2026 Best Best Schools in California

Best is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 2 schools to find the best for best students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Best Schools in California

Best Schools for Best in California

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall best education in California.

Top Schools in Best

1

University Of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

75 Best Degrees Awarded

$75,677 Median Starting Salary

Leading the list is University Of Southern California, our #1 school for best. University Of Southern California is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles. The six-year graduation rate is 92%. University Of Southern California awarded about 75 best degrees in the most recent data year. Best graduates of University Of Southern California earn a median of $75,677 early in their careers. University Of Southern California graduates carry a median of $15,625 in student loans. Get the full best details for University Of Southern California

2

California Baptist University
Riverside, CA

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

19 Best Degrees Awarded

$51,999 Median Starting Salary

A rank of #2 makes California Baptist University one of the top schools for best. This large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Riverside. California Baptist University graduates 62% of students within six years. There were roughly 19 best students who graduated with this degree at California Baptist University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, best degree recipients from California Baptist University generally make around $51,999. Typical student debt for the program is $28,169. More information about a degree in best from California Baptist University

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 2 schools evaluated.

• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.