College Compass GuideTrue north for every college search.

Every accredited U.S. college

Colleges

Every accredited four-year college, rated on Academic Excellence and Value (what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and student debt), all from federal data.

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Compass Score sorts by outcomes, students and cost together. The other sorts order every college by a different measure.
Ratings
Compass ScoreCompass Score: a letter grade set by rank among rated colleges from federal data: outcomes (40%), entering students (40%), cost (15%) and teaching (5%). Choose the lowest grade to show.
ValueValue: what families pay after aid, graduation rate, earnings and debt, from federal data.
Academic ExcellenceAcademic Excellence: a letter grade set by rank among rated colleges, from federal data on graduation, retention, test scores, faculty ratio, and spending. It never uses rankings or surveys.
Only Compass Recommended colleges: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score.
Only Honor Roll colleges: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score.
Only the eight Ivy League universities.
Location1
Distance (miles)
A broad region of the country, as the guide groups the states. Territories are listed separately.
School
Type of college, as college guides group them (from the federal Carnegie Classification): national universities offer a full range of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs and do research; liberal arts colleges focus on undergraduates in the arts and sciences; regional universities mostly offer bachelor’s and master’s degrees; regional colleges mostly offer bachelor’s degrees in many fields; specialized schools focus on one field, such as health, art or business.
Public or privatePublic: run by a state or local government. Private: nonprofit or for-profit.
Total enrollment: small is under 2,000 students, medium 2,000 to 9,999, large 10,000 to 24,999, and very large 25,000 or more.
Net price: what a typical student pays per year after grants and scholarships, from the federal College Scorecard.
Coed: men and women together. Single-sex: all-male or all-female.
Campus life1
College sports level from federal data: NCAA Division I (the biggest programs), Division II, Division III, or NAIA.
Where the campus is, from federal data: in a city, a suburb, a town, or a rural area.
The college offers Army, Navy or Air Force ROTC, on campus or with a nearby college (federal data).
The college offers study abroad (federal data).
Admissions and outcomes
How many applicants are admitted (federal data). Most: 65% or more. Selective: 25% to 64%. Highly selective: under 25%.
Your SAT or ACT, to sort colleges Target, Likely and Reach. Signed in, it is kept on your account (private to you); otherwise only in this browser.
Reach, Target or LikelyA rough guide from admitted students' scores and admission rates, not a prediction. Target: your score is in the college's middle range. Likely: above it, or the college admits most applicants. Reach: below it, or the college admits fewer than 1 in 5.
Small classes: 12 or fewer students per faculty member (federal data).
Strong outcomes: 75% or more of students graduate (federal data).
Major
Colleges that offer a bachelor's degree in this major or field, from the federal College Scorecard.
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RecommendedOnly Compass Recommended colleges: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score.Honor RollOnly Honor Roll colleges: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score.ValueOnly colleges with a Value score of 85 or higher (grade A), from federal data.AcademicsOnly schools with an Academic Excellence grade of A or better (the top 10% of rated colleges), from federal data.Ivy LeagueOnly the eight Ivy League universities.Clear
Division I sportsCollege sports level from federal data: NCAA Division I (the biggest programs), Division II, Division III, or NAIA.ROTCThe college offers Army, Navy or Air Force ROTC, on campus or with a nearby college (federal data).Study abroadThe college offers study abroad (federal data).NursingColleges that offer a bachelor's degree in this major or field, from the federal College Scorecard.EngineeringColleges that offer a bachelor's degree in this major or field, from the federal College Scorecard.Under $20kNet price under $20,000 a year: what a typical student pays after grants and scholarships (federal data).Small classesSmall classes: 12 or fewer students per faculty member (federal data).
State: CaliforniaROTCClear all

51 schools · Sorted by Compass Score

  • Compass ScoreVery good · Top 24%

    San Jose State University

    Top 8% for earnings
    San Jose, CA · Public · 4-year · 36,062 students

    About $14,000 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreVery good · Top 25%

    California State University-Fullerton

    Top 7% for low net price
    Fullerton, CA · Public · 4-year · 41,962 students

    About $7,000 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreVery good · Top 26%

    Biola University

    Top 24% for graduation
    La Mirada, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 5,296 students

    About $31,000 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.ValueFairAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreVery good · Top 26%

    University of Redlands

    Top 12% for earnings
    Redlands, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 3,192 students

    About $30,000 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.ValueStrongAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreVery good · Top 27%

    Saint Mary's College of California

    Top 8% for earnings
    Moraga, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,775 students

    About $30,000 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.ValueStrongAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreVery good · Top 27%

    University of California-Merced

    Top 20% for earnings
    Merced, CA · Public · 4-year · 9,147 students

    About $12,000 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreVery good · Top 31%

    Azusa Pacific University

    Top 18% for earnings
    Azusa, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 6,487 students

    About $22,000 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 41%

    California State University-Fresno

    Top 8% for low net price
    Fresno, CA · Public · 4-year · 23,986 students

    About $7,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 41%

    Sonoma State University

    Top 18% for earnings
    Rohnert Park, CA · Public · 4-year · 5,990 students

    About $13,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 43%

    California State University Maritime Academy

    Top 3% for earnings
    Vallejo, CA · Public · 4-year · 805 students

    About $21,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 43%

    California State University-Sacramento

    Top 14% for low net price
    Sacramento, CA · Public · 4-year · 31,172 students

    About $9,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 45%

    California State University-San Bernardino

    Top 3% for low net price
    San Bernardino, CA · Public · 4-year · 18,925 students

    About $5,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 47%

    Concordia University-Irvine

    Top 19% for earnings
    Irvine, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 3,481 students

    About $28,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 47%

    William Jessup University

    Good: Compass grade B
    Rocklin, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,484 students

    About $28,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 48%

    San Francisco State University

    Top 16% for earnings
    San Francisco, CA · Public · 4-year · 23,908 students

    About $12,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 49%

    California State University-Northridge

    Top 8% for low net price
    Northridge, CA · Public · 4-year · 37,760 students

    About $7,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    California State University-San Marcos

    Top 16% for low net price
    San Marcos, CA · Public · 4-year · 15,431 students

    About $10,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    California State University-Los Angeles

    Top 3% for low net price
    Los Angeles, CA · Public · 4-year · 25,080 students

    About $4,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Whittier College

    Good: Compass grade B-
    Whittier, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 859 students

    About $26,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    California Baptist University

    Top 25% for earnings
    Riverside, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 11,407 students

    About $26,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Menlo College

    Top 10% for earnings
    Atherton, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 840 students

    About $31,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    California State University-Dominguez Hills

    Top 11% for low net price
    Carson, CA · Public · 4-year · 15,181 students

    About $9,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Academy of Art University

    Solid: Compass grade C+
    San Francisco, CA · Private for-profit · 4-year · 6,320 students

    About $41,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsStrong
  • Not yet rated

    Antelope Valley Community College District

    Top 2% for low net price
    Lancaster, CA · Public · 4-year · 12,937 students

    About $4,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsFair
  • Not yet rated

    Fresno City College

    Top 1% for low debt
    Fresno, CA · Public · 4-year · 25,285 students

    About $8,000 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsFair

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