Best Finance Colleges in California2026 Rankings
With 25 Finance programs spread across California, narrowing your list takes real data. Our algorithm ranks each school on six factors — admission rate, graduation rate, net price, median graduate earnings, student-faculty ratio, and major breadth — so you can compare apples to apples before you apply.
California offers 10 public and 15 private Finance programs in this ranking. Public universities average $28,891 for in-state students, making them a strong value option. The most competitive school on the list — San Diego State University — accepts 34% of applicants. Early-career earnings for Finance graduates average $36,081, with a state-wide graduation rate of 60% for ranked programs.
Not sure if your profile matches these schools?
Every Finance program here has a different student profile it targets. Before you finalize your list, it's worth understanding where you stand.
Drop your application data into our Free Application Review. Our AI will analyze your admission chances and stats in 2 minutes. Get practical next steps for improvements where it matters most.
Get My Free Application Review →2026 Rankings: Finance Programs in California
| # | College | Value Score | Admit Rate | Grad Rate | Net Price | Median Earnings | Student:Faculty | Majors Offered | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of San DiegoPrivate | Great· 41 | 47% | 82% | $19,998 | $64,819 | 14:1 | 43 | 5,619 |
| 2 | Santa Clara UniversityPrivate | Great· 40 | 44% | 88% | $41,599 | $79,929 | 10:1 | 45 | 6,235 |
| 3 | Fresno Pacific UniversityPrivate | Great· 39 | 58% | 56% | $11,116 | $42,313 | 8:1 | 62 | 1,614 |
| 4 | California State University-Long BeachPublic | Great· 38 | 47% | 70% | $9,063 | $48,961 | 19:1 | 84 | 34,131 |
| 5 | Loyola Marymount UniversityPrivate | Strong· 36 | 40% | 80% | $32,869 | $70,542 | 11:1 | 50 | 7,171 |
| 6 | Pepperdine UniversityPrivate | Strong· 36 | 50% | 85% | $40,201 | $49,653 | 13:1 | 43 | 3,629 |
| 7 | San Diego State UniversityPublic | Strong· 36 | 34% | 78% | $14,205 | $53,373 | 22:1 | 79 | 33,654 |
| 8 | San Jose State UniversityPublic | Strong· 34 | 80% | 65% | $12,948 | $58,993 | 18:1 | 90 | 26,757 |
| 9 | University of San FranciscoPrivate | Good· 33 | 51% | 71% | $34,211 | $64,972 | 12:1 | 44 | 5,697 |
| 10 | California State University-Dominguez HillsPublic | Good· 33 | 91% | 47% | $4,942 | $37,973 | 18:1 | 59 | 12,642 |
| 11 | California State University-Channel IslandsPublic | Good· 33 | 93% | 53% | $9,293 | $37,645 | 15:1 | 27 | 5,230 |
| 12 | California State University-San BernardinoPublic | Good· 32 | 98% | 55% | $6,381 | $41,467 | 19:1 | 63 | 15,771 |
| 13 | Saint Mary's College of CaliforniaPrivate | Good· 32 | 89% | 69% | $24,408 | $46,323 | 10:1 | 53 | 2,024 |
| 14 | La Sierra UniversityPrivate | Good· 32 | 93% | 68% | $25,297 | $33,651 | 11:1 | 50 | 1,155 |
| 15 | California State University-FresnoPublic | Good· 32 | 96% | 55% | $7,220 | $41,970 | 18:1 | 83 | 21,070 |
| 16 | San Francisco State UniversityPublic | Good· 31 | 96% | 50% | $12,916 | $62,778 | 16:1 | 86 | 20,033 |
| 17 | Point Loma Nazarene UniversityPrivate | Good· 30 | 82% | 74% | $49,500 | $49,409 | 13:1 | 58 | 3,132 |
| 18 | California State University-San MarcosPublic | Good· 30 | 96% | 54% | $9,980 | $54,408 | 21:1 | 47 | 14,174 |
| 19 | California State University-NorthridgePublic | Good· 30 | 93% | 56% | $8,897 | $48,553 | 21:1 | 76 | 32,357 |
| 20 | California Baptist UniversityPrivate | Average· 28 | 74% | 60% | $23,799 | $47,533 | 20:1 | 78 | 7,914 |
| 21 | Golden Gate UniversityPrivate | Fair· 24 | — | — | $31,243 | $91,336 | 10:1 | 10 | 550 |
| 22 | Menlo CollegePrivate | Fair· 22 | 68% | 51% | $30,099 | $69,684 | 12:1 | 5 | 811 |
| 23 | Ashford UniversityPrivate | Weak· 20 | — | 9% | $26,377 | $57,566 | 16:1 | 55 | 23,734 |
| 24 | National UniversityPrivate | Weak· 19 | — | 50% | $37,116 | $66,420 | 16:1 | 53 | 9,725 |
| 25 | University of Phoenix-CaliforniaPrivate | Poor· 16 | — | 18% | — | $70,963 | 7:1 | 19 | 155 |