2026 Cheapest California College Costs Rankings
Among California colleges, University of the People has the cheapest tuition & fees ($1,200) and United States University has the second lowest tuition & fees ($7,108) based on academic year 2024-2025 college costs data.
Below table ranks and compares the Cheapest California College Costs having lowest tuition & fees (based on undergraduate rate). For the ranking, we only include 4-year colleges that more than 1,500 students have enrolled in.
Cheapest California College Costs
| Rank | College Name | Undergraduate Tuition & Fees | Graduate Tuition & Fees | SAT Score | Acceptance Rate | Population | Graduation Rate | Student to Faculty Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of the People Pasadena, CA | $1,200 | - | - | - | 41,961 | 34% | 28 to 1 |
| 2 | United States University Sandy Springs, CA | $7,108 | $6,543 | - | - | 2,454 | - | 15 to 1 |
| 3 | Fresno City College Fresno, CA | $8,638 | - | - | - | 28,071 | 24% | 29 to 1 |
| 4 | Shasta College Redding, CA | $8,853 | - | - | - | 9,073 | 23% | 28 to 1 |
| 5 | Trident University International Cypress, CA | $9,240 | $6,120 | - | - | 6,861 | - | 16 to 1 |
| 6 | Modesto Junior College Modesto, CA | $9,264 | - | - | - | 18,258 | 30% | 32 to 1 |
| 7 | Antelope Valley Community College District Lancaster, CA | $9,548 | - | - | - | 13,532 | 34% | 23 to 1 |
| 8 | Moorpark College Moorpark, CA | $9,615 | - | - | - | 14,583 | 44% | 31 to 1 |
| 9 | MiraCosta College Oceanside, CA | $9,750 | - | - | - | 11,478 | 41% | 18 to 1 |
| 10 | Solano Community College Fairfield, CA | $9,772 | - | - | - | 9,282 | 36% | 27 to 1 |
Qualified California Colleges in Core Admission Stats
