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Top California Colleges & Universities — snapshot (2024–25)

Founding, campus size, 2024 enrollment, offerings, strengths, athletics, venues, media revenue context, recruiting, academic breadth, and 2024–25 freshman COA & housing.
Private • ACC (2024)
Stanford University
Mascot: Cardinal / Tree Division I (FBS)
Established / by
1885 — Leland & Jane Stanford
Campus acres
≈ 8,180
Students (2024)
≈ 17,469 (7,554 UG / 9,915 Grad)
Degrees
BA/BS, MS, PhD; prof. (JD, MD, MBA, etc.)
Known for
CS/AI, Engineering, Business/Econ, Bio, Law
Notable profs
Fei-Fei Li, Michael Levitt, Kip Thorne (emeritus)
NCAA
Yes — Football & Basketball
Venues
Stanford Stadium (~50k); Maples Pavilion (~7.2k)
Media $
ACC avg ~$45M/school (full); Stanford on partial share (see sources)
Recruiting
Very high (Silicon Valley, global firms)
Breadth
STEM & liberal arts both very strong
COA ‘24-25
Tuition+fees ≈ $66k; total COA varies by aid
Dorms ‘24-25
Housing+meals ≈ low-$20Ks (plan dependent)
Public (UC) • ACC (2024)
University of California, Berkeley
Mascot: Oski / Golden Bears Division I (FBS)
Established / by
1868 — California Organic Act (state/UC Regents)
Campus acres
≈ 1,232
Students (2024)
≈ mid-40Ks (latest UC data)
Degrees
BA/BS, MS, PhD; prof. (JD, MBA, etc.)
Known for
EECS/CS & Data, Chemistry, Econ/Business, Public Policy
Notable profs
Jennifer Doudna, Saul Perlmutter
NCAA
Yes — Football & Basketball
Venues
California Memorial Stadium (~63k); Haas Pavilion (~11.9k)
Media $
ACC avg ~$45M (full); Cal on partial share (see sources)
Recruiting
Very high (Bay Area tech, consulting, finance)
Breadth
Extremely strong across science & liberal arts
COA ‘24-25
Resident on-campus ≈ low-$40Ks total; NR higher
Dorms ‘24-25
Housing+meals ≈ $18–20K typical UC range
Public (UC) • Big Ten (2024)
University of California, Los Angeles
Mascot: Joe/Josephine Bruin Division I (FBS)
Established / by
1919 — UC Regents (Southern Branch)
Campus acres
≈ 419
Students (2024)
≈ 46K
Degrees
BA/BS, MS, PhD; prof. (JD, MD, MBA, MFA, etc.)
Known for
Film/TV, Life Sci, Engineering, Psych, Arts
Notable profs
Andrea Ghez, Jared Diamond
NCAA
Yes — Football & Basketball
Venues
Rose Bowl (~91k); Pauley Pavilion (~13.8k)
Media $
Big Ten distributions ≈ $63M/school (FY2024)
Recruiting
Very high (entertainment, tech, health, consulting)
Breadth
Yes — comprehensive research university
COA ‘24-25
Resident on-campus total ≈ $43,137 (NR ≈ $80,739)
Dorms ‘24-25
Housing+meals ≈ $18,960 (typical plan)
Private • Big Ten (2024)
University of Southern California
Mascot: Trojans / Traveler Division I (FBS)
Established / by
1880 — Robert M. Widney with Childs, Downey, Hellman
Campus acres
≈ 226 (University Park)
Students (2024)
≈ 49K (UG+Grad)
Degrees
BA/BS, MS, PhD; prof. (JD, MD, MBA, MFA, etc.)
Known for
Cinematic Arts, Business (Marshall), Engineering (Viterbi), Comm/Arts
Notable profs
Antonio Damasio, Bart Kosko (examples)
NCAA
Yes — Football & Basketball
Venues
LA Memorial Coliseum (77,500); Galen Center (10,258)
Media $
Big Ten distributions ≈ $63M/school (FY2024)
Recruiting
Very high (media, tech, consulting, health)
Breadth
Yes — strong across disciplines
COA ‘24-25
Total est. ≈ $95,225 (on/off campus)
Dorms ‘24-25
Housing ≈ $12,271; meals ≈ $7,660
Private • NCAA DIII (SCIAC)
California Institute of Technology
Mascot: Beaver No FBS football
Established / by
1891 — Amos G. Throop (as Throop Univ.)
Campus acres
≈ 124 (Pasadena)
Students (2024)
≈ 2.4K (small, research-intensive)
Degrees
BS, MS, PhD; STEM-focused
Known for
Physics, Math, Astronomy, ChemE, CS
Notable profs
Kip Thorne, Frances Arnold
NCAA
Yes (DIII); no football; basketball (small gym)
Venues
Braun / on-campus facilities (small)
Media $
N/A (DIII)
Recruiting
Elite STEM recruiting
Breadth
STEM-centric; limited humanities roster
COA ‘24-25
Total ≈ mid-$90Ks before aid
Dorms ‘24-25
On-campus housing+meals ≈ low-$20Ks
Public (UC) • Big West
University of California, San Diego
Mascot: Tritons Division I (no football)
Established / by
1960 — UC Regents (roots at Scripps)
Campus acres
≈ 2,178 (La Jolla)
Students (2024)
≈ 43K
Degrees
BA/BS, MS, PhD; prof. (MD, etc.)
Known for
BioEng, Biology, CS, Oceanography
Notable profs
V. S. Ramachandran (emeritus), Terrence Sejnowski
NCAA
Yes — Basketball; no football
Venues
LionTree Arena (~4,000)
Media $
Big West streaming/linear (modest; not public by school)
Recruiting
Strong (biotech, defense, software)
Breadth
Strong STEM; solid arts & social sciences
COA ‘24-25
Resident on-campus total ≈ $42.6K (cohort)
Dorms ‘24-25
Food+Housing ≈ $18.5K (typical)
Public (UC) • Big West / Big Sky (FB)
University of California, Davis
Mascot: Aggies / Gunrock Division I (FCS)
Established / by
1905 — UC “University Farm”; 1959 general campus
Campus acres
≈ 7,331
Students (2024)
≈ 41K
Degrees
BA/BS, MS, PhD; prof. programs
Known for
Agriculture, Vet Med, Bio, Env. Sci, Eng.
Notable profs
J. Craig Venter (affiliated), Pamela Ronald
NCAA
Yes — Football (FCS) & Basketball
Venues
UC Davis Health Stadium (~10.7k); UCUC (~5.9k)
Media $
Big Sky/Big West deals (modest; not public by school)
Recruiting
Strong (ag/food, health, energy, tech)
Breadth
Yes — strong STEM & liberal arts
COA ‘24-25
Resident totals ≈ low-$40Ks; NR higher
Dorms ‘24-25
Housing+meals ≈ ~$18–20K typical UC
Public (UC) • Big West
University of California, Irvine
Mascot: Peter the Anteater Division I (no football)
Established / by
1965 — UC Regents (Irvine Company land gift)
Campus acres
≈ 1,500
Students (2024)
≈ 36K
Degrees
BA/BS, MS, PhD; prof. (MD, MBA, etc.)
Known for
CS/Eng, BioSci, Business, Criminology
Notable profs
Michael Drake (former chancellor), Elizabeth Loftus
NCAA
Yes — Basketball; no football
Venues
Bren Events Center (~5,000)
Media $
Big West streaming/linear (modest)
Recruiting
Strong (OC/LA tech, med-device, finance)
Breadth
Yes — balanced
COA ‘24-25
Resident on-campus ≈ low-$40Ks total
Dorms ‘24-25
Housing+meals ≈ ~$18–20K typical UC
Public (UC) • Big West
University of California, Santa Barbara
Mascot: Gauchos Division I (no football)
Established / by
1891 roots; joined UC 1944
Campus acres
≈ 1,127 (oceanfront)
Students (2024)
≈ 26K
Degrees
BA/BS, MS, PhD
Known for
Materials, Physics, CS, Marine Sci, Film & Media
Notable profs
Shuji Nakamura, David Gross
NCAA
Yes — Basketball; no football
Venues
The Thunderdome (~5,600)
Media $
Big West media deal (modest)
Recruiting
Strong (tech, clean-energy, media)
Breadth
Yes — strong sciences & liberal arts
COA ‘24-25
Resident on-campus ≈ low-$40Ks
Dorms ‘24-25
Housing+meals ≈ ~$18–20K typical UC
Public (CSU) • Mountain West
San Diego State University
Mascot: Aztecs Division I (FBS)
Established / by
1897 — San Diego Normal School (state)
Campus acres
≈ 280
Students (2024)
≈ 36K
Degrees
BA/BS, MS, select doctorates/EdD
Known for
Business, Engineering, Public Health, Psych
Notable profs
Jean Twenge, Tom Nicholls (examples)
NCAA
Yes — Football & Basketball
Venues
Snapdragon Stadium (35,000); Viejas Arena (12,414)
Media $
MWC distributions (single-digit $M; varies)
Recruiting
Strong (SoCal industries, defense, biotech)
Breadth
Yes — comprehensive
COA ‘24-25
Resident totals ≈ low-/mid-$30Ks; NR higher
Dorms ‘24-25
Housing+meals ≈ mid-teens to low-$20Ks
Public (CSU) • Big West / Big Sky (FB)
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
Mascot: Musty the Mustang Division I (FCS)
Established / by
1901 — State/Legislature (“Learn by Doing”)
Campus acres
≈ 9,178 (one of the largest)
Students (2024)
≈ 22K
Degrees
BS/BA, MS (limited; CSU)
Known for
Engineering, Architecture, Ag, Business
Notable profs
Project-based faculty/industry ties
NCAA
Yes — Football (FCS) & Basketball
Venues
Mustang Memorial Field (~11,075); Mott Center (~3,032)
Media $
Big Sky/Big West (modest)
Recruiting
High in engineering/architecture
Breadth
STEM/professional focus; solid liberal arts
COA ‘24-25
Resident totals ≈ low-/mid-$30Ks; CSU
Dorms ‘24-25
Housing ≈ $10.3K–$12.7K; dining plan adds
Private • WCC / Pioneer (FB)
University of San Diego
Mascot: Toreros Division I (FCS-non-scholarship)
Established / by
1949 (later merger) — Catholic (Diocese/Sacred Heart)
Campus acres
≈ 180
Students (2024)
≈ 9K
Degrees
BA/BS, MS, PhD/EdD; Law (JD)
Known for
Business, International Relations, Law, Engineering
Notable profs
Leaders-in-residence / industry faculty
NCAA
Yes — Football (PFL) & Basketball
Venues
Torero Stadium (~6,000); Jenny Craig Pavilion (5,100)
Media $
WCC/PFL agreements (modest)
Recruiting
Strong regional recruiting (SoCal biz/nonprofit)
Breadth
Yes — liberal arts core + STEM/professional
COA ‘24-25
Total est. ~high-$80Ks (before aid)
Dorms ‘24-25
Typical housing $5.7K–$7.6K/yr; meal plans extra

*Notes: “Media $” reflects conference-level distributions / broadcast rights context. UC/CSU costs vary by residency; totals shown use on-campus living examples where available. Some enrollments are rounded to the nearest ~0.5–1K for readability; see linked fact pages for precise counts.


Click to expand Schools Fields Legend

California University, College and School Legend

IPEDSID = California Integrated Postsecondary Education Data ID
NAME = Name for selected California University, College or School
ADDRESS = Primary street address or PO Box for selected California University, College or School
ADDRESS2 = Secondary street address (e.g., Apt, Suite, Floor)
CITY = California city for the selected feature
STATE = ABV of selected feature state
ZIP = Feature Zip Code
TELEPHONE = Phone number for selected California University, College or School
TYPE = Specific categorical breakdown of the feature ( 1 = Public, 2 = Private not-for-profit, 3 = Private for-profit, -3 = Not available )
STATUS = Operational status of the feature ( M = Closed in current year (active, has data), A = Active - institution active, C = Combined with other institution, N = New (active) - added during the current year, R = Restore (active) - restored to the current universe, D = Delete out of business )
POPULATION = Sum of total enrollment and total employees. For records where the total employees is NULL, Population is total enrollment.
COUNTY = U.S. County feature is located
COUNTRY = World Country
LATITUDE = Decimal Degree Latitude
LONGITUDE = Decimal Degree LONGITUDE
NAICS_CODE = North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code
NAICS_DESC = Type of California University, College or School
WEBSITE = Feature's web site
SECTOR = Sector of feature ( 1 = Public, 4-year or above, 2 = Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above, 3 = Private for-profit, 4-year or above, 4 = Public, 2-year, 5 = Private not-for-profit, 2-year, 6 = Private for-profit, 2-year, 7 = Public, less-than 2-year, 8 = Private not-for-profit, less-than 2-year, 9 = Private for-profit, less-than 2-year, 99 = Sector unknown (not active))
LEVEL = Level of institution (1 = Four or more years, 2 = At least 2 but less than 4 years, -3 = Not Available, 3 = Less than 2 years (below associate) )
HI_OFFER = Highest level offered ( 1 = Award of less than one academic year, 2 = At least 1, but less than 2 academic yrs, 3 = Associates degree, 4 = At least 2, but less than 4 academic yrs, 5 = Bachelors degree, 6 = Post-baccalaureate certificate, 7 = Masters degree, 8 = Post-masters certificate, 9 = Doctors degree )
DEG_GRANT = Degree-granting status ( 1 = Degree-granting, 2 = Non-degree granting, primarily postsecondary, 3 = Not available )
LOCALE = Degree of urbanization ( -3 = Not available, 11 = City: Large, 12 = City: Midsize, 13 = City: Small, 21 = Suburb: Large, 22 = Suburb: Midsize, 23 = Suburb: Small, 31 = Town: Fringe, 32 = Town: Distant, 33 = Town: Remote, 41 = Rural: Fringe, 42 = Rural: Distant, 43 = Rural: Remote)
TOT_ENROLL = Estimated enrollment, total
TOT_EMPLOY = Total employed


Map Source: HIFLD Open portal


Map copyright: cccarto.com 2026

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