2026 Best Applied Linguistics Schools in California
Applied Linguistics programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools to find the best for applied linguistics students.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Applied Linguistics in California
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the applied linguistics degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Applied Linguistics
Leading the list is University Of California Santa Cruz, our #1 school for applied linguistics. Located in the city of Santa Cruz, University Of California Santa Cruz is a very large public university. Roughly 75% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 15 applied linguistics degrees were awarded at University Of California Santa Cruz in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, applied linguistics degree recipients from University Of California Santa Cruz generally make around $21,793. University Of California Santa Cruz graduates carry a median of $17,491 in student loans.
More information about a degree in applied linguistics from University Of California Santa Cruz
More Applied Linguistics Rankings
View All Applied Linguistics Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 4 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.
