2026 Best Best Schools in California

Best is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.

For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for best students pursuing a degree.

What’s on this page:

• Best Best Schools in California

Best Schools for Best in California

If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the best degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Schools in Best

1

University Of California Davis
Davis, CA

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

146 Best Degrees Awarded

$53,749 Median Starting Salary

No school ranked higher than University Of California Davis this year for best. Located in the suburb of Davis, University Of California Davis is a very large public university. The six-year graduation rate is 86%. University Of California Davis awarded about 146 best degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the best program make about $53,749 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $14,404 to complete this degree. Get the full best details for University Of California Davis

2

Western University Of Health Sciences
Pomona, CA

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

106 Best Degrees Awarded

$108,647 Median Starting Salary

Western University Of Health Sciences is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in best, landing the #2 spot this year. This mid-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the suburb of Pomona. About 106 best degrees were awarded at Western University Of Health Sciences in the most recent year. Students who receive their best degree from Western University Of Health Sciences earn around $108,647 in the first couple years of their career. Read more about the best program at Western University Of Health Sciences

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 2 schools evaluated.

• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.