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.

Filters

Search & sort
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 life
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 outcomes1
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.
Clear all
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: CaliforniaSmall classesClear all

85 schools · Sorted by Compass Score

  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Touro University Worldwide

    Solid: Compass grade C+
    Los Alamitos, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,357 students

    $19,058 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsFair
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    California College of ASU

    Solid: Compass grade C+
    Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 149 students

    $17,683 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Life Pacific University

    Solid: Compass grade C+
    San Dimas, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 504 students

    $20,898 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    California Aeronautical University

    Solid: Compass grade C+
    Bakersfield, CA · Private for-profit · 4-year · 388 students

    $36,126 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    University of the West

    Top 7% for low net price
    Rosemead, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 154 students

    $6,845 a year after aid, on average

    Value not rated yet
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Los Angeles College of Music

    #125 in California
    Pasadena, CA · Private for-profit · 4-year · 279 students

    $43,590 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsStrong
  • Not yet rated

    California Career College

    Top 1% for graduation
    Canoga Park, CA · Private for-profit · 4-year · 195 students

    $46,880 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsExcellent
  • Not yet rated

    American Jewish University

    Top 25% for earnings
    Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 209 students

    Value not rated yetAcademicsStrong
  • Not yet rated

    Bethesda University

    Top 5% for low debt
    Anaheim, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 271 students

    $11,097 a year after aid, on average

    Value not rated yetAcademicsFair
  • Not yet rated

    Northcentral University

    Top 13% for low debt
    San Diego, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 10,518 students

    Value not rated yet
  • Not yet rated

    Loma Linda University

    Top 5% for earnings
    Loma Linda, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 4,202 students

    Value not rated yet
  • Not yet rated

    Alliant International University-San Diego

    Top 14% for low debt
    San Diego, CA · Private for-profit · 4-year · 4,147 students

    Value not rated yet
  • Not yet rated

    Golden Gate University

    Top 5% for earnings
    San Francisco, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,262 students

    Value not rated yet
  • Not yet rated

    Samuel Merritt University

    Top 1% for earnings
    Oakland, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,894 students

    Value not rated yet
  • Not yet rated

    Touro University California

    Top 2% for earnings
    Vallejo, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,090 students

    Value not rated yet
  • Not yet rated

    Pacific Oaks College

    Pasadena, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,051 students

    Value not rated yet
  • Not yet rated

    Sofia University

    Palo Alto, CA · Private for-profit · 4-year · 1,037 students

    Value not rated yet
  • Not yet rated

    Antioch University-Los Angeles

    Culver City, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 888 students

    Value not rated yet
  • Not yet rated

    Teachers College of San Joaquin

    Stockton, CA · Public · 4-year · 850 students

    Value not rated yet
  • Not yet rated

    Chamberlain University-California

    Top 3% for earnings
    Rancho Cordova, CA · Private for-profit · 4-year · 676 students

    $36,559 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrong
  • Not yet rated

    Northeastern University Oakland

    Top 3% for earnings
    Oakland, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 658 students

    $25,181 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrong
  • Not yet rated

    Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey

    Top 10% for earnings
    Monterey, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 503 students

    Value not rated yet
  • Not yet rated

    San Francisco Bay University

    Fremont, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 328 students

    Value not rated yet
  • Not yet rated

    Antioch University-Santa Barbara

    Santa Barbara, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 284 students

    Value not rated yet
  • Not yet rated

    University of West Los Angeles

    Inglewood, CA · Private for-profit · 4-year · 256 students

    Value not rated yet

Don’t see a school? Suggest it.

Sort by

0 school selectedCompare

What would it cost your family?

Pick your family’s yearly income. Each college then shows what families like yours paid on average after grants and scholarships (federal data).

Reach, Target or Likely?

Enter an SAT or ACT to sort every college in this search.

Will you get in?

Enter your SAT or ACT. We compare it with the middle range of students the college admitted.