These 64 CA-Based Companies Are Best For New Graduates

CALIFORNIA — Sixty-four companies headquartered in California are among the best places to work for newly minted college graduates, according to a new list from Forbes that’s based on what Gen Z workers want in a job.

In its eighth annual “America’s Best Employers for New Grads,” Forbes and its research partner Statista surveyed more than 100,000 young professionals who have been working less than 10 years at companies that have at least 1,000 employees.

They were asked if they would recommend their employer to others, and to rate the company on such things as wages, benefits, advancement opportunities, working conditions, flexibility, company image and inclusion. Survey respondents were also asked if they’d recommend previous employers, as well as those they are aware of through their respective industries or because family or friends work there.

Results from the past three surveys were considered in the scoring system, but the heaviest weight was put on the most recent feedback.

Forbes said what new graduates want from a job should be an important consideration for employers because Gen Z workers are projected to make up 30% of the U.S. workforce by 2030.

Younger workers aren’t afraid to make clear what they want in a job, Estrella Serrato, a college and postgraduate coach and host of “Cafecito con Estrellita,” a podcast focused on first-generation graduates told Forbes

“Companies are seeing a more empowered generation of graduates,” Serrato said. “New grads are showing up with questions about company values, social impact, and how mental health is supported in the workplace.”

Career goals are also important, and Gen Z workers tend to seek jobs that are “more than just a paycheck” according to Serrato, who said they are interested in finding “purpose-driven work” and “growth opportunities they can actually see and experience.”

Deloitte’s 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey of 23,482 Gen Zs and Millennials in 44 countries found an overwhelming majority of those workers — 89% and 92%, respectively — want jobs with purpose. About 45% of workers in both age groups had left unfulfilling jobs.

As the Forbes-Statista survey also showed, Deloitte’s revealed that career growth, mentoring and guidance are crucial to job satisfaction.

Overall, 500 companies made Forbes’ final list. Those from your state include:

2. Google, Mountain View

4. NVIDIA, Santa Clara

5. Apple, Cupertino

7. Stanford University, Stanford

14. In-N-Out Burger, Irvine

23. Trader Joe's, Monrovia,

29. Adobe, San Jose

32. Salesforce, San Francisco

47. Honda Motor, Torrance

58. LinkenIn, Sunnyvale

59. Amgen, Thousand Oaks

93. AMN Healthcare, San Diego

97. Chevron, San Ramon

99. Patagonia, Ventura

103. Caltech, Pasadena

104. Intel, Santa Clara

107. Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles

119. Workday, Pleasanton

126. PayPal, San Jose

128. California State University, Fullerton, Fullerton

142. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena

144. Roku, Los Gatos

146. Cisco Systems, San Jose

149. Netflix, Los Gatos

176. Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale

191. Universal Music Group, Santa Monica

192. Scripps Health, San Diego

210. City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles

213. Mattel, El Segundo

215. Oracle, Redwood Shores

221. Live Nation Entertainment, Beverly Hills

222. Marvell Technology, Santa Clara

236. Intuit, Mountain View

239. Kaiser Permanente, Oakland

240. Datavant, San Francisco

252. Yamaha Motor, Cypress

272. HP, Palo Alto

293. The Walt Disney Company, Burbank

303. Panda Express, Rosemead

307. Meta Platforms, Menlo Park

310. Santa Clara University, Santa Clara

318. Capital Group Companies, Los Angeles

321. The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo

334. West Coast University, Irvine

335. Experian Information Solutions, Costa Mesa

337. University of California, San Diego, San Diego

350. ServiceNow, Santa Clara

372. Nestlé, Glendale

387. Big 5 Sporting Goods, El Segundo

394. Guitar Center, Westlake Village

397. Asana, San Francisco

403. PG&E (Pacific Gas and Electric), San Francisco

407. Genentech, South San Francisco

410. Visa, Foster City

411. VXI Global Solutions, Los Angeles

420. Quest Software, Aliso Viejo

422. Guess, Los Angeles

433. Sunrun, San Francisco

444. AX9 Security Services, Concord

459. Hewlett Packard Enterprise, San Jose

472. California Resources, Long Beach

481. HCL Technologies, Sunnyvale

495. Dropbox, San Francisco

497. Yardi, Santa Barbara

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