2027 Best Best Schools in California
Best degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
For its 2027 ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for best students pursuing a degree.
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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
No school ranked higher than University Of San Francisco this year for best. University Of San Francisco is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of San Francisco. The six-year graduation rate is 70%. About 30 best degrees were awarded at University Of San Francisco in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, best degree recipients from University Of San Francisco generally make around $65,223. University Of San Francisco graduates carry a median of $23,935 in student loans.
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California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in best, landing the #2 spot this year. This very large public university is located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo. About 86% of students finish within six years. About 57 best degrees were awarded at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo in the most recent year. Best graduates of California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo earn a median of $61,010 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $19,273 to complete this degree.
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University Of Southern California is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in best, ranking #3. Located in the city of Los Angeles, University Of Southern California is a very large private not-for-profit university. The six-year graduation rate is 92%. About 281 best degrees were awarded at University Of Southern California in the most recent year. Graduates of the best program make about $75,677 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $15,625.
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Students looking for a strong best program will find one at University Of The Pacific, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Stockton, University Of The Pacific is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. About 68% of students finish within six years. University Of The Pacific awarded about 56 best degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the best program make about $77,022 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $23,514 to complete this degree.
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A rank of #5 makes California State University Sacramento one of the top schools for best. Set in the city of Sacramento, California State University Sacramento is a very large public institution. About 56% of students finish within six years. California State University Sacramento awarded about 40 best degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their best degree from California State University Sacramento earn around $49,907 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $17,492 to complete this degree.
See the full best program report for California State University Sacramento
University Of San Diego came in at #6 for best this year. Located in the city of San Diego, University Of San Diego is a large private not-for-profit university. The six-year graduation rate is 84%. About 46 best degrees were awarded at University Of San Diego in the most recent year. Students who receive their best degree from University Of San Diego earn around $68,281 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $23,795.
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Menlo College ranked #7 on our 2027 list of the best best schools. Located in the suburb of Atherton, Menlo College is a small private not-for-profit university. Roughly 54% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 17 best degrees were awarded at Menlo College in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, best degree recipients from Menlo College generally make around $60,211. Menlo College graduates carry a median of $24,686 in student loans.
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California State University Northridge earned the #8 position for best this year. Set in the city of Northridge, California State University Northridge is a very large public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 57%. California State University Northridge awarded about 32 best degrees in the most recent data year. Best graduates of California State University Northridge earn a median of $48,437 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $16,202 to complete this degree.
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Golden Gate University San Francisco came in at #9 for best this year. Located in the city of San Francisco, Golden Gate University San Francisco is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. There were roughly 41 best students who graduated with this degree at Golden Gate University San Francisco in the most recent data year. Graduates of the best program make about $88,638 in their early career. Golden Gate University San Francisco graduates carry a median of $33,968 in student loans.
More information about a degree in best from Golden Gate University San Francisco
California Institute Of Arts And Technology landed the #10 spot for best this year. This mid-sized private for-profit university is located in the suburb of National City. About 29 best degrees were awarded at California Institute Of Arts And Technology in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, best degree recipients from California Institute Of Arts And Technology generally make around $48,778. Typical student debt for the program is $21,696.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 10 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.
