A recent study ranked the top universities and colleges in the U.S. for 2026 with one California university making it to the top 10.
The study, done by financial site WalletHub, looked at a number of factors including admissions rate, cost, safety and faculty-to-student ratio to rank some of the top schools in the country ahead of admissions deadlines.
Other sites such as U.S. News and Niche, also release yearly lists of top schools with similar results.
WalletHub’s study compared 791 colleges using seven dimensions with different weighting for each to determine each school’s final score. The seven dimensions were: student selectivity, cost and financing, faculty resources, campus safety, campus experience, educational outcomes and career outcomes.
What are the best universities and colleges in California?
The California Institute of Technology, or Caltech, in Pasadena, was the top-ranking school in the state, with Stanford University close behind at No. 2.
Caltech ranked first overall on student selectivity and career outcomes and ranked at No. 6 nationally. Stanford ranked high on student selectivity and overall in the nation at No. 14.
The top 10 colleges and universities in California:
What are the best universities and colleges in the U.S.?
Ivy League schools dominated the top of the list and only one California school, Caltech, cracked the top 10.
Other lists, such as U.S. News’ recent list, also had similar showings with the Pasadena technology school falling out of its previous top 10 spot and into No. 11, the Desert Sun previously reported. U.S. News’ list had Stanford at No. 4.
Best colleges and universities in the U.S, according to WalletHub:
Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@vcstar.com, 805-437-0224 or @ecentenoaraujo on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: What are the top 10 colleges and universities in California? Here’s WalletHub’s ranking
Reporting by Ernesto Centeno Araujo, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
