List of Accredited Colleges and Universities in California

California is home to a wide range of prestigious colleges and universities that have earned accreditation, ensuring high-quality education and academic standards. The state boasts an extensive list of accredited institutions, providing students with numerous options to pursue their higher education goals.

These institutions have undergone rigorous evaluation processes to meet the stringent criteria set by accrediting bodies, ensuring that they offer programs and degrees that meet industry standards and prepare students for successful careers.

So if you want to pursue a degree program in this prosperous state, then we have listed all the accredited colleges and universities in California to choose from.

Before embarking on your educational journey at any college or university in California, it is vital to verify the institution’s accreditation. Although national accreditation is acceptable, regional accreditation is highly recommended.

The main accreditation bodies officially recognized in California include the Western Association of Schools and Colleges/Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (WASC-Jr.) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges/Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities (WASC-Sr.). Also, California acknowledges the accreditation provided by several national accrediting bodies.

By attending an accredited college or university in California, students can be confident that they are receiving a well-rounded education that meets national standards and equips them with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in their chosen fields.

Below is a complete list of all the nationally and regionally accredited four-year universities and colleges in California. These California universities and colleges offer associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs as well as first professional and certificate programs.

List of Accredited Colleges and Universities in California

Rank	Colleges	Town
52	Academy of Art University	San Francisco
76	Alliant International University	San Diego
102	American Film Institute Conservatory	Los Angeles
85	American Jewish University	Los Angeles
Un	Antioch University Los Angeles	Culver City
Un	Antioch University Santa Barbara	Santa Barbara
50	ArtCenter College of Design	Pasadena
46	Azusa Pacific University	Azusa
130	Bethesda University	Anaheim
37	Biola University	La Mirada
70	California Baptist University	Riverside
56	California College of the Arts	San Francisco
63	California Institute of Integral Studies	San Francisco
9	California Institute of Technology	Pasadena
49	California Institute of the Arts	Valencia
60	California Lutheran University	Thousand Oaks
18	California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo	San Luis Obispo
23	California State Polytechnic University, Pomona	Pomona
59	California State University Channel Islands	Camarillo
82	California State University Maritime Academy	Vallejo
40	California State University San Marcos	San Marcos
58	California State University, Bakersfield	Bakersfield
21	California State University, Chico	Chico
42	California State University, Dominguez Hills	Carson
54	California State University, East Bay	Hayward
32	California State University, Fresno	Fresno
19	California State University, Fullerton	Fullerton
20	California State University, Long Beach	Long Beach
38	California State University, Los Angeles	Los Angeles
55	California State University, Monterey Bay	Seaside
14	California State University, Northridge	Northridge
27	California State University, Sacramento	Sacramento
29	California State University, San Bernardino	San Bernardino
43	California State University, Stanislaus	Turlock
87	California Western School of Law	San Diego
24	Chapman University	Orange
91	Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science	Los Angeles
51	Claremont Graduate University	Claremont
53	Claremont McKenna College	Claremont
123	Columbia College Hollywood	Tarzana
71	Concordia University Irvine	Irvine
127	Dharma Realm Buddhist University	Ukiah
116	Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology	Berkeley
62	Dominican University of California	San Rafael
98	Fielding Graduate University	Santa Barbara
75	Fresno Pacific University	Fresno
57	Golden Gate University	San Francisco
34	Harvey Mudd College	Claremont
96	Holy Names University	Oakland
107	Hope International University	Fullerton
30	Humboldt State University	Arcata
117	Humphreys University	Stockton
Un	Irell and Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences	Duarte
108	Jessup University	Rocklin
119	John Paul the Great Catholic University	Escondido
78	Keck Graduate Institute	Claremont
79	La Sierra University	Riverside
115	Laguna College of Art and Design	Laguna Beach
122	Life Pacific University	San Dimas
39	Loma Linda University	Loma Linda
28	Loyola Marymount University	Los Angeles
112	Marshall B. Ketchum University	Fullerton
105	Menlo College	Atherton
97	Mount Saint Mary’s University	Los Angeles
41	National University	La Jolla
48	Naval Postgraduate School	Monterey
104	NewSchool of Architecture and Design	San Diego
103	Notre Dame de Namur University	Belmont
45	Occidental College	Los Angeles
66	Otis College of Art and Design	Los Angeles
110	Pacific Oaks College	Pasadena
80	Pacific Union College	Angwin
111	Pacifica Graduate Institute	Carpinteria
99	Palo Alto University	Palo Alto
124	Pardee RAND Graduate School	Santa Monica
25	Pepperdine University	Malibu
47	Pitzer College	Claremont
74	Point Loma Nazarene University	San Diego
36	Pomona College	Claremont
129	Providence Christian College	Pasadena
61	Saint Mary’s College of California	Moraga
89	Samuel Merritt University	Oakland
118	San Diego Christian College	Santee
13	San Diego State University	San Diego
86	San Francisco Conservatory of Music	San Francisco
16	San Francisco State University	San Francisco
121	San Joaquin College of Law	Clovis
15	San José State University	San Jose
17	Santa Clara University	Santa Clara
106	Saybrook University	Pasadena
77	Scripps College	Claremont
113	Simpson University	Redding
120	Sofia University	Palo Alto
92	Soka University of America	Aliso Viejo
31	Sonoma State University	Rohnert Park
84	Southern California Institute of Architecture	Los Angeles
81	Southwestern Law School	Los Angeles
1	Stanford University	Stanford
94	The Chicago School of Professional Psychology	Los Angeles
93	The Master’s University	Santa Clarita
128	The University of West Los Angeles	Inglewood
125	The Wright Institute	Berkeley
90	Thomas Aquinas College	Santa Paula
95	Thomas Jefferson School of Law	San Diego
109	Touro University California	Vallejo
126	United States University	San Diego
33	University of California College of the Law, San Francisco	San Francisco
2	University of California, Berkeley	Berkeley
6	University of California, Davis	Davis
7	University of California, Irvine	Irvine
3	University of California, Los Angeles	Los Angeles
35	University of California, Merced	Merced
12	University of California, Riverside	Riverside
4	University of California, San Diego	San Diego
10	University of California, San Francisco	San Francisco
8	University of California, Santa Barbara	Santa Barbara
11	University of California, Santa Cruz	Santa Cruz
73	University of La Verne	La Verne
72	University of Massachusetts Global	Irvine
64	University of Redlands	Redlands
26	University of San Diego	San Diego
22	University of San Francisco	San Francisco
100	University of Silicon Valley	San Jose
5	University of Southern California	Los Angeles
65	University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences	San Marcos
44	University of the Pacific	Stockton
114	University of the West	Rosemead
83	Vanguard University of Southern California	Costa Mesa
101	West Coast University-Los Angeles	North Hollywood
68	Western University of Health Sciences	Pomona
67	Westmont College	Santa Barbara
69	Whittier College	Whittier
88	Woodbury University	Burbank

It is important to note that there are many other accredited colleges and universities in California that are not included in this list. When researching colleges and universities, it is essential to verify their accreditation status with a trusted accreditation agency.

Accreditation ensures that the institution has been evaluated and meets strict academic standards, providing students with a high-quality education. By choosing an accredited college or university, you can be confident that you are making a wise investment in your future.