Academic Index Last updated: June 23, 2026

24 Best Universities in California for Aviation

We ranked the top 24 universities for Aviation in California based on strict academic metrics. To determine these leaders, we isolated 3.22M specialized research publications which collectively generated 162.25M citations. This targeted approach bypasses general university reputation, directly revealing the strongest programs.

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Ranking Methodology Notice

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Field of Study

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1

Berkeley

University of California – Berkeley

For Aviation

#6 in United States #6 in North America

11% Acceptance

26,133 Enrollment

1175 Avg SAT

1868 Founded

2

Stanford

Stanford University

For Aviation

#9 in United States #9 in North America

4% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1885 Founded

3

Santa Cruz

University of California – Santa Cruz

For Aviation

#20 in United States #22 in North America

66% Acceptance

45,882 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1965 Founded

4

Los Angeles

University of Southern California

For Aviation

#21 in United States #23 in North America

10% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1880 Founded

5

San Diego

University of California-San Diego

For Aviation

#29 in United States #31 in North America

27% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1960 Founded

6

Davis

University of California – Davis

For Aviation

#36 in United States #38 in North America

42% Acceptance

25,685 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1905 Founded

7

Irvine

University of California – Irvine

For Aviation

#38 in United States #41 in North America

29% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1965 Founded

8

Los Angeles

University of California – Los Angeles

For Aviation

#47 in United States #51 in North America

9% Acceptance

37,297 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1919 Founded

9

Pasadena, CA

California Institute of Technology

For Aviation

#49 in United States #53 in North America

3% Acceptance

26,133 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1891 Founded

10

Monterey

Naval Postgraduate School

For Aviation

#52 in United States #56 in North America

23% Acceptance

837 Enrollment

1335 Avg SAT

1909 Founded

11

San Diego

San Diego State University

For Aviation

#70 in United States #76 in North America

36% Acceptance

42,003 Enrollment

1125 Avg SAT

1897 Founded

12

Riverside

University of California – Riverside

For Aviation

#126 in United States #146 in North America

76% Acceptance

25,685 Enrollment

1175 Avg SAT

1954 Founded

13

Santa Barbara

University of California – Santa Barbara

For Aviation

#129 in United States #150 in North America

33% Acceptance

45,882 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1921 Founded

14

San Francisco

University of California – San Francisco

For Aviation

#150 in United States #175 in North America

13% Acceptance

2,942 Enrollment

1100 Avg SAT

1864 Founded

15

Santa Clara, CA

Santa Clara University

For Aviation

#166 in United States #194 in North America

48% Acceptance

37,661 Enrollment

1420 Avg SAT

1851 Founded

16

Fullerton

California State University – Fullerton

For Aviation

#179 in United States #207 in North America

91% Acceptance

42,003 Enrollment

1350 Avg SAT

1957 Founded

17

Long Beach, CA

California State University – Long Beach

For Aviation

#54 in United States #58 in North America

46% Acceptance

38,313 Enrollment

1350 Avg SAT

1949 Founded

18

San Luis Obispo

California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo

For Aviation

#107 in United States #123 in North America

31% Acceptance

27,636 Enrollment

1175 Avg SAT

1901 Founded

19

Los Angeles

California State University – Northridge

For Aviation

#212 in United States #243 in North America

93% Acceptance

23,163 Enrollment

1525 Avg SAT

1958 Founded

20

San Francisco

San Francisco State University

For Aviation

#195 in United States #223 in North America

96% Acceptance

5,891 Enrollment

1290 Avg SAT

1899 Founded

21

San Jose, CA

San Jose State University

For Aviation

#8 in United States #8 in North America

85% Acceptance

22,563 Enrollment

1420 Avg SAT

1857 Founded

22

Vallejo

California State University Maritime Academy

For Aviation

#220 in United States #251 in North America

95% Acceptance

2,441 Enrollment

1135 Avg SAT

1929 Founded

23

Pomona

California State Polytechnic University – Pomona

For Aviation

#203 in United States #233 in North America

75% Acceptance

38,313 Enrollment

1525 Avg SAT

1938 Founded

24

Los Angeles

California State University – Los Angeles

For Aviation

#219 in United States #250 in North America

91% Acceptance

38,313 Enrollment

1350 Avg SAT

1947 Founded