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
54%
Graduation
91%
Student body
8K
Median SAT/ACT
1360/30
Santa Clara University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$53K
Acceptance
71%
Graduation
76%
Student body
9K
Median SAT/ACT
1235/27
University of San Francisco’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$60K
Acceptance
53%
Graduation
83%
Student body
10K
Median SAT/ACT
1305/28
Pepperdine University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$59K
Acceptance
60%
Graduation
80%
Student body
9K
Median SAT/ACT
1260/27
Chapman University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$53K
Acceptance
53%
Graduation
80%
Student body
8K
University of San Diego’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$54K
Acceptance
46%
Graduation
79%
Student body
8K
Median SAT/ACT
1300/29
Loyola Marymount University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$44K
Acceptance
61%
Graduation
70%
Student body
5K
Median SAT/ACT
1180/25
Biola University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$42K
Acceptance
94%
Graduation
72%
Student body
8K
Azusa Pacific University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$52K
Acceptance
70%
Graduation
73%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1161/24
Saint Mary's College of California’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$34K
Acceptance
66%
Graduation
45%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1055/19
La Sierra University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$37K
Acceptance
64%
Graduation
57%
Student body
11K
Median SAT/ACT
1055/21
California Baptist University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$40K
Acceptance
84%
Graduation
73%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1195/25
Point Loma Nazarene University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$49K
Acceptance
79%
Graduation
73%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1240/27
Westmont College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$32K
Acceptance
58%
Graduation
40%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1020/20
Pacific Union College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$46K
Acceptance
82%
Graduation
74%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1155/23
California Lutheran University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$39K
Acceptance
81%
Graduation
68%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1115/23
Concordia University Irvine’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$26K
Acceptance
83%
Graduation
86%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1290/28
Tuition + fees
$35K
Acceptance
40%
Graduation
42%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1015/21
Hope International University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$28K
Acceptance
79%
Graduation
62%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1089/22
John Paul the Great Catholic University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$41K
Acceptance
95%
Graduation
58%
Student body
<1K
Holy Names University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$36K
Acceptance
67%
Graduation
45%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1072/24
Simpson University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$37K
Graduation
39%
Student body
<1K
Marymount California University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$34K
Acceptance
53%
Graduation
47%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
999/21
San Diego Christian College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$29K
Acceptance
67%
Graduation
72%
Student body
2K
The Master's University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$38K
Acceptance
69%
Graduation
61%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1045/20
Vanguard University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$37K
Acceptance
78%
Graduation
60%
Student body
2K
William Jessup University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$45K
Acceptance
90%
Graduation
59%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1005/20
Mount Saint Mary's University, Los Angeles’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$33K
Acceptance
78%
Graduation
68%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1020/19
Fresno Pacific University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$33K
Acceptance
83%
Graduation
42%
Student body
<1K
Tuition + fees
$18K
Acceptance
94%
Graduation
51%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1007/20
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 utilized 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.