Colleges with the Highest Retention Rates in California

Colleges with the Highest Retention Rates in California, ranked by first-year retention rate. Share of students returning after their first year. Four-year campus colleges with at least 500 undergraduates. Four-year colleges with at least 500 undergraduates. Online-only schools are excluded. This page lists all 87 colleges in the ranking. Search and filter the list.

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1West Coast University-Anaheim-Orange CountyAnaheim, California100.0%——$33k$103k60%3,19211 mi 2Chamberlain University-CaliforniaRancho Cordova, California100.0%80%—$37k$92k—75138 mi 3Stanford UniversityStanford, California98.2%4%1553$14k$124k92%7,5544 mi 4Claremont McKenna CollegeClaremont, California98.1%10%1527$29k$105k91%1,38834 mi 5Minerva UniversitySan Francisco, California98.0%3%————6371 mi 6Pomona CollegeClaremont, California97.5%7%1534$19k$78k93%1,66633 mi 7California Institute of TechnologyPasadena, California97.4%3%—$16k$129k94%98722 mi 8University of California-Los AngelesLos Angeles, California97.3%9%—$13k$83k93%33,4755 mi 9University of California-BerkeleyBerkeley, California96.8%11%—$13k$92k93%33,0682 mi 10Harvey Mudd CollegeClaremont, California96.4%13%1545$36k$139k92%92134 mi 11University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, California95.9%10%1495$33k$92k92%20,44310 mi 12California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo, California95.5%31%—$17k$91k86%21,9969 mi 13University of California-IrvineIrvine, California94.0%29%—$14k$81k87%30,1974 mi 14University of California-San DiegoLa Jolla, California94.0%27%—$12k$85k86%34,9481 mi 15Santa Clara UniversitySanta Clara, California93.9%48%1426$50k$109k88%6,5529 mi 16Scripps CollegeClaremont, California93.8%38%1492$36k$78k83%1,11334 mi 17Pitzer CollegeClaremont, California93.8%25%—$34k$70k83%1,22734 mi 18University of California-Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, California93.0%33%—$16k$75k83%23,113< 1 mi 19University of California-DavisDavis, California92.8%42%—$15k$81k86%32,25327 mi 20Chapman UniversityOrange, California91.8%65%1357$47k$70k82%7,47813 mi 21Thomas Aquinas CollegeSanta Paula, California91.6%83%1329$26k$56k84%56616 mi 22University of San DiegoSan Diego, California91.4%52%—$30k$87k84%5,6713 mi 23San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, California90.6%36%—$15k$65k76%35,3777 mi 24Occidental CollegeLos Angeles, California89.8%44%1452$38k$76k81%1,87718 mi 25West Coast University-OntarioOntario, California88.9%——$50k$103k39%2,67137 mi 26Loyola Marymount UniversityLos Angeles, California88.6%45%1359$48k$78k79%7,0942 mi 27University of the PacificStockton, California88.5%71%1346$25k$78k69%3,2047 mi 28University of California-Santa CruzSanta Cruz, California87.9%66%—$18k$68k75%17,9403 mi 29University of California-RiversideRiverside, California87.6%76%—$14k$68k76%22,59340 mi 30Pepperdine UniversityMalibu, California87.6%63%1384$58k$83k83%3,5531 mi 31California State Polytechnic University-PomonaPomona, California87.4%75%—$12k$72k68%25,04227 mi 32San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, California86.8%85%—$14k$79k69%27,60112 mi 33California State University-Long BeachLong Beach, California86.8%46%—$10k$64k69%35,9243 mi 34California College of the ArtsSan Francisco, California86.7%91%—$54k$49k61%9901 mi 35Art Center College of DesignPasadena, California85.9%75%—$49k$72k79%2,01721 mi 36Point Loma Nazarene UniversitySan Diego, California85.5%84%1287$39k$64k77%3,188< 1 mi 37Dominican University of CaliforniaSan Rafael, California85.5%84%1290$35k$85k78%1,1141 mi 38Saint Mary's College of CaliforniaMoraga, California85.4%87%—$30k$79k70%1,9478 mi 39Westmont CollegeSanta Barbara, California85.0%77%1328$29k$65k70%1,3022 mi 40The Master's University and SeminarySanta Clarita, California84.7%84%—$33k$57k68%1,62224 mi 41Laguna College of Art and DesignLaguna Beach, California84.2%94%—$43k$48k52%7462 mi 42Azusa Pacific UniversityAzusa, California84.0%88%1195$22k$67k62%2,75930 mi 43University of RedlandsRedlands, California84.0%83%1241$30k$73k67%2,04951 mi 44Biola UniversityLa Mirada, California83.9%74%1261$31k$57k68%3,47413 mi 45University of San FranciscoSan Francisco, California83.7%62%1295$41k$90k70%5,2872 mi 46Stanbridge UniversityIrvine, California83.6%10%—$45k$62k62%2,6436 mi 47San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco, California82.7%96%—$12k$68k50%18,6392 mi 48California State University-StanislausTurlock, California82.5%98%—$6k$63k53%8,38546 mi 49California State University-FullertonFullerton, California82.4%91%—$7k$63k70%38,54616 mi 50California Institute of the ArtsValencia, California82.4%32%—$46k$41k67%86024 mi 51University of California-MercedMerced, California82.1%91%—$12k$64k69%8,37271 mi 52California State University-SacramentoSacramento, California81.9%94%—$9k$65k56%28,35032 mi 53California State University-ChicoChico, California81.6%93%—$14k$64k63%13,631103 mi 54California State University-FresnoFresno, California81.6%95%—$7k$61k57%21,605112 mi 55California State University-Monterey BaySeaside, California79.9%97%—$14k$59k59%6,8192 mi 56California State University-San BernardinoSan Bernardino, California79.6%94%—$5k$60k55%15,02352 mi 57Sonoma State UniversityRohnert Park, California79.2%93%—$13k$66k58%5,16616 mi 58California State University-BakersfieldBakersfield, California78.8%94%—$6k$59k50%8,57770 mi 59California Lutheran UniversityThousand Oaks, California78.8%76%1266$30k$69k70%2,29613 mi 60California State University-San MarcosSan Marcos, California78.6%95%—$10k$63k55%14,87710 mi 61Cal Poly Maritime AcademyVallejo, California77.5%95%—$21k$95k60%804< 1 mi 62La Sierra UniversityRiverside, California77.3%92%—$46k$62k60%1,11630 mi 63William Jessup UniversityRocklin, California76.9%93%1150$28k$56k56%1,29451 mi 64California State Polytechnic University-HumboldtArcata, California76.0%98%—$13k$48k49%5,6122 mi 65California State University-East BayHayward, California75.7%97%—$9k$71k48%9,8096 mi 66Academy of Art UniversitySan Francisco, California75.4%——$41k$39k34%3,5871 mi 67Concordia University-IrvineIrvine, California74.8%66%—$28k$65k58%1,5366 mi 68Otis College of Art and DesignLos Angeles, California74.5%82%1310$51k$58k66%1,2232 mi 69California Baptist UniversityRiverside, California74.4%85%—$26k$62k62%8,17934 mi 70Woodbury UniversityBurbank, California74.0%82%—$34k$66k60%77916 mi 71California State University-Dominguez HillsCarson, California73.7%93%—$9k$57k43%12,5387 mi 72California State University-NorthridgeNorthridge, California73.4%93%—$7k$59k57%32,69114 mi 73California State University-Channel IslandsCamarillo, California72.4%95%—$10k$62k51%5,0135 mi 74California State University-Los AngelesLos Angeles, California71.9%91%—$4k$59k53%19,56218 mi 75Westcliff UniversityIrvine, California71.6%73%—$35k—62%2,3637 mi 76Fresno Pacific UniversityFresno, California71.6%64%—$14k$59k50%1,544110 mi 77Mount Saint Mary's UniversityLos Angeles, California71.1%73%—$21k$72k53%1,7195 mi 78Vanguard University of Southern CaliforniaCosta Mesa, California70.1%62%—$21k$60k57%1,9334 mi 79Menlo CollegeAtherton, California69.9%68%—$31k$76k54%7524 mi 80Whittier CollegeWhittier, California66.2%81%—$26k$59k60%76417 mi 81New York Film AcademyBurbank, California65.9%——$39k$30k68%84913 mi 82University of La VerneLa Verne, California64.5%71%1083$20k$65k63%3,05031 mi 83University of Massachusetts GlobalAliso Viejo, California62.2%——$33k$66k43%4,4915 mi 84Simpson UniversityRedding, California60.4%86%—$28k$54k49%80993 mi 85National UniversitySan Diego, California52.6%——$23k$68k43%10,7948 mi 86Hope International UniversityFullerton, California52.4%33%1020$29k$50k49%56415 mi 87Los Angeles Film SchoolHollywood, California51.2%——$31k$32k41%5,47211 mi

US Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS. Missing or suppressed values are excluded. A ranking is a comparison of the named measure, not an overall quality score.