College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best Mathematics Schools in California

23 Colleges in California
7,234 Math Degrees Awarded
$37,654 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a degree in mathematics, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #35 most popular program in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 23 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Mathematics Schools in California ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 7,234 degrees in mathematics during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Mathematics School

Best Mathematics Schools in California The math program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Mathematics rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for mathematics schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Mathematics Rankings by Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Math
Master's Degrees in Math
Doctor's Degrees in Math

The math school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Mathematics Schools in California. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Mathematics in California

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the math degree levels they offer.

10 Top California Schools in Math

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
215 Math Degrees Awarded
11.2% Growth in Graduates

University of California - Los Angeles is a good choice for students interested in a degree in mathematics. UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.

There were about 215 mathematics students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the mathematics major at University of California - Los Angeles get $13,085 above the typical graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in mathematics from University of California - Los Angeles

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
144 Math Degrees Awarded
8.3% Growth in Graduates

It's hard to beat University of California - Berkeley if you want to pursue a degree in mathematics. Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were about 144 mathematics students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent year we have data available. Those mathematics students who get their degree from University of California - Berkeley receive $9,887 more than the average math student.

More information about a degree in mathematics from University of California - Berkeley

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
82nd Most Popular In CA
31 Math Degrees Awarded

University of Southern California is a wonderful option for students interested in a degree in mathematics. Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 31 mathematics students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in mathematics from University of Southern California

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
240 Math Degrees Awarded
$40,222 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat University of California - San Diego if you wish to pursue a degree in mathematics. Located in the large city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #38 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UCSD is a great university overall.

There were approximately 240 mathematics students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent year we have data available. Mathematics degree recipients from University of California - San Diego receive an earnings boost of about $2,568 above the typical income of mathematics graduates.

More information about a degree in mathematics from University of California - San Diego

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
153 Math Degrees Awarded
24.2% Growth in Graduates

UC Davis is a very large public university located in the suburb of Davis. A Best Colleges rank of #52 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Davis is a great university overall.

There were approximately 153 mathematics students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent year we have data available. Those mathematics students who get their degree from University of California - Davis earn $6,147 more than the average math graduate.

More information about a degree in mathematics from University of California - Davis

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
189 Math Degrees Awarded
$41,219 Median Starting Salary

UCSB is a fairly large public university located in the midsize suburb of Santa Barbara. A Best Colleges rank of #45 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UCSB is a great university overall.

There were approximately 189 mathematics students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent year we have data available. Those mathematics students who get their degree from University of California - Santa Barbara receive $3,565 more than the average math graduate.

More information about a degree in mathematics from University of California - Santa Barbara

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
330 Math Degrees Awarded
1.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #61 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Irvine is a great university overall.

There were approximately 330 mathematics students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, math degree recipients generally make an average of $37,993 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in mathematics from University of California - Irvine

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
62 Math Degrees Awarded
30.6% Growth in Graduates

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a fairly large public university located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo. A Best Colleges rank of #95 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a great university overall.

There were approximately 62 mathematics students who graduated with this degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the most recent year we have data available. Those mathematics students who get their degree from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo earn $9,075 more than the standard math grad.

More information about a degree in mathematics from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
142 Math Degrees Awarded
10.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Santa Cruz, UC Santa Cruz is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #102 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Santa Cruz is a great university overall.

There were about 142 mathematics students who graduated with this degree at UC Santa Cruz in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, math degree recipients usually earn an average of $30,252 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in mathematics from University of California - Santa Cruz

10
Oxy crest
Occidental College
Los Angeles, CA

Located in the large city of Los Angeles, Oxy is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 25th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 16 mathematics students who graduated with this degree at Oxy in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the mathematics degree program at Occidental College make $9,051 more than the typical college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in mathematics from Occidental College

Best Mathematics Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Mathematics Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 300 425
Oregon 266 390
Nevada 192 117
Hawaii 164 64
Alaska 119 14

View All Rankings >

Mathematics is one of 4 different types of Mathematics & Statistics programs to choose from.

Math Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
General Mathematics 6,936
Other Mathematics 296
Topology & Foundations 2

View All Math Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Math

Related Major Annual Graduates
Applied Mathematics 2,037
Statistics 1,539
Other Statistics 11
Applied Statistics 1

View All Math Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options