List of colleges and universities in California
This is a list of colleges and universities in California.
Federal institutions
Graduate institutions
- Naval Postgraduate School
Other academic institutions
- Defense Language Institute
State institutions
Two-year institutions
- See California Community Colleges System
Four-year institutions
University of California
| Name | City | County | Enrollment | Founded |
| University of California, Berkeley | Berkeley | Alameda | 42,519 | 1869 |
| University of California, Davis | Davis | Yolo | 39,152 | 1905 |
| University of California, Irvine | Irvine | Orange | 35,220 | 1965 |
| University of California, Los Angeles | Los Angeles | Los Angeles | 45,428 | 1882* |
| University of California, Merced | Merced | Merced | 8,544 | 2005 |
| University of California, Riverside | Riverside | Riverside | 23,278 | 1954 |
| University of California, San Diego | San Diego | San Diego | 38,798 | 1960 |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | 24,346 | 1891** |
| University of California, Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz | 19,700 | 1965 |
- University of California, Santa Barbara was founded in 1891 as an independent teachers' college. It joined the University of California system in 1944.
- 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.
California State University
| Name | City | County | Enrollment | Founded |
| California State University Maritime Academy | Vallejo | Solano | 1,017 | 1929 |
| California Polytechnic State University | San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo | 21,812 | 1901 |
| California State Polytechnic University, Pomona | Pomona | Los Angeles | 26,443 | 1938 |
| California State University, Bakersfield | Bakersfield | Kern | 10,493 | 1965 |
| California State University Channel Islands | Camarillo | Ventura | 7,095 | 2002 |
| California State University, Chico | Chico | Butte | 17,488 | 1887 |
| California State University, Dominguez Hills | Carson | Los Angeles | 15,741 | 1960 |
| California State University, East Bay | Hayward | Alameda | 14,525 | 1959 |
| California State University, Fresno | Fresno | Fresno | 24,995 | 1911 |
| California State University, Fullerton | Fullerton | Orange | 39,774 | 1957 |
| California State University, Long Beach | Long Beach | Los Angeles | 36,846 | 1949 |
| California State University, Los Angeles | Los Angeles | Los Angeles | 27,685 | 1947 |
| California State University, Monterey Bay | Seaside-Marina | Monterey | 7,079 | 1994 |
| California State University, Northridge | Northridge | Los Angeles | 38,716 | 1958 |
| California State University, Sacramento | Sacramento | Sacramento | 31,131 | 1947 |
| California State University, San Bernardino | San Bernardino | San Bernardino | 19,973 | 1965 |
| California State University San Marcos | San Marcos | San Diego | 14,511 | 1988 |
| California State University, Stanislaus | Turlock | Stanislaus | 10,214 | 1957 |
| Humboldt State University | Arcata | Humboldt | 7,774 | 1913 |
| San Diego State University | San Diego | San Diego | 34,881 | 1897 |
| San Francisco State University | San Francisco | San Francisco | 29,586 | 1899 |
| San Jose State University | San Jose | Santa Clara | 32,828 | 1857 |
| Sonoma State University | Rohnert Park | Sonoma | 9,201 | 1960 |
- California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo was founded as a vocational high school. It became a vocational school in 1924, and then started awarding bachelor's degrees in 1940.
- California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, was founded as a southern branch of California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo in 1938, but became independent in 1966.
State graduate institutions
Private colleges and universities
Defunct institutions
- Bethany University - Scotts Valley
- Bristol University - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_University_
- Brooks Institute - Ventura
- California Pacific University - Pinole
- California Southern Law School, Riverside
- Coleman University - San Diego
- Drexel University Sacramento - satellite campus of Drexel University, Sacramento
- Eldorado College - Escondido
- Herguan University, Sunnyvale,
- ICDC College - Huntington Park
- Immaculate Heart College - Los Angeles
- National Hispanic University - San Jose
- San Luis Rey College - Oceanside
- Shepherd University
- Silicon Valley University - San Jose
- University of Beverly Hills - Beverly Hills
- University of Northern California, Lorenzo Patiño School of Law - Sacramento
- University of Northern California - Petaluma
- Upland College - Upland
- Windsor University - Los Angeles