2026 Best Sports Management Schools in California
Sports Management 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.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 25 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for sports management students pursuing a degree.
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Best Schools for Sports Management in California
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall sports management education in California.
Top Schools in Sports Management
Leading the list is Pepperdine University, our #1 school for sports management. Set in the suburb of Malibu, Pepperdine University is a large private not-for-profit institution. About 83% of students finish within six years. Pepperdine University awarded about 21 sports management degrees in the most recent data year. Sports Management graduates of Pepperdine University earn a median of $34,388 early in their careers. Pepperdine University graduates carry a median of $23,336 in student loans.
See the full sports management program report for Pepperdine University
University Of San Francisco is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in sports management, ranking #2. University Of San Francisco is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of San Francisco. Roughly 70% of students complete a degree within six years here. University Of San Francisco awarded about 79 sports management degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their sports management degree from University Of San Francisco earn around $36,342 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $24,905.
See the full sports management program report for University Of San Francisco
California State University Long Beach is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in sports management, ranking #3. Located in the city of Long Beach, California State University Long Beach is a very large public university. California State University Long Beach graduates 69% of students within six years. There were roughly 53 sports management students who graduated with this degree at California State University Long Beach in the most recent data year. Sports Management graduates of California State University Long Beach earn a median of $35,753 early in their careers. California State University Long Beach graduates carry a median of $14,551 in student loans.
More information about a degree in sports management from California State University Long Beach
Saint Marys College Of California came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best sports management schools. Set in the suburb of Moraga, Saint Marys College Of California is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 70%. Saint Marys College Of California awarded about 17 sports management degrees in the most recent data year. Sports Management graduates of Saint Marys College Of California earn a median of $49,447 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $24,300 to complete this degree.
Read more about the sports management program at Saint Marys College Of California
Students looking for a strong sports management program will find one at California Lutheran University, which ranked #5. Located in the city of Thousand Oaks, California Lutheran University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. California Lutheran University graduates 70% of students within six years. About 19 sports management degrees were awarded at California Lutheran University in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, sports management degree recipients from California Lutheran University generally make around $33,818. California Lutheran University graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans.
See the full sports management program report for California Lutheran University
Concordia University Irvine earned the #6 position for sports management this year. Located in the city of Irvine, Concordia University Irvine is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Concordia University Irvine graduates 58% of students within six years. Concordia University Irvine awarded about 247 sports management degrees in the most recent data year. Sports Management graduates of Concordia University Irvine earn a median of $43,152 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete this degree.
Read more about the sports management program at Concordia University Irvine
Menlo College placed #7 among the best sports management schools. This small private not-for-profit university is located in the suburb of Atherton. Menlo College graduates 54% of students within six years. Menlo College awarded about 14 sports management degrees in the most recent data year. Sports Management graduates of Menlo College earn a median of $60,211 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $24,686 to complete this degree.
Get the full sports management details for Menlo College
Ashford University earned the #8 position for sports management this year. This very large private for-profit university is located in the city of San Diego. The six-year graduation rate is 10%. There were roughly 17 sports management students who graduated with this degree at Ashford University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the sports management program make about $44,513 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $38,750.
See the full sports management program report for Ashford University
More Sports Management Rankings
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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 · 25 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.
