For prospective college students looking for schools that align with their Christian faith and demonstrate academic excellence, here are the best Christian colleges and universities in California.
California’s higher education institutes span across the entire state, allowing students to study by the beach, in the forest, in small towns, and in large cities. There are over 30 high quality online programs that would allow you to earn a degree from literally anywhere in California, or the world.
The state’s largest university is the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). UCLA serves nearly 44,000 students and offers a tuition rate around $13,000. This isn’t the only school with a large student body though. California is home to 23 colleges and universities with student populations of over 20,000 students.
Find college admissions consultants in your state.
However, more than half of the state’s schools serve smaller student populations, offering plenty of options for students who crave a more intimate campus experience. Additionally, California boasts 50 religiously affiliated schools. Many of these schools have high graduation rates. However, tuition costs can range greatly, from $8,000 at Bethesda University up to $54,000 at Pepperdine University.
Additionally, many of California’s colleges and universities boast influential faculty and alumni, including Neil Armstrong, Jerry Lewis, and Weird Al
Yankovic. In addition to famous alumni and professors, California’s schools are also home to some of the country’s top degree programs, including nursing, business, religious studies, education, literature, and law. Many of these schools offer online courses and complete online programs in these same disciplines.
Though Hollywood has given us an inside look into California’s most popular landmarks and attractions, these one-of-a-kind places aren’t the only reason people flock to The Golden State. With hundreds of colleges and universities, as well as community and junior colleges, to choose from, students have countless opportunities to further their education in California.
Many of these opportunities are also accessible through online courses and online colleges. A growing number of online programs in California have received accreditation from the Western Association of Schools, which means online students have a higher level of quality assurance than ever before. It’s also worth noting that students who live in California can still get an in-state discount on their associate degree or bachelor’s degree even when completing online courses or online programs.
To learn more about earning your degree in California, check out some of the state’s top programs and career paths.
The following list of the best Christian schools consists entirely of colleges and universities that offer four-year undergraduate degrees. We’ve identified 30 Christian colleges in California. In order to be included in this ranking list of best Christian colleges and universities, a school must self-identify as Christian, be fully accredited, and offer a broad range of bachelor degree programs.
Tuition + fees
$56K
Acceptance
51%
Graduation
92%
Student body
8K
Median SAT/ACT
1360/30
Santa Clara University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$53K
Acceptance
70%
Graduation
71%
Student body
10K
Median SAT/ACT
1230/26
University of San Francisco’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$60K
Acceptance
42%
Graduation
89%
Student body
9K
Median SAT/ACT
1340/29
Pepperdine University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$59K
Acceptance
58%
Graduation
80%
Student body
9K
Median SAT/ACT
1285/28
Chapman University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$53K
Acceptance
59%
Graduation
80%
Student body
8K
Median SAT/ACT
1280/28
University of San Diego’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$54K
Acceptance
50%
Graduation
83%
Student body
9K
Median SAT/ACT
1320/29
Loyola Marymount University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$44K
Acceptance
64%
Graduation
71%
Student body
5K
Median SAT/ACT
1195/24
Biola University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$42K
Acceptance
94%
Graduation
66%
Student body
9K
Median SAT/ACT
1145/23
Azusa Pacific University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$52K
Acceptance
77%
Graduation
73%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1150/25
Saint Mary's College of California’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$34K
Acceptance
57%
Graduation
52%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1030/20
La Sierra University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$37K
Acceptance
80%
Graduation
62%
Student body
11K
Median SAT/ACT
1100/21
California Baptist University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$40K
Acceptance
84%
Graduation
72%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1225/26
Point Loma Nazarene University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$49K
Acceptance
70%
Graduation
72%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1215/25
Westmont College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$32K
Acceptance
59%
Graduation
51%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1060/21
Pacific Union College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$46K
Acceptance
74%
Graduation
71%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1160/24
California Lutheran University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$39K
Acceptance
78%
Graduation
59%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1100/21
Concordia University Irvine’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$26K
Acceptance
86%
Graduation
84%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1270/28
Tuition + fees
$35K
Acceptance
38%
Graduation
49%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
990/19
Hope International University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$28K
Acceptance
77%
Graduation
56%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1124/23
John Paul the Great Catholic University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$41K
Acceptance
89%
Graduation
39%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
800/19
Holy Names University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$36K
Acceptance
60%
Graduation
43%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1035/20
Simpson University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$37K
Graduation
32%
Student body
<1K
Marymount California University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$34K
Acceptance
50%
Graduation
55%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1050/20
San Diego Christian College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$29K
Acceptance
60%
Graduation
64%
Student body
2K
The Master's University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$38K
Acceptance
50%
Graduation
63%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1065/21
Vanguard University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$37K
Acceptance
65%
Graduation
53%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1080/21
William Jessup University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$45K
Acceptance
89%
Graduation
59%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1045/19
Mount Saint Mary's University, Los Angeles’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$33K
Acceptance
67%
Graduation
67%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1040/20
Fresno Pacific University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$33K
Acceptance
42%
Graduation
29%
Student body
<1K
Tuition + fees
$18K
Acceptance
92%
Graduation
49%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1001/17
Life Pacific University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Many of our 2022 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2021. That’s because we took a fundamentally different apporach. For 2021 we utiulized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.
