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2023 Top California Men's Basketball Schools

45 Colleges
$44,146 Avg Tuition & Fees*
60% Avg 4-Year Grad Rate*

When pursuing a degree in today's world, student athletes have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its Best Colleges for Men's Basketball in California ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

We analyzed 45 colleges and universities across California to determine which were the best for Men's Basketball athletes in California. To come up with this ranking, we look at a number of factors that are all objective measurements. These factors include the school's overall quality as determined by our Best Colleges ranking and the athletic competitiveness of the school. Thus, in order to rank well, the school must offer a quality education in addition to having a great sports team.

Learn more about our ranking methodology.

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Top Colleges in California for Men's Basketball athletes in California

See which schools came out on top of our ranking:

1

Our analysis found University of California - Los Angeles to be the best school for Men’s Basketball athletes in California in this year’s ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, the large public school awarded 9,851 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in . The team at UCLA took home $12,891,320 in revenue and paid out $11,934,794 in expenses in recent times. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $956,526 in profit. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 945. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. UCLA also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. Full University of California - Los Angeles Sports Report

2
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

A rank of #2 on our list means University of Southern California is a great place for Men’s Basketball athletes in California working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in Los Angeles, California, the large private not-for-profit school handed out 5,642 bachelor’s degrees in . The Men’s Basketball team at USC brought home $7,241,439 in revenue in a single year. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 967. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, USC also is in the top 10% of our overall quality ranking. Full University of Southern California Sports Report

3
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

A rank of #3 on our list means Stanford University is a great place for Men’s Basketball athletes in California working on their bachelor’s degree. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 1,699 bachelor’s degrees in . Stanford brought in $11,369,560 while tallying up $7,315,705 in expenses for its Men’s Basketball team. Happily, this means that the team turned a profit of $4,053,855. The great academic progress rate of 998 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Stanford also took the #2 spot in our overall quality rankings. Read full sports report on Stanford University

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Colleges for Men’s Basketball athletes in California list. Located in Berkeley, California, the large public school handed out 10,103 bachelor’s degrees in . UC Berkeley brought in $8,487,064 while tallying up $7,532,218 in expenses for its Men’s Basketball team. Happily, this means that the team turned a profit of $954,846. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 960. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. UC Berkeley also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. Full University of California - Berkeley Sports Report

5

The excellent sports programs at University of California - Davis helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for Men’s Basketball athletes in California. University of California - Davis is a large public school located in Davis, California that handed out 9,615 bachelor’s degrees in . Speaking financially, the Men’s Basketball team at UC Davis took home $2,378,571 in revenue. The academic progress rate of the team is 975. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. UC Davis also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. Read More…

6
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California

With a ranking of #6, Santa Clara University did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Men’s Basketball in California ranking. SCU is located in Santa Clara, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In , this school awarded 1,587 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates. Speaking financially, the Men’s Basketball team at SCU took home $4,997,998 in revenue. The academic progress rate of the team is 975. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. On top of its placing in this ranking, SCU also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis. Read full sports report on Santa Clara University

7
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University of San Francisco
San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #7, University of San Francisco did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Men’s Basketball in California ranking. USFCA is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 1,626 bachelor’s degrees in . On the financial side of things, the Men’s Basketball team at USFCA made $5,171,965 in revenue. The academic progress rate of the team is 957. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. Full University of San Francisco Sports Report

8

University of California - San Diego came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Men’s Basketball in California ranking. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 9,422 students in . Speaking financially, the Men’s Basketball team at UCSD took home $2,437,331 in revenue. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. UCSD also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. Read full sports report on University of California - San Diego

9
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San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Men’s Basketball in California ranking, coming in at #9. Located in San Diego, California, the large public school awarded 8,969 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in . The Men’s Basketball team at SDSU made $9,712,945 in revenue, while incurring $7,219,564 in expenses. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $2,493,381 in profit. The academic progress rate of the team is 975. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Read full sports report on San Diego State University

10
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Men’s Basketball in California ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,787 students in . Speaking financially, the Men’s Basketball team at Loyola Marymount took home $6,095,950 in revenue. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 970. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Loyola Marymount also is in the top 15% of our overall quality ranking. Read More…

11

University of California - Irvine landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Men’s Basketball in California ranking. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 9,011 students in . On the financial side of things, the Men’s Basketball team at UC Irvine made $3,481,855 in revenue. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 955. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UC Irvine also is in the top 15% of our overall quality ranking. Read More…

12
USD crest
University of San Diego
San Diego, California

University of San Diego ranked #12 on this year’s Best Colleges for Men’s Basketball in California list. University of San Diego is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in San Diego, California that handed out 1,688 bachelor’s degrees in . On the financial side of things, the Men’s Basketball team at USD made $2,837,973 in revenue. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 975. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. In addition to its great ranking here, USD is in the top 20% of all schools on our overall quality list. Read More…

13
Pepperdine crest
Pepperdine University
Malibu, California

Pepperdine University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Colleges for Men’s Basketball in California list. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Malibu, California, and it awarded 921 bachelor’s degrees in . The Men’s Basketball team at Pepperdine brought home $4,185,927 in revenue in a single year. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 960. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Pepperdine excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our overall quality list. Read full sports report on Pepperdine University

14
Pacific crest
University of the Pacific
Stockton, California

University of the Pacific ranked #14 on this year’s Best Colleges for Men’s Basketball in California list. This medium-sized private not-for-profit school is located in Stockton, California, and it awarded 869 bachelor’s degrees in . On the financial side of things, the Men’s Basketball team at Pacific made $3,421,487 in revenue. The academic progress rate of the team is 945. Pacific also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. Read More…

15

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Men’s Basketball in California ranking. This large public school is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and it awarded 4,987 bachelor’s degrees in . On the financial side of things, the Men’s Basketball team at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo made $2,091,234 in revenue. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 958. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. In addition to its great ranking here, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is in the top 20% of all schools on our overall quality list. Full California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Sports Report

16
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

California Baptist University did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Men’s Basketball in California ranking, coming in at #16. Riverside, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,963 students in . The team at Cal Baptist took home $3,967,301 in revenue and paid out $3,596,888 in expenses in recent times. Thus, the team actually made $370,413, which isn’t bad at all. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 960. Read full sports report on California Baptist University

17
Pomona crest
Pomona College
Claremont, California

Pomona College landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Men’s Basketball in California ranking. Located in Claremont, California, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 418 bachelor’s degrees in . Pomona brought in $291,558 while tallying up $258,960 in expenses for its Men’s Basketball team. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $32,598 in profit. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Pomona also took the #3 spot in our overall quality rankings. Read full sports report on Pomona College

18
CLU crest
California Lutheran University
Thousand Oaks, California

With a ranking of #18, California Lutheran University did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Men’s Basketball in California ranking. Located in Thousand Oaks, California, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 816 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in . The Men’s Basketball team at CLU brought home $250,512 in revenue in a single year. Read More…

19

California State University - Fullerton came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Men’s Basketball in California ranking. California State University - Fullerton is a large public school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 9,717 bachelor’s degrees in . On the financial side of things, the Men’s Basketball team at Cal State Fullerton made $2,057,901 in revenue. The academic progress rate of the team is 945. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Read More…

20
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Men’s Basketball in California ranking. Located in San Jose, California, the large public school handed out 7,362 bachelor’s degrees in . Speaking financially, the Men’s Basketball team at San Jose State took home $2,690,067 in revenue. The great academic progress rate of 980 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Read More…

21

With a ranking of #21, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Men’s Basketball in California ranking. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 9,259 students in . The Men’s Basketball team at CSULB brought home $2,596,004 in revenue in a single year. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. Read More…

22

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Men’s Basketball in California ranking. Located in Santa Barbara, California, the large public school handed out 6,839 bachelor’s degrees in . On the financial side of things, the Men’s Basketball team at UCSB made $3,254,694 in revenue. The academic progress rate of the team is 952. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. On top of its placing in this ranking, UCSB also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis. Read More…

23

California State University - Fresno ranked #23 on this year’s Best Colleges for Men’s Basketball in California list. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 5,191 bachelor’s degrees in . Speaking financially, the Men’s Basketball team at Fresno State took home $3,663,045 in revenue. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 930. Read full sports report on California State University - Fresno

24
Oxy crest
Occidental College
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #24, Occidental College did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Men’s Basketball in California ranking. Oxy is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 555 bachelor’s degrees in . The Men’s Basketball team at Oxy made $259,799 in revenue, while incurring $211,686 in expenses. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $48,113 in profit. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Oxy also is in the top 15% of our overall quality ranking. Read More…

25

University of California - Riverside came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Men’s Basketball in California ranking. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 5,880 bachelor’s degrees in . The Men’s Basketball team at UCR made $2,069,156 in revenue, while incurring $1,936,541 in expenses. That boils down to a yearly profit of $132,615 for the sports team. The academic progress rate of the team is 958. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Read More…

Best Colleges for Men's Basketball in the Far Western US Region

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Notes and References

Footnotes

*Avg Tuition and Fees and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top 25 schools only.

References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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