California In State Tuition Ranking

The Cheapest Colleges in California by In State Tuition for 2023

Cheapest Colleges in California by In State Tuition

If you're looking for an affordable university and you are a resident of California these are the least expensive in state colleges to consider.

Affordable doesn't simply mean finding a school with a low published in state tuition. It's important to research the typical financial aid package offered by a school, the average net price actually paid and most importantly the quality of education you receive for your tuition dollar. Sometimes a school which appears cheap based on list price can be a poor relative value if it can't award competitive financial aid or doesn't offer a quality education. The list below is a ranking on published in state tuition with no consideration of actual average price paid or academic quality of the school. Please see the CollegeCalc best value colleges in California list for a ranking which considers school quality and average net price.

The most affordable four year colleges in California are listed by one year's in state tuition list price for the 2021/2022 school year.

What is the cheapest college in California? Leading the colleges list is Taft University System in Santa Ana with an in state tuition of $3,292.

Academic Rating is a CollegeCalc rating of a college's overall academics and effectiveness. The score ranges from zero to one hundred, with fifty being the median for all eligible colleges. Dollar value is a measure of a school's academic rating compared with the average price paid by students. Colleges which are ranked "n/a" didn't report sufficient data to formulate a score. Learn more about our rating methodology.

All price data are reprinted from the U.S. Department of Education's 2021/2022 IPEDS Survey and reflect reported costs for the 2021/2022 academic year.

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California's Cheapest Colleges by In State Tuition
College In State Tuition Rating Value
#1 Taft University System

Santa Ana, Private For Profit

$3,292 NA NA
#2 San Diego State University Imperial Valley Campus

Calexico, Public Not For Profit

$5,472 NA NA
#3 California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, Public Not For Profit

$5,742 74 48
#4 California State University Bakersfield

Bakersfield, Public Not For Profit

$5,742 NA NA
#5 California State University Stanislaus

Turlock, Public Not For Profit

$5,742 NA NA
#6 California State University San Bernardino

San Bernardino, Public Not For Profit

$5,742 33 39
#7 California State Polytechnic University Pomona

Pomona, Public Not For Profit

$5,742 51 30
#8 California State University Chico

Chico, Public Not For Profit

$5,742 46 28
#9 California State University Dominguez Hills

Carson, Public Not For Profit

$5,742 NA NA
#10 California State University Fresno

Fresno, Public Not For Profit

$5,742 33 57
#11 California State University Fullerton

Fullerton, Public Not For Profit

$5,742 45 44
#12 California State University East Bay

Hayward, Public Not For Profit

$5,742 NA NA
#13 California State University Long Beach

Long Beach, Public Not For Profit

$5,742 53 60
#14 California State University Los Angeles

Los Angeles, Public Not For Profit

$5,742 29 49
#15 California State University Northridge

Northridge, Public Not For Profit

$5,742 34 47
#16 California State University Sacramento

Sacramento, Public Not For Profit

$5,742 36 27
#17 California Maritime Academy

Vallejo, Public Not For Profit

$5,742 NA NA
#18 Humboldt State University

Arcata, Public Not For Profit

$5,742 39 26
#19 San Diego State University

San Diego, Public Not For Profit

$5,742 62 52
#20 San Francisco State University

San Francisco, Public Not For Profit

$5,742 40 22