2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in California
When pursuing a degree in today's world, veterans have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our Best Colleges for Veterans in California ranking - to help you make that decision.
After analyzing 155 schools in California, we came up with our list of those that offered the best educational experiences for veterans. Instead of depending on subjective information, we focus on over 20 objective factors to determine this ranking. These factors include such things as number of GI Bill® recipients at the school, percentage of costs covered by the GI Bill®, and the school's overall quality.
Find out more about our ranking methodology.
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Since one ranking on its own is not enough to give you a complete understanding of your educational options, you can refine this list by location and field of study. We've also developed a number of other tools and rankings based on other factors. These other rankings highlight colleges that excel in other factors such as value or diversity as well as schools that excel in serving different groups of students such as online students or returnings adults.
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Top Colleges for Veterans in California
See which schools came out on top of our ranking:
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Jose State University. It ranked #2 on our 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in California list. Located in San Jose, California, the large public school handed out 9,595 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 658 of the 36,208 students enrolled at San Jose State were GI Bill® students, of which 403 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,381. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Diego State University. It ranked #3 on our 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in California list. This large public school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 9,974 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 36,334 students enrolled at SDSU, 1,589 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 855 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,338. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at California State University - Long Beach helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for veterans in California. This large public school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 10,698 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 40,069 students enrolled at CSULB, 803 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 464 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,681. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at University of Southern California helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for veterans in California. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 17,040 students in 2019-2020.
Of the 46,287 students enrolled at USC, 1,323 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 908 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $21,271. To help with additional expenses, 415 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. In addition to its great veterans ranking, USC is in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Schools in California list.
California State University - Sacramento landed the #6 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in California ranking. Sac State is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8,250 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 32,293 students enrolled at Sac State, 804 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 374 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,468. Sac State does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
California State University - Fullerton ranked #7 on this year’s Best Colleges for Veterans in California list. Cal State Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 11,473 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 661 of the 42,051 students enrolled at Cal State Fullerton were GI Bill® students, of which 349 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,037. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
With a ranking of #8, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in California list. Cal Poly Pomona is a public institution located in Pomona, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6,147 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 30,014 students enrolled at Cal Poly Pomona, 539 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 309 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,455. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #9, California State University - East Bay did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in California list. Cal State East Bay is a public institution located in Hayward, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4,502 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 370 of the 16,253 students enrolled at Cal State East Bay were GI Bill® students, of which 203 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,139. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
National University landed the #10 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in California ranking. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 5,941 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 18,070 students enrolled at National University, 4,555 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 4,032 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,141. In addition to receiving other benefits, 19 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #11, Alliant International University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in California list. Located in San Diego, California, the small private for-profit school awarded 862 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2019-2020.
Among the 3,429 students enrolled at Alliant, 85 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 61 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $16,287. On top of their other funding sources, 19 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
San Francisco State University landed the #12 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in California ranking. Located in San Francisco, California, the large public school awarded 7,422 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2019-2020.
Of the 27,349 students enrolled at SFSU, 876 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 561 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,459. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
With a ranking of #13, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in California list. This large public school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 10,877 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, CSUN supports 40,381 students, and 712 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 399 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,947. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on California State University - Northridge
Golden Gate University - San Francisco did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in California ranking, coming in at #14. Golden Gate University - San Francisco is located in San Francisco, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 801 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
According to our most recent data, Golden Gate University - San Francisco supports 2,472 students, and 844 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 739 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,949. During this same period, 75 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in California ranking, coming in at #15. This fairly large public school is located in Turlock, California, and it awarded 2,792 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 11,163 students enrolled at Stan State, 153 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 67 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,794. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
California State University - Channel Islands did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in California ranking, coming in at #16. CSUCI is located in Camarillo, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2,154 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
According to our most recent data, CSUCI supports 7,446 students, and 185 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 101 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,486. CSUCI does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on California State University - Channel Islands
With a ranking of #17, Azusa Pacific University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in California list. This medium-sized private not-for-profit school is located in Azusa, California, and it awarded 3,016 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 9,006 students enrolled at Azusa Pacific, 418 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 311 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,393. On top of their other funding sources, 70 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in California ranking, coming in at #18. CSUDH is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 4,082 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 254 of the 18,687 students enrolled at CSUDH were GI Bill® students, of which 99 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,700. CSUDH does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
California Baptist University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in California ranking, coming in at #19. Cal Baptist is a private not-for-profit institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,954 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, Cal Baptist supports 11,317 students, and 507 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 421 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $16,949. To help with additional expenses, 154 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The low student loan default rate of 4.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
With a ranking of #20, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in California list. Cal State LA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 7,355 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, Cal State LA supports 26,745 students, and 408 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 223 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,705. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Simpson University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in California ranking, coming in at #21. Simpson U is located in Redding, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 247 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
Of the 855 students enrolled at Simpson U, 43 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 32 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,529. During this same period, 3 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
California Lutheran University landed the #22 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in California ranking. California Lutheran University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Thousand Oaks, California that handed out 1,417 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 159 of the 4,027 students enrolled at CLU were GI Bill® students, of which 132 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $20,821. To help with additional expenses, 33 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
California State University - Chico landed the #23 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in California ranking. California State University - Chico is a fairly large public school located in Chico, California that handed out 4,503 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, Chico State supports 16,746 students, and 391 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 206 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,896. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The low student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
California State University - San Marcos landed the #24 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in California ranking. This fairly large public school is located in San Marcos, California, and it awarded 4,352 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 996 of the 16,367 students enrolled at CSUSM were GI Bill® students, of which 638 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,973. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Biola University landed the #25 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in California ranking. Biola is a private not-for-profit institution located in La Mirada, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1,345 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 5,815 students enrolled at Biola, 145 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 117 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $17,222. In addition to receiving other benefits, 33 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The low student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Best Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region
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Honorable Mentions
These schools also performed well in our Best Colleges for Veterans ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo, CA |
| 27 | California State University - San Bernardino | San Bernardino, CA |
| 28 | John F. Kennedy University | Pleasant Hill, CA |
| 29 | Brandman University | Irvine, CA |
| 30 | California State University - Fresno | Fresno, CA |
| 31 | Loyola Marymount University | Los Angeles, CA |
| 32 | University of San Francisco | San Francisco, CA |
More California Rankings
Best Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Schools for Veterans in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State |
|---|
| Washington |
| Oregon |
| Nevada |
| Hawaii |
| Alaska |
Notes and References
Footnotes
*Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top 25 schools only.
**GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
References
- 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).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
- Removed schools reflect instances of new data identified post-publication that warrant removal of a school from this year’s ranking.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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