The 10 Best Colleges In CA, According To New 2027 Ranking

Stanford University is the best college in California, according to Niche's newly released 2027 college rankings.

The Pittsburgh-based college search and review site evaluated more than 4,000 colleges and universities nationwide, using federal data along with student and alumni reviews.

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Stanford University, located in Stanford near the Silicon Valley city of Palo Alto, ranked No. 2 nationally on Niche's 2027 Best Colleges in America list and No. 1 in California. California Institute of Technology (Caltech) ranked second, followed by Harvey Mudd College, University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), and Pomona College.

According to Niche, the top 10 best colleges in California include:

1. Stanford University – Stanford, CA
2. California Institute of Technology (Caltech) – Pasadena, CA
3. Harvey Mudd College – Claremont, CA
4. University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) – Los Angeles, CA
5. Pomona College – Claremont, CA
6. Claremont McKenna College – Claremont, CA
7. University of Southern California (USC) – Los Angeles, CA
8. University of California, Berkeley – Berkeley, CA
9. University of California, San Diego – La Jolla, CA
10. University of California, Davis – Davis, CA

California colleges also showed up near the top of several specialty rankings.

Among the top three colleges in California, Stanford University ranked #1 for Best Colleges for Psychology in America, #1 for Best Colleges that Accept the Common App in America, and #1 for Best Colleges for Environmental Science in America.

California Institute of Technology ranked #1 for Best Value Colleges in America, #1 for Best Small Colleges in America, #1 for Best Colleges for Physics in America.

And Harvey Mudd College ranked #1 for Best Liberal Arts Colleges in America, #2 for Best Small Colleges in America, and #3 for Best Value Colleges in America.

Niche publishes rankings for categories including value, academics, professors, student life, campuses, majors, public universities and liberal arts colleges, as well as rankings by state.

The Top 10 Nationally

Nationally, Massachusetts Institute of Technology took the No. 1 spot on the 2027 Best Colleges list. The full top 10 includes:

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
2. Stanford University, Stanford, California
3. Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
4. Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
5. Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
6. California Institute of Technology, California
7. Vanderbilt University, Tennessee
8. Dartmouth College, New Hampshire
9. Columbia University, New York
10. Rice University, Texas

What Goes Into The Rankings

Niche's rankings combine federal data with reviews from students and alumni, weighing factors including academics, value, professors, campus life, diversity and safety.

For 2027, Niche also added a measure that compares colleges with similar institutions based on their missions and outcomes. The site also introduced pilot grades for student wellness and "future readiness," including career services, internships and exposure to emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.