Academic Index Last updated: June 23, 2026

8 Best Universities in California for Materials Science

Focusing specifically on Materials Science, our data science engine identified the 8 most influential universities in California. Based on 2.38M scholarly articles and 125.51M peer-reviewed citations, we reveal the best research labs driving innovation in Materials Science. This targeted approach bypasses general university reputation, directly revealing the strongest programs.

Active Filters: Materials Science California Clear All

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1

Stanford

Stanford University

For Materials Science

#2 in United States #2 in North America

4% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1885 Founded

2

Berkeley

University of California – Berkeley

For Materials Science

#3 in United States #3 in North America

11% Acceptance

26,133 Enrollment

1175 Avg SAT

1868 Founded

3

Los Angeles

University of California – Los Angeles

For Materials Science

#12 in United States #13 in North America

9% Acceptance

37,297 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1919 Founded

4

Pasadena, CA

California Institute of Technology

For Materials Science

#15 in United States #16 in North America

3% Acceptance

26,133 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1891 Founded

5

Santa Barbara

University of California – Santa Barbara

For Materials Science

#18 in United States #19 in North America

33% Acceptance

45,882 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1921 Founded

6

San Diego

University of California-San Diego

For Materials Science

#19 in United States #20 in North America

27% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1960 Founded

7

Davis

University of California – Davis

For Materials Science

#29 in United States #31 in North America

42% Acceptance

25,685 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1905 Founded

8

Los Angeles

University of Southern California

For Materials Science

#35 in United States #39 in North America

10% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1880 Founded