
8 institutions have no reported level in IPEDS; they stay in the full list but not in the level slices.
193 institutionsPublic · of 659
Page 5 of 5Frequently asked questions
- How many colleges and universities are in California?
- California has 659 Title IV-eligible institutions in this dataset, drawn from IPEDS and College Scorecard. Together they enroll about 2,770,411 students.
- What are the largest universities in California?
- By total enrollment, the largest institutions in California are UCA, USC, UC, UCD, and CSU.
- What is the average graduation rate and net price in California?
- The median graduation rate among institutions that report one is 65%, and the median average net price is $20,898. Figures come from IPEDS and College Scorecard.
Related categories
Browse by Carnegie class
Data: IPEDS Fall 2025–26 provisional · College Scorecard (June 2026 release). All sources & release dates →
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