Best Marketing Colleges in California2026 Rankings
With 31 Marketing 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 11 public and 19 private Marketing programs in this ranking. Public universities average $29,025 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 Marketing graduates average $37,533, with a state-wide graduation rate of 58% for ranked programs.
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| # | 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 | $56,313 | 14:1 | 43 | 5,619 |
| 2 | Santa Clara UniversityPrivate | Great· 40 | 44% | 88% | $41,599 | $58,493 | 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 | $40,976 | 19:1 | 84 | 34,131 |
| 5 | Loyola Marymount UniversityPrivate | Strong· 36 | 40% | 80% | $32,869 | $48,281 | 11:1 | 50 | 7,171 |
| 6 | San Diego State UniversityPublic | Strong· 36 | 34% | 78% | $14,205 | $48,229 | 22:1 | 79 | 33,654 |
| 7 | Mount Saint Mary's UniversityPrivate | Strong· 35 | 69% | 53% | $25,413 | $62,833 | 11:1 | 52 | 1,746 |
| 8 | Vanguard University of Southern CaliforniaPrivate | Strong· 35 | 65% | 56% | $17,411 | $69,240 | 16:1 | 27 | 1,975 |
| 9 | San Jose State UniversityPublic | Strong· 34 | 80% | 65% | $12,948 | $58,993 | 18:1 | 90 | 26,757 |
| 10 | Azusa Pacific UniversityPrivate | Strong· 34 | 79% | 64% | $20,848 | $50,824 | 10:1 | 48 | 2,977 |
| 11 | University of San FranciscoPrivate | Good· 33 | 51% | 71% | $34,211 | $44,891 | 12:1 | 44 | 5,697 |
| 12 | California State University-Dominguez HillsPublic | Good· 33 | 91% | 47% | $4,942 | $37,973 | 18:1 | 59 | 12,642 |
| 13 | California State University-BakersfieldPublic | Good· 33 | 88% | 49% | $6,183 | $38,105 | 16:1 | 40 | 8,183 |
| 14 | California State University-StanislausPublic | Good· 33 | 97% | 58% | $6,347 | $38,193 | 16:1 | 38 | 8,564 |
| 15 | California State University-San BernardinoPublic | Good· 32 | 98% | 55% | $6,381 | $34,293 | 19:1 | 63 | 15,771 |
| 16 | Woodbury UniversityPrivate | Good· 32 | 73% | 55% | $25,615 | $39,998 | 9:1 | 21 | 825 |
| 17 | La Sierra UniversityPrivate | Good· 32 | 93% | 68% | $25,297 | $33,651 | 11:1 | 50 | 1,155 |
| 18 | California State University-FresnoPublic | Good· 32 | 96% | 55% | $7,220 | $37,484 | 18:1 | 83 | 21,070 |
| 19 | San Francisco State UniversityPublic | Good· 31 | 96% | 50% | $12,916 | $52,072 | 16:1 | 86 | 20,033 |
| 20 | The Master's University and SeminaryPrivate | Good· 31 | 76% | 64% | $27,969 | $40,609 | 14:1 | 29 | 1,606 |
| 21 | Point Loma Nazarene UniversityPrivate | Good· 30 | 82% | 74% | $49,500 | $49,409 | 13:1 | 58 | 3,132 |
| 22 | California State University-San MarcosPublic | Good· 30 | 96% | 54% | $9,980 | $43,134 | 21:1 | 47 | 14,174 |
| 23 | California State University-NorthridgePublic | Good· 30 | 93% | 56% | $8,897 | $37,016 | 21:1 | 76 | 32,357 |
| 24 | California Baptist UniversityPrivate | Average· 28 | 74% | 60% | $23,799 | $41,108 | 20:1 | 78 | 7,914 |
| 25 | Golden Gate UniversityPrivate | Fair· 24 | — | — | $31,243 | $91,336 | 10:1 | 10 | 550 |
| 26 | Menlo CollegePrivate | Fair· 22 | 68% | 51% | $30,099 | $49,788 | 12:1 | 5 | 811 |
| 27 | FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & MerchandisingPrivate | Weak· 21 | 42% | 67% | $44,778 | $28,643 | 13:1 | 7 | 1,319 |
| 28 | Ashford UniversityPrivate | Weak· 20 | — | 9% | $26,377 | $54,286 | 16:1 | 55 | 23,734 |
| 29 | University of Phoenix-CaliforniaPrivate | Poor· 16 | — | 18% | — | $63,570 | 7:1 | 19 | 155 |
| 30 | Academy of Art UniversityPrivate | Poor· 15 | — | 40% | $40,285 | $29,577 | 15:1 | 22 | 4,131 |