SmartAsset, has released its sixth annual study on the colleges that give students the best return on their educational investment. To find the best value colleges in California, SmartAsset measured categories, including scholarships provided, starting salary, tuition, living costs and retention rate.
These San Diego schools ranked in the top 10
- UC San Diego (#5)
These Los Angeles area schools ranked in the top 10:
Caltech (#1 in CA, #2 in U.S.)
Harvey Mudd College (#2)
UCLA (#7)
UC Irvine (#8)
USC (#10)
Click here to find additional details on the study, including the methodology and interactive map, with the top schools in each state.
| Rank | School | City | Avg. Scholarships and Grants | Avg. Starting Salary | College Tuition * | Student Living Costs | Student Retention Rate | College Education Value Index |
| 1 | California Institute of Technology | Pasadena, CA | $39,500 | $84,100 | $49,908 | $18,993 | 98% | 89.94 |
| 2 | Harvey Mudd College | Claremont, CA | $34,661 | $88,800 | $54,636 | $19,792 | 97% | 88.49 |
| 3 | Stanford University | Stanford, CA | $47,106 | $79,000 | $49,617 | $19,492 | 99% | 88.13 |
| 4 | University of California-Berkeley | Berkeley, CA | $18,993 | $70,700 | $14,170 | $22,819 | 97% | 72.25 |
| 5 | University of California-San Diego | La Jolla, CA | $18,306 | $63,400 | $14,018 | $18,145 | 94% | 65.58 |
| 6 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo, CA | $6,755 | $65,600 | $9,432 | $17,721 | 94% | 63.47 |
| 7 | University of California-Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA | $18,913 | $62,000 | $13,261 | $20,640 | 97% | 62.32 |
| 8 | University of California-Irvine | Irvine, CA | $18,644 | $59,600 | $13,738 | $20,120 | 93% | 57.10 |
| 9 | University of California-Davis | Davis, CA | $17,917 | $61,500 | $14,419 | $21,310 | 92% | 56.96 |
| 10 | University of Southern California | Los Angeles, CA | $37,647 | $64,500 | $54,259 | $17,950 | 97% | 56.11 |
