2026 Best Best Schools in California
Best degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
College Factual analyzed 16 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best best schools.
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Best Schools for Best 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 best degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Best
Our analysis ranked San Jose State University the best school in the country for a degree in best. San Jose State University is a very large public school located in the city of San Jose. The six-year graduation rate is 69%. San Jose State University awarded about 171 best degrees in the most recent data year.
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University Of California San Diego is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in best, ranking #2. Located in the city of La Jolla, University Of California San Diego is a very large public university. About 86% of students finish within six years. About 74 best degrees were awarded at University Of California San Diego in the most recent year. Students who receive their best degree from University Of California San Diego earn around $60,797 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $17,101 to complete this degree.
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Students looking for a strong best program will find one at University Of California Santa Barbara, which ranked #3. Set in the suburb of Santa Barbara, University Of California Santa Barbara is a very large public institution. University Of California Santa Barbara graduates 83% of students within six years. University Of California Santa Barbara awarded about 28 best degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their best degree from University Of California Santa Barbara earn around $45,488 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $15,501 to complete this degree.
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A rank of #4 makes University Of The Pacific one of the top schools for best. This moderately-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Stockton. Roughly 68% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 32 best students who graduated with this degree at University Of The Pacific in the most recent data year. Best graduates of University Of The Pacific earn a median of $77,022 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $23,514 to complete this degree.
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University Of San Diego came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best best schools. Set in the city of San Diego, University Of San Diego is a large private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 84%. University Of San Diego awarded about 47 best degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, best degree recipients from University Of San Diego generally make around $68,281. Students borrow a median of $23,795 to complete this degree.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 16 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.