Academic Index Last updated: June 23, 2026

23 Best Universities in California for Ethics

We ranked the top 23 universities for Ethics in California based on strict academic metrics. To determine these leaders, we isolated 3.01M specialized research publications which collectively generated 151.81M citations. This targeted approach bypasses general university reputation, directly revealing the strongest programs.

Active Filters: Ethics California Clear All

Ranking Methodology Notice

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Field of Study

Sub-Branch

1

San Francisco

University of California – San Francisco

For Ethics

#10 in United States #11 in North America

13% Acceptance

2,942 Enrollment

1100 Avg SAT

1864 Founded

2

Stanford

Stanford University

For Ethics

#12 in United States #13 in North America

4% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1885 Founded

3

San Diego

University of California-San Diego

For Ethics

#21 in United States #23 in North America

27% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1960 Founded

4

Los Angeles

University of California – Los Angeles

For Ethics

#30 in United States #36 in North America

9% Acceptance

37,297 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1919 Founded

5

Los Angeles

University of Southern California

For Ethics

#41 in United States #49 in North America

10% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1880 Founded

6

Davis

University of California – Davis

For Ethics

#54 in United States #64 in North America

42% Acceptance

25,685 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1905 Founded

7

Berkeley

University of California – Berkeley

For Ethics

#75 in United States #86 in North America

11% Acceptance

26,133 Enrollment

1175 Avg SAT

1868 Founded

8

Irvine

University of California – Irvine

For Ethics

#77 in United States #89 in North America

29% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1965 Founded

9

Los Angeles

Loyola Marymount University

For Ethics

#142 in United States #160 in North America

45% Acceptance

1,006 Enrollment

1345 Avg SAT

1911 Founded

10

Santa Clara, CA

Santa Clara University

For Ethics

#165 in United States #186 in North America

48% Acceptance

37,661 Enrollment

1420 Avg SAT

1851 Founded

11

San Diego

San Diego State University

For Ethics

#178 in United States #199 in North America

36% Acceptance

42,003 Enrollment

1125 Avg SAT

1897 Founded

12

Santa Barbara

University of California – Santa Barbara

For Ethics

#223 in United States #250 in North America

33% Acceptance

45,882 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1921 Founded

13

Santa Cruz

University of California – Santa Cruz

For Ethics

#234 in United States #262 in North America

66% Acceptance

45,882 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1965 Founded

14

Riverside

University of California – Riverside

For Ethics

#242 in United States #270 in North America

76% Acceptance

25,685 Enrollment

1175 Avg SAT

1954 Founded

15

San Diego

University of San Diego

For Ethics

#145 in United States #163 in North America

52% Acceptance

18,492 Enrollment

1350 Avg SAT

1949 Founded

16

San Francisco

University of San Francisco

For Ethics

#205 in United States #227 in North America

62% Acceptance

12,326 Enrollment

1290 Avg SAT

1855 Founded

17

Loma Linda

Loma Linda University

For Ethics

#150 in United States #168 in North America

74% Acceptance

3,665 Enrollment

1100 Avg SAT

1905 Founded

18

San Francisco

San Francisco State University

For Ethics

#221 in United States #248 in North America

96% Acceptance

5,891 Enrollment

1290 Avg SAT

1899 Founded

19

Palo Alto

Palo Alto University

For Ethics

#171 in United States #192 in North America

12% Acceptance

3,007 Enrollment

1100 Avg SAT

1975 Founded

20

Azusa

Azusa Pacific University

For Ethics

#261 in United States #290 in North America

88% Acceptance

910 Enrollment

1111 Avg SAT

1899 Founded

21

San Diego

Alliant International University – San Diego

For Ethics

#256 in United States #285 in North America

915 Enrollment

1111 Avg SAT

2001 Founded

$25,481 Net Price

22

Sacramento

California State University – Sacramento

For Ethics

#209 in United States #231 in North America

94% Acceptance

12,326 Enrollment

1290 Avg SAT

1947 Founded

23

Orange, CA

Chapman University

For Ethics

#214 in United States #239 in North America

65% Acceptance

42,003 Enrollment

1350 Avg SAT

1861 Founded