Academic Index Last updated: June 23, 2026

27 Best Universities in California for Reliability and Quality

We ranked the top 27 universities for Reliability and Quality in California based on strict academic metrics. Our methodology evaluated 3.25M subject-specific papers and 163.12M citations to find the strongest faculties. This targeted approach bypasses general university reputation, directly revealing the strongest programs.

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Field of Study

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1

Berkeley

University of California – Berkeley

#5 in United States #5 in North America

11% Acceptance

26,133 Enrollment

1175 Avg SAT

1868 Founded

2

Stanford

Stanford University

#2 in United States #2 in North America

4% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1885 Founded

3

San Diego

University of California-San Diego

#20 in United States #21 in North America

27% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1960 Founded

4

Los Angeles

University of Southern California

#22 in United States #23 in North America

10% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1880 Founded

5

Los Angeles

University of California – Los Angeles

#11 in United States #11 in North America

9% Acceptance

37,297 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1919 Founded

6

Pasadena, CA

California Institute of Technology

#46 in United States #50 in North America

3% Acceptance

26,133 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1891 Founded

7

Santa Barbara

University of California – Santa Barbara

#55 in United States #59 in North America

33% Acceptance

45,882 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1921 Founded

8

Davis

University of California – Davis

#28 in United States #30 in North America

42% Acceptance

25,685 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1905 Founded

9

Irvine

University of California – Irvine

#43 in United States #46 in North America

29% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1965 Founded

10

Monterey

Naval Postgraduate School

#231 in United States #260 in North America

23% Acceptance

837 Enrollment

1335 Avg SAT

1909 Founded

11

Santa Cruz

University of California – Santa Cruz

#84 in United States #96 in North America

66% Acceptance

45,882 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1965 Founded

12

Riverside

University of California – Riverside

#89 in United States #101 in North America

76% Acceptance

25,685 Enrollment

1175 Avg SAT

1954 Founded

13

San Francisco

University of California – San Francisco

#32 in United States #35 in North America

13% Acceptance

2,942 Enrollment

1100 Avg SAT

1864 Founded

14

San Diego

San Diego State University

#124 in United States #143 in North America

36% Acceptance

42,003 Enrollment

1125 Avg SAT

1897 Founded

15

Santa Clara, CA

Santa Clara University

#205 in United States #232 in North America

48% Acceptance

37,661 Enrollment

1420 Avg SAT

1851 Founded

16

Sacramento

California State University – Sacramento

#282 in United States #313 in North America

94% Acceptance

12,326 Enrollment

1290 Avg SAT

1947 Founded

17

Fullerton

California State University – Fullerton

#216 in United States #244 in North America

91% Acceptance

42,003 Enrollment

1350 Avg SAT

1957 Founded

18

Long Beach, CA

California State University – Long Beach

#211 in United States #238 in North America

46% Acceptance

38,313 Enrollment

1350 Avg SAT

1949 Founded

19

San Luis Obispo

California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo

#209 in United States #236 in North America

31% Acceptance

27,636 Enrollment

1175 Avg SAT

1901 Founded

20

Los Angeles

California State University – Northridge

#206 in United States #233 in North America

93% Acceptance

23,163 Enrollment

1525 Avg SAT

1958 Founded

21

San Francisco

San Francisco State University

#184 in United States #208 in North America

96% Acceptance

5,891 Enrollment

1290 Avg SAT

1899 Founded

22

Vallejo

California State University Maritime Academy

#880 in United States #950 in North America

95% Acceptance

2,441 Enrollment

1135 Avg SAT

1929 Founded

23

San Jose, CA

San Jose State University

#168 in United States #192 in North America

85% Acceptance

22,563 Enrollment

1420 Avg SAT

1857 Founded

24

Pomona

California State Polytechnic University – Pomona

#321 in United States #357 in North America

75% Acceptance

38,313 Enrollment

1525 Avg SAT

1938 Founded

25

Claremont, CA

Claremont Graduate University

#316 in United States #351 in North America

35% Acceptance

18,492 Enrollment

1111 Avg SAT

1925 Founded

26

Merced

University of California – Merced

#296 in United States #327 in North America

91% Acceptance

45,882 Enrollment

1175 Avg SAT

2005 Founded

27

Fresno

California State University – Fresno

#287 in United States #318 in North America

95% Acceptance

42,003 Enrollment

1125 Avg SAT

1911 Founded