81 colleges in California with an average net price under $30,000 a year, ranked by what families actually pay after aid. Cheapest: Antelope Valley Community College District at $85.
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 | Antelope Valley Community College District Lancaster, CA |
$85$10,365 | 33% | — |
| 2 | Skyline College San Bruno, CA |
$616$12,243 | 47% | — |
| 3 | Cypress College Cypress, CA |
$759$12,047 | 41% | — |
| 4 | Santa Monica College Santa Monica, CA |
$1,693$11,807 | 23% | — |
| 5 | California State University-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA |
$2,385$17,767 | 55% | 91% |
| 6 | Foothill College Los Altos Hills, CA |
$2,851$11,966 | 61% | — |
| 7 | Solano Community College Fairfield, CA |
$2,905$12,100 | 34% | — |
| 8 | California State University-Stanislaus Turlock, CA |
$3,565$17,570 | 52% | 98% |
| 9 | California State University-San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA |
$3,946$16,968 | 53% | 94% |
| 10 | California State University-Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA |
$4,001$18,458 | 48% | 94% |
| 11 | Bakersfield College Bakersfield, CA |
$4,330$14,301 | 20% | — |
| 12 | California State University-Fullerton Fullerton, CA |
$5,115$17,787 | 68% | 91% |
| 13 | MiraCosta College Oceanside, CA |
$5,146$14,666 | 40% | — |
| 14 | West Los Angeles College Culver City, CA |
$5,238$14,829 | 25% | — |
| 15 | California State University-Fresno Fresno, CA |
$5,418$19,585 | 58% | 95% |
| 16 | Modesto Junior College Modesto, CA |
$5,954$16,086 | 29% | — |
| 17 | California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA |
$6,346$20,014 | 57% | 93% |
| 18 | California State University-East Bay Hayward, CA |
$6,858$20,807 | 49% | 97% |
| 19 | Santa Ana College Santa Ana, CA |
$7,224$16,063 | 31% | — |
| 20 | Shasta College Redding, CA |
$7,225$17,519 | 24% | — |
| 21 | California State University-Dominguez Hills Carson, CA |
$7,244$22,839 | 42% | 93% |
| 22 | Feather River Community College District Quincy, CA |
$7,537$18,566 | 54% | — |
| 23 | California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA |
$8,509$90,822 | 90% | 3% |
| 24 | California State University-Channel Islands Camarillo, CA |
$8,534$23,432 | 55% | 95% |
| 25 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Pomona, CA |
$9,404$22,633 | 68% | 75% |
| 26 | California State University-Long Beach Long Beach, CA |
$9,426$22,926 | 70% | 46% |
| 27 | San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA |
$9,803$25,244 | 50% | 96% |
| 28 | Sonoma State University Rohnert Park, CA |
$10,759$24,931 | 55% | 93% |
| 29 | California State University-San Marcos San Marcos, CA |
$10,939$23,131 | 55% | 95% |
| 30 | California State University-Sacramento Sacramento, CA |
$11,186$25,925 | 54% | 94% |
| 31 | University of California-Merced Merced, CA |
$11,583$41,008 | 68% | 91% |
| 32 | Crafton Hills College Yucaipa, CA |
$11,754$20,178 | 34% | — |
| 33 | Stanford University Stanford, CA |
$12,307$92,892 | 92% | 4% |
| 34 | University of California-Riverside Riverside, CA |
$12,672$38,424 | 75% | 76% |
| 35 | San Diego State University San Diego, CA |
$13,243$26,045 | 78% | 36% |
| 36 | California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt Arcata, CA |
$13,751$27,011 | 44% | 98% |
| 37 | California State University-Monterey Bay Seaside, CA |
$13,861$27,498 | 63% | 97% |
| 38 | University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA |
$13,866$39,170 | 87% | 29% |
| 39 | California State University-Chico Chico, CA |
$14,157$26,798 | 60% | 93% |
| 40 | San Jose State University San Jose, CA |
$14,241$28,920 | 68% | 85% |
| 41 | University of California-Davis Davis, CA |
$14,318$43,191 | 86% | 42% |
| 42 | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA |
$14,538$47,842 | 94% | 11% |
| 43 | University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA |
$14,659$41,373 | 93% | 9% |
| 44 | University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA |
$14,794$41,664 | 86% | 27% |
| 45 | Rio Hondo College Whittier, CA |
$15,389$24,021 | 23% | — |
| 46 | University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA |
$16,807$44,833 | 84% | 33% |
| 47 | Fresno Pacific University Fresno, CA |
$17,491$45,834 | 49% | 64% |
| 48 | Cal Poly Maritime Academy Vallejo, CA |
$17,793$30,866 | 58% | 95% |
| 49 | University of California-Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA |
$18,549$43,867 | 74% | 66% |
| 50 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA |
$18,832$36,515 | 87% | 31% |
| 51 | Pomona College Claremont, CA |
$18,978$89,414 | 92% | 7% |
| 52 | University of La Verne La Verne, CA |
$20,523$62,637 | 61% | 71% |
| 53 | San Diego Mesa College San Diego, CA |
$21,767$35,822 | 42% | — |
| 54 | Platt College-Los Angeles Alhambra, CA |
$22,226$30,242 | 56% | — |
| 55 | Reach University Oakland, CA |
$22,412$34,414 | — | 100% |
| 56 | Azusa Pacific University Azusa, CA |
$22,597$57,174 | 63% | 88% |
| 57 | La Sierra University Riverside, CA |
$22,767$52,192 | 52% | 92% |
| 58 | Vanguard University of Southern California Costa Mesa, CA |
$23,231$56,063 | 55% | 62% |
| 59 | Platt College-Ontario Ontario, CA |
$23,246$30,156 | 36% | — |
| 60 | National University San Diego, CA |
$24,008$31,068 | 43% | — |
| 61 | California Baptist University Riverside, CA |
$24,138$54,370 | 60% | 85% |
| 62 | University of the Pacific Stockton, CA |
$24,186$73,184 | 73% | 71% |
| 63 | Whittier College Whittier, CA |
$24,940$64,712 | 55% | 81% |
| 64 | Loma Linda University Loma Linda, CA |
$25,018$39,397 | — | — |
| 65 | Stanbridge University Irvine, CA |
$25,124 | 51% | 10% |
| 66 | CBD College Los Angeles, CA |
$25,702 | 72% | — |
| 67 | Pacific Union College Angwin, CA |
$25,891$52,354 | 52% | 47% |
| 68 | Claremont McKenna College Claremont, CA |
$26,039$91,510 | 90% | 10% |
| 69 | Laurus College San Luis Obispo, CA |
$26,056 | 33% | — |
| 70 | William Jessup University Rocklin, CA |
$26,418$52,793 | 48% | 93% |
| 71 | California Lutheran University Thousand Oaks, CA |
$26,445$70,795 | 69% | 76% |
| 72 | Mount Saint Mary's University Los Angeles, CA |
$27,235$69,109 | 56% | 73% |
| 73 | Angeles College Los Angeles, CA |
$27,587 | 86% | — |
| 74 | Unitek College Fremont, CA |
$27,942 | 72% | — |
| 75 | Simpson University Redding, CA |
$28,219$54,614 | 35% | 86% |
| 76 | Los Angeles Pacific University San Dimas, CA |
$28,427$37,608 | 28% | — |
| 77 | Westmont College Santa Barbara, CA |
$29,343$73,544 | 68% | 77% |
| 78 | University of San Diego San Diego, CA |
$29,539$83,503 | 81% | 52% |
| 79 | Concordia University-Irvine Irvine, CA |
$29,761$60,683 | 47% | 66% |
| 80 | InterCoast Colleges-West Covina West Covina, CA |
$29,948 | 70% | — |
| 81 | Scripps College Claremont, CA |
$29,998$90,886 | 84% | 38% |