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For high schoolers and their families, deciding on the right college or university is a huge decision.
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California is home to lots of great schools, and picking one can seem daunting. For those seeking higher education in the state, one resource is the personal finance site WalletHub, which has released its 2027 College and University Rankings.
WalletHub assessed hundreds of colleges and universities based on their graduation rates, post-attendance salaries, safety, and more. Two California universities made it into the top 10.
Here’s what to know:
What’s the difference between a college and a university?
The terms “college” and “university” are often used interchangeably.
Broadly, though, colleges offer mostly bachelor’s degrees while universities, often a collection of more than one college, also grant postgraduate degrees such as master’s degrees or PhDs.
Colleges tend to focus on undergraduates, which can mean that professors and instructors have more time and attention to spare for teaching. They are often smaller, with smaller class sizes.
Universities can offer research opportunities to undergraduates. With both undergraduates and graduate students in the same institution, universities are usually larger. Though their size can be overwhelming, they can also offer more choices when it comes to an educational path and extracurriculars.
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According to WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo, universities tended to rank higher in the site’s assessments due to their many options and higher earnings post-graduation for students. However, colleges “offer their own advantages like smaller class sizes, more personalized learning and often safer campuses.”
WalletHub’s methodology
WalletHub compared 738 American schools, across 30 “key metrics.” The measures are grouped into categories like “Cost & Financing,” “Career Outcomes,” and “Campus Safety.”
“Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the best school performance and the most favorable conditions for undergraduate students during and after attendance,” noted the report.
Certain institutions were excluded for lacking necessary data or offering only “very specialized degrees.”
WalletHub’s top schools overall and in California
Two California universities, CalTech and Stanford, made it into WalletHub’s top 10 list.
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- 1. Princeton University, NJ
- 2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA
- 3. Yale University, CT
- 4. California Institute of Technology, CA
- 5. Harvard University, MA
- 6. Northwestern University, IL
- 7. University of Pennsylvania, PA
- 8. Carnegie Mellon University, PA
- 9. Stanford University, CA
- 10. Georgia Institute of Technology, GA
As for WalletHub’s top schools in California, many UC schools made the list.
- 1. California Institute of Technology
- 2. Stanford University
- 3. Pomona College
- 4. Harvey Mudd College
- 5. University of California, Berkeley
- 6. Claremont McKenna College
- 7. University of California, San Diego
- 8. University of Southern California
- 9. University of California-Irvine
- 10. University of California-Los Angeles