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College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best Applied Linguistics Schools in California

1 Colleges in the United States
15 Applied Linguistics Degrees Awarded
$21,793 Avg Early-Career Salary

Applied Linguistics programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools to find the best for applied linguistics students.

What’s on this page:

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Best Schools for Applied Linguistics 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 applied linguistics degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Schools in Applied Linguistics

1

Leading the list is University Of California Santa Cruz, our #1 school for applied linguistics. Located in the city of Santa Cruz, University Of California Santa Cruz is a very large public university. Roughly 75% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 15 applied linguistics degrees were awarded at University Of California Santa Cruz in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, applied linguistics degree recipients from University Of California Santa Cruz generally make around $21,793. University Of California Santa Cruz graduates carry a median of $17,491 in student loans. More information about a degree in applied linguistics from University Of California Santa Cruz

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Notes and References

The ranking above is published 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 · 4 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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