thumb|[[Scripps College in Claremont]]
This is a list of colleges and universities in California.
Federal institutions
Graduate institutions
- Naval Postgraduate School (Monterey)
Other academic institutions
- Defense Language Institute (Monterey)
State institutions
Two-year institutions
- See: List of California Community Colleges
Four-year institutions
University of California
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Name
! City
! County
! Enrollment<br><small>(Fall 2024)</small>
! Founded
! Athletics
|-
| University of California, Berkeley
| Berkeley
| Alameda
| align="center"|45,882
| align="center"|1869
| NCAA Div. I (ACC, MPSF, America East)
|-
| University of California, Davis
| Davis
| Yolo
| align="center"|40,065
| align="center"|1905
| NCAA Div. I (Big Sky, MPSF, Big West, America East)
|-
| University of California, Irvine
| Irvine
| Orange
| align="center"|37,297
| align="center"|1965
| NCAA Div. I (Big West, MPSF, GCC)
|-
| University of California, Los Angeles
| Los Angeles
| Los Angeles
| align="center"|47,335
| align="center"|1882*
| NCAA Div. I (Big Ten, MPSF)
|-
| University of California, Merced
| Merced
| Merced
| align="center"|9,110
| align="center"|2005
| NCAA Div. II (CCAA)
|-
| University of California, Riverside
| Riverside
| Riverside
| align="center"|26,384
| align="center"|1954
| NCAA Div. I (Big West)
|-
| University of California, San Diego
| San Diego
| San Diego
| align="center"|44,256
| align="center"|1960
| NCAA Div. I (Big West, MPSF)
|-
| University of California, Santa Barbara
| Santa Barbara
| Santa Barbara
| align="center"|26,133
| align="center"|1891**
| NCAA Div. I (Big West, MPSF, GCC)
|-
| University of California, Santa Cruz
| Santa Cruz
| Santa Cruz
| align="center"|19,938
| align="center"|1965
| NCAA Div. III (C2C, ASC)
|}
<nowiki>*</nowiki>University of California, Los Angeles was founded in 1882 as the southern branch of the California State Normal School. It joined the University of California system in 1919 as the southern branch of the University of California.
<nowiki>**</nowiki>University of California, Santa Barbara was founded in 1891 as an independent teachers' college. It joined the University of California system in 1944.
California State University
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Name
! City
! County
! Enrollment
|-
|Cumnock College
|Los Angeles
|1930
|1942
|-
|Cumnock Junior College
|Los Angeles
|1928
|1930
|-
|Cumnock School of Expression
|Los Angeles
|1894
|1942
|-
|Drexel University Sacramento
|Sacramento
|2009
|2016
|-
|Eldorado College
|Escondido
|1961
|1997
|-
| Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Medicine
| Santa Monica
| 1983
| 2025
|-
| Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising
| Los Angeles
| 1969
| 2025
|-
|Herguan University
|Sunnyvale
|2008
|2019
|-
|Holy Names University
|Oakland
|1868
|2023
|-
|ICDC College
|Huntington Park
|1995
|2016
|-
|Immaculate Heart College
|Los Angeles
|1906
|1981
|-
|John F. Kennedy University
|Pleasant Hill
|1964
|2021
|-
| Make School
| San Francisco
| 2012
| 2021
|-
| Marymount California University
| Rancho Palos Verdes
| 1932
| 2022
|-
| Mills College
| Oakland
| 1852
| 2022
|-
| Mt Sierra College
| Monrovia
| 1990
| 2019
|-
|National Hispanic University
|San Jose
|1981
|2015
|-
| Providence Christian College
| Pasadena
| 2002
| 2026
|-
|San Luis Rey College
|Oceanside
|1950
|1968
|-
|Shepherd University
|Los Angeles
|1999
|2017