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 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 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: CaliforniaClear all

206 schools · Sorted by Compass Score

  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 43%

    John Paul the Great Catholic University

    Good: Compass grade B
    Escondido, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 298 students

    $34,666 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 43%

    American University of Health Sciences

    Top 3% for earnings
    Signal Hill, CA · Private for-profit · 4-year · 523 students

    Value not rated yetAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 43%

    California State University-Sacramento

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

    $9,338 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

    $4,564 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 46%

    University of La Verne

    Top 19% for earnings
    La Verne, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 5,596 students

    $20,161 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 47%

    Concordia University-Irvine

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

    $28,115 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 47%

    Vanguard University of Southern California

    Good: Compass grade B
    Costa Mesa, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,219 students

    $21,241 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

    $28,062 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

    $12,278 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 48%

    California College of the Arts

    Good: Compass grade B
    San Francisco, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,333 students

    $53,909 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 49%

    California State University-Northridge

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

    $7,021 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

    $10,229 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Design Institute of San Diego

    Top 11% for graduation
    San Diego, CA · Private for-profit · 4-year · 111 students

    $44,010 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFair
  • Compass ScoreGood

    California State University-Los Angeles

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

    $3,967 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Westcliff University

    Good: Compass grade B
    Irvine, CA · Private for-profit · 4-year · 6,532 students

    $35,426 a year after aid, on average

    Value not rated yetAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    California State University-Channel Islands

    Top 15% for low net price
    Camarillo, CA · Public · 4-year · 5,688 students

    $9,849 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    California State University-Bakersfield

    Top 5% for low net price
    Bakersfield, CA · Public · 4-year · 9,787 students

    $5,652 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Fresno Pacific University

    Good: Compass grade B
    Fresno, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,921 students

    $13,630 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Mount Saint Mary's University

    Top 13% for earnings
    Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,308 students

    $21,413 a year after aid, on average

    All-femaleAll-female: the school enrolls women only.ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Hope International University

    Good: Compass grade B-
    Fullerton, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,140 students

    $29,310 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsFair
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Whittier College

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

    $25,757 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science

    Top 7% for earnings
    Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 763 students

    $35,558 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

    $26,285 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Woodbury University

    Top 19% for earnings
    Burbank, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 898 students

    $33,692 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Menlo College

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

    $31,100 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong

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