California ranking · College Scorecard · Mar-Jul 2026 retrievals

Most Selective Colleges in California

Looking for the most selective colleges in California? Using College Scorecard data retrieved March-July 2026, these operating California campuses with at least 1,000 undergraduates rank hardest to get into by reported acceptance rate. Selectivity is not quality - use it alongside earnings, net price, and graduation rates.

Compiled by PlainCollege , College outcomes data analysis

3.6%
Lowest acceptance rate: 69
California colleges ranked: 1,553
#1 average SAT

The list in one line

The most selective colleges in California on this list admit no more than 100.0% of applicants. Stanford University is the hardest on the list, admitting just 3.6%.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

3.6%
#1 hardest - Stanford University: 100.0%
#69 cutoff on this list: Scorecard
reported undergraduate acceptance rate

Acceptance rate is the College Scorecard undergraduate admission-rate field; see methodology for vintage details.

Stanford University

3.6
Pomona College

7.1
University of California…

9
Claremont McKenna College

9.6
University of Southern C…

9.8
Stanbridge University

10
University of California…

11
Pitzer College

25.2
University of California…

26.7
University of California…

28.6
California Polytechnic S…

31.3
University of California…

33
San Diego State University

36.2
Scripps College

38.3
University of California…

41.8

What this shows Private colleges and flagship campuses often dominate California selectivity rankings - a low acceptance rate is not the same as better outcomes.

#	School Name	Acceptance rate	Avg SAT	City
1	Stanford University	3.6%	1,553	Stanford
2	Pomona College	7.1%	1,534	Claremont
3	University of California-Los Angeles	9.0%	-	Los Angeles
4	Claremont McKenna College	9.6%	1,527	Claremont
5	University of Southern California	9.8%	1,495	Los Angeles
6	Stanbridge University	10.0%	-	Irvine
7	University of California-Berkeley	11.0%	-	Berkeley
8	Pitzer College	25.2%	-	Claremont
9	University of California-San Diego	26.7%	-	La Jolla
10	University of California-Irvine	28.6%	-	Irvine
11	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	31.3%	-	San Luis Obispo
12	University of California-Santa Barbara	33.0%	-	Santa Barbara
13	San Diego State University	36.2%	-	San Diego
14	Scripps College	38.3%	1,492	Claremont
15	University of California-Davis	41.8%	-	Davis
16	Occidental College	44.2%	1,452	Los Angeles
17	Loyola Marymount University	45.1%	1,359	Los Angeles
18	California State University-Long Beach	46.3%	-	Long Beach
19	Santa Clara University	48.0%	1,426	Santa Clara
20	University of San Diego	52.4%	-	San Diego
21	University of San Francisco	61.7%	1,295	San Francisco
22	Vanguard University of Southern California	62.4%	-	Costa Mesa
23	Pepperdine University	62.9%	1,384	Malibu
24	MTI College	63.4%	-	Sacramento
25	Fresno Pacific University	64.1%	-	Fresno
26	Chapman University	65.4%	1,357	Orange
27	University of California-Santa Cruz	65.8%	-	Santa Cruz
28	Concordia University-Irvine	66.0%	-	Irvine
29	University of La Verne	71.2%	1,083	La Verne
30	University of the Pacific	71.3%	1,346	Stockton
31	Mount Saint Mary's University	73.1%	-	Los Angeles
32	Westcliff University	73.2%	-	Irvine
33	Biola University	74.4%	1,261	La Mirada
34	Art Center College of Design	74.5%	-	Pasadena
35	California State Polytechnic University-Pomona	75.2%	-	Pomona
36	California Lutheran University	75.7%	1,266	Thousand Oaks
37	University of California-Riverside	76.4%	-	Riverside
38	Westmont College	77.0%	1,328	Santa Barbara
39	Otis College of Art and Design	81.8%	1,310	Los Angeles
40	University of Redlands	82.7%	1,241	Redlands
41	Dominican University of California	83.5%	1,290	San Rafael
42	Point Loma Nazarene University	83.7%	1,287	San Diego
43	The Master's University and Seminary	84.0%	-	Santa Clarita
44	San Jose State University	84.6%	-	San Jose
45	California Baptist University	84.9%	-	Riverside
46	Saint Mary's College of California	86.5%	-	Moraga
47	Azusa Pacific University	88.4%	1,195	Azusa
48	California State University-Fullerton	90.5%	-	Fullerton
49	University of California-Merced	90.5%	-	Merced
50	California State University-Los Angeles	91.3%	-	Los Angeles
51	La Sierra University	91.5%	-	Riverside
52	California State University-Chico	92.7%	-	Chico
53	California State University-Dominguez Hills	93.3%	-	Carson
54	William Jessup University	93.3%	1,150	Rocklin
55	Sonoma State University	93.4%	-	Rohnert Park
56	California State University-Northridge	93.5%	-	Northridge
57	California State University-San Bernardino	93.7%	-	San Bernardino
58	California State University-Bakersfield	93.8%	-	Bakersfield
59	California State University-Sacramento	94.0%	-	Sacramento
60	California State University-Channel Islands	94.8%	-	Camarillo
61	California State University-San Marcos	95.1%	-	San Marcos
62	California State University-Fresno	95.3%	-	Fresno
63	San Francisco State University	96.4%	-	San Francisco
64	California State University-East Bay	97.4%	-	Hayward
65	California State University-Monterey Bay	97.4%	-	Seaside
66	California State University-Stanislaus	98.1%	-	Turlock
67	California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt	98.2%	-	Arcata
68	DeVry University-California	98.5%	-	Ontario
69	Reach University	100.0%	-	Oakland

About This Ranking

California schools are ranked by reported undergraduate acceptance rate (lowest first) from College Scorecard. Only operating colleges with enrollment of at least 1,000 and a published acceptance rate are included. The national companion is our most selective colleges list. See our methodology for source vintage and cohort definitions.

Caveats and limitations

Acceptance rate measures how hard it is to get an offer, not teaching quality, affordability, or graduate earnings. A less selective campus can still be a better fit on cost, program mix, or outcomes.

For earnings-adjusted value in California, see best colleges in California. For campus scale, see largest colleges in California.

This ranking is for informational purposes only and does not constitute admissions advice.

Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Rankings are computed directly from College Scorecard data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar-Jul 2026 retrievals.