Best Colleges In California For 2020: Niche Rankings

CALIFORNIA — Niche has released its annual list of the best colleges in the country – and dozens of California schools made the cut.

The ranking and review site analyzed data and reviews for 4,133 colleges nationwide. The site included 1,626 schools in its 2020 Best Colleges in America rankings, including 115 colleges in California.

The grades and rankings are meant to help parents and students understand what it's really like at thousands of colleges across the country, according to Niche.

"Unlike traditional college rankings, which rely almost exclusively on test scores and academic performance, Niche's rankings provide a real-life view of what it's like to attend a specific school," the company said in a news release.

Comments from current students, alumni and parents were included in the company's analysis, as well as U.S. Department of Education data and factors for different aspects of college life, including academics, campus, dorm life, professors and value for the financial investment.

"Navigating the college admissions process is daunting for both students and their families," Niche CEO Luke Skurman said in the news release.

"I started Niche because of my own challenges deciding on the best place for me because other sources available don't really help most families and students understand the rich and complex landscape of higher education. Our goal with our 2020 College Rankings is to cut through the confusion of the process, and serve as the ultimate guide to help students discover what campus life is really like."

These are the top five best colleges in the country, according to Niche:

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2. Stanford University
3. Yale University
4. Harvard University
5. Princeton University

These are the top 20 best colleges in California, according to Niche. National rankings are in parenthesis:

1. Stanford University (2)
2. Pomona College (13)
3. California Institute of Technology (16)
4. University of Southern California (19)
5. University of California, Los Angeles (26)
6. University of California, Berkeley (41)
7. Claremont McKenna College (49)
8. Harvey Mudd College (50)
9. University of California, Santa Barbara (75)
10. Santa Clara University (88)
11. Scripps College (99)
12. Pitzer College (106)
13. University of California, Irvine (111)
14. Occidental College (113)
15. University of California, Davis (114)
16. University of California, San Diego (116)
17. Pepperdine University (131)
18. California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (132)
19. University of San Diego (139)
20. Loyola Marymount University (140)

See the full list of the 2020 Best Colleges rankings, including other rankings such as the best public universities, best liberal arts colleges, and best value colleges, as well as rankings of the best colleges by state and major.