Best ROI Colleges in California
25 schools ranked by median earnings relative to net price — the schools where the math actually works. Updated from the latest federal filings.
| # | School | Net Price | Grad Rate | Earnings 10yr | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samuel Merritt University Oakland · private | — | 95.6% | $143,238 | — |
| 2 | Harvey Mudd College Claremont · private | $35,924 | 93.3% | $138,687 | 12.7% |
| 3 | California Institute of Technology Pasadena · private | $16,075 | 95.0% | $128,566 | 2.6% |
| 4 | Stanford University Stanford · private | $13,807 | 97.0% | $124,080 | 3.6% |
| 5 | Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health Los Angeles · public | — | 84.5% | $115,318 | — |
| 6 | Gnomon North Hollywood · private | $51,949 | 69.6% | $114,785 | 41.8% |
| 7 | Santa Clara University Santa Clara · private | $50,062 | 89.7% | $109,183 | 48.0% |
| 8 | Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University Berkeley · private | — | — | $109,183 | — |
| 9 | Miami Ad School-San Francisco San Francisco · private | — | — | $106,192 | — |
| 10 | Touro University California Vallejo · private | — | — | $104,805 | — |
| 11 | Claremont McKenna College Claremont · private | $28,849 | 91.8% | $104,736 | 9.6% |
| 12 | West Coast University-Los Angeles North Hollywood · private | $53,020 | 81.8% | $102,672 | — |
| 13 | West Coast University-Orange County Anaheim · private | $32,879 | 76.7% | $102,672 | — |
| 14 | West Coast University-Ontario Ontario · private | $49,590 | 74.8% | $102,672 | — |
| 15 | West Coast University-Center for Graduate Studies Los Angeles · private | — | — | $102,672 | — |
| 16 | California State University Maritime Academy Vallejo · public | $20,555 | 69.5% | $94,784 | 95.0% |
| 17 | American University of Health Sciences Signal Hill · private | — | 75.9% | $93,610 | 50.0% |
| 18 | Northeastern University Oakland Oakland · private | $25,181 | — | $92,538 | 16.7% |
| 19 | University of Southern California Los Angeles · private | $32,740 | 93.3% | $92,498 | 9.8% |
| 20 | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley · public | $13,481 | 94.3% | $92,446 | 11.0% |
| 21 | Chamberlain University-California Rancho Cordova · private | $36,559 | 84.0% | $92,405 | 80.0% |
| 22 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo · public | $16,665 | 87.1% | $90,768 | 31.3% |
| 23 | Loma Linda University Loma Linda · private | — | 92.4% | $89,816 | — |
| 24 | University of San Francisco San Francisco · private | $41,431 | 76.8% | $89,812 | 61.7% |
| 25 | Unitek College South San Francisco · private | $23,676 | 78.3% | $87,877 | — |
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Data from U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS, College Scorecard, Clery Act). Updated annually. Rankings reflect the data as reported — not editorial opinion.