Colleges in California: ACT scores and what they really cost.

119 four-year colleges in California, 23 of which publish an admitted ACT range. The lowest average net price among CA schools is $992 a year at San Diego Christian College, after grant and scholarship aid. Sorted cheapest first. All figures from the U.S. Department of Education.

Browse California colleges by ACT score

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119 colleges

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Net price is total cost of attendance (tuition, fees, housing, books) minus grant and scholarship aid, for students receiving federal aid. Admitted ACT range is the 25th to 75th percentile of admitted students; schools that do not publish a range may still accept ACT scores. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Common questions

How many four-year colleges are in California?

California (CA) has 119 four-year colleges reporting an average net price to the U.S. Department of Education. 23 of them publish an admitted ACT score range; the rest are test-optional or do not report one, though they may still accept ACT scores.

What is the cheapest college in California?

By average net price after grant and scholarship aid, San Diego Christian College in Santee is the least expensive four-year college in California at $992 a year. Net price is the total cost of attendance minus aid that does not need to be repaid, for students receiving federal aid. What a specific family pays varies by household income.

Are public colleges cheaper than private colleges in California?

Usually, but not always. Among California's 33 public colleges the median net price is $12,470 a year, against $30,365 across 86 private colleges. Private schools often discount heavily through grant aid, so a private college can cost a specific family less than a public one despite a far higher sticker price.

Does household income change what college costs in California?

Substantially. Across California colleges the median net price is $19,462 a year for a family earning under $30,000 and $34,379 for one earning over $110,000, at the same schools. The average price a college publishes blends every income level together, so it may be far from what any particular family pays.

Colleges in California: ACT scores and what they really cost.

San Diego Christian College

California State University-Los Angeles

California State University-San Bernardino

Humphreys University

California State University-Bakersfield

California State University-Stanislaus

California State University-Fullerton

University of the West

California State University-Fresno

California State University-Northridge

California State University-Dominguez Hills

California State University-East Bay

California State University-Sacramento

California State University-Channel Islands

California State University-San Marcos

California State University-Long Beach

Bethesda University

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona

University of California-Merced

San Francisco State University

University of California-San Diego

California Miramar University

University of California-Los Angeles

Sonoma State University

California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt

University of California-Berkeley

Fresno Pacific University

California State University-Monterey Bay

San Jose State University

Stanford University

University of California-Irvine

University of California-Riverside

California State University-Chico

University of California-Davis

Yeshiva Ohr Elchonon Chabad West Coast Talmudical Seminary

San Diego State University

World Mission University

California Institute of Technology

University of California-Santa Barbara

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

California College of ASU

America Evangelical University

University of California-Santa Cruz

Soka University of America

Touro University Worldwide

Pomona College

University of La Verne

Cal Poly Maritime Academy

Life Pacific University

Vanguard University of Southern California

Oak Valley College

Mount Saint Mary's University

American Medical Sciences Center

SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary

Azusa Pacific University

Reach University

Los Angeles Pacific University

National University

Providence Christian College

Northeastern University Oakland

University of the Pacific

Whittier College

Thomas Aquinas College

California Baptist University

University of Silicon Valley

Simpson University

William Jessup University

Concordia University-Irvine

Abraham Lincoln University

Claremont McKenna College

Westmont College

Hope International University

Lionel University

University of Redlands

California Lutheran University

University of San Diego

Saint Mary's College of California

Shasta Bible College and Graduate School

Los Angeles Film School