51 colleges in California with an average net price under $20,000 a year, ranked by what families actually pay after aid. Cheapest: Skyline College at $1,738.
Net price is the average a family pays after grant aid — not the published sticker price. Figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard. Schools granting only associate degrees are excluded, so a community college appears here only if it also awards bachelor's degrees.
Compare these on the map| # | College | Net price / yr | Graduates | Accepted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Skyline College San Bruno, CA |
$1,738$11,880 | 44% | — |
| 2 | Santa Monica College Santa Monica, CA |
$2,779$11,162 | 36% | — |
| 3 | Modesto Junior College Modesto, CA |
$2,818$11,487 | 30% | — |
| 4 | Shasta College Redding, CA |
$2,878$13,915 | 23% | — |
| 5 | Santa Ana College Santa Ana, CA |
$3,133$12,375 | 31% | — |
| 6 | Antelope Valley Community College District Lancaster, CA |
$3,860$12,931 | 34% | — |
| 7 | California State University-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA |
$3,967$18,403 | 53% | 91% |
| 8 | California State University-San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA |
$4,564$17,427 | 55% | 94% |
| 9 | Cypress College Cypress, CA |
$4,606$14,290 | 37% | — |
| 10 | Solano Community College Fairfield, CA |
$4,669$13,143 | 36% | — |
| 11 | California State University-Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA |
$5,652$19,522 | 50% | 94% |
| 12 | San Diego Mesa College San Diego, CA |
$5,814$19,371 | 35% | — |
| 13 | California State University-Stanislaus Turlock, CA |
$6,067$19,739 | 53% | 98% |
| 14 | California State University-Fullerton Fullerton, CA |
$6,555$18,269 | 70% | 91% |
| 15 | California State University-Fresno Fresno, CA |
$7,000$20,095 | 57% | 95% |
| 16 | California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA |
$7,021$20,485 | 57% | 93% |
| 17 | MiraCosta College Oceanside, CA |
$7,339$15,531 | 41% | — |
| 18 | Foothill College Los Altos Hills, CA |
$7,653$16,361 | 56% | — |
| 19 | California State University-Dominguez Hills Carson, CA |
$8,615$23,191 | 43% | 93% |
| 20 | California State University-East Bay Hayward, CA |
$9,320$22,850 | 48% | 97% |
| 21 | California State University-Sacramento Sacramento, CA |
$9,338$22,945 | 56% | 94% |
| 22 | West Los Angeles College Culver City, CA |
$9,634$17,336 | 28% | — |
| 23 | California State University-Channel Islands Camarillo, CA |
$9,849$23,561 | 51% | 95% |
| 24 | California State University-San Marcos San Marcos, CA |
$10,229$21,649 | 55% | 95% |
| 25 | California State University-Long Beach Long Beach, CA |
$10,440$22,679 | 69% | 46% |
| 26 | Feather River Community College District Quincy, CA |
$10,800$20,385 | 35% | — |
| 27 | Crafton Hills College Yucaipa, CA |
$11,331$20,282 | 31% | — |
| 28 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Pomona, CA |
$11,531$23,955 | 68% | 75% |
| 29 | University of California-Merced Merced, CA |
$11,983$39,665 | 69% | 91% |
| 30 | San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA |
$12,278$26,488 | 50% | 96% |
| 31 | University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA |
$12,470$38,701 | 86% | 27% |
| 32 | University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA |
$12,548$38,614 | 93% | 9% |
| 33 | Sonoma State University Rohnert Park, CA |
$12,885$24,648 | 58% | 93% |
| 34 | California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt Arcata, CA |
$13,171$25,170 | 49% | 98% |
| 35 | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA |
$13,481$45,619 | 93% | 11% |
| 36 | Fresno Pacific University Fresno, CA |
$13,630$44,249 | 50% | 64% |
| 37 | California State University-Monterey Bay Seaside, CA |
$13,663$26,987 | 59% | 97% |
| 38 | San Jose State University San Jose, CA |
$13,760$26,593 | 69% | 85% |
| 39 | Stanford University Stanford, CA |
$13,807$87,833 | 92% | 4% |
| 40 | University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA |
$14,251$38,632 | 87% | 29% |
| 41 | University of California-Riverside Riverside, CA |
$14,304$38,942 | 76% | 76% |
| 42 | Rio Hondo College Whittier, CA |
$14,379$21,391 | 25% | — |
| 43 | California State University-Chico Chico, CA |
$14,480$26,283 | 63% | 93% |
| 44 | Bakersfield College Bakersfield, CA |
$14,621$22,018 | 21% | — |
| 45 | University of California-Davis Davis, CA |
$14,741$41,238 | 86% | 42% |
| 46 | San Diego State University San Diego, CA |
$15,364$27,780 | 76% | 36% |
| 47 | California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA |
$16,075$86,886 | 94% | 3% |
| 48 | University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA |
$16,109$41,573 | 83% | 33% |
| 49 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA |
$16,665$32,265 | 86% | 31% |
| 50 | University of California-Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA |
$17,890$41,179 | 75% | 66% |
| 51 | Pomona College Claremont, CA |
$19,285$85,300 | 93% | 7% |