California Colleges That Award Computer Science Degrees
California CS is not only Berkeley and Stanford. IPEDS completions show more than a hundred California campuses awarding computing degrees, including CSUs with far higher admit rates than the coastal brands. This page li
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By Admit Coach editorial · GPTKIDS LLC ·
Methodology · Updated August 2026
California CS is not only Berkeley and Stanford. IPEDS completions show more than a hundred California campuses awarding computing degrees, including CSUs with far higher admit rates than the coastal brands. This page lists California CS-awarding colleges so you can build a state list that includes capacity, not just prestige.
California universities with computer science degrees
Click any school for its profile and a free admission-chance estimate.
| University | Location | Acceptance Rate |
|---|
| Stanford University | Stanford, CA | 4% |
| California Institute of Technology | Pasadena, CA | 3% |
| University of California-Berkeley | Berkeley, CA | 12% |
| University of California-Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA | 9% |
| University of Southern California | Los Angeles, CA | 10% |
| Pitzer College | Claremont, CA | 17% |
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | Pomona, CA | 74% |
| California State University-Chico | Chico, CA | 94% |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo, CA | 30% |
| California State University-Dominguez Hills | Carson, CA | 91% |
| California State University-Fullerton | Fullerton, CA | 87% |
| California State University-Bakersfield | Bakersfield, CA | 88% |
| Biola University | La Mirada, CA | 60% |
| California State University-Sacramento | Sacramento, CA | 94% |
| University of California-Davis | Davis, CA | 42% |
| University of California-Irvine | Irvine, CA | 26% |
| University of California-Riverside | Riverside, CA | 63% |
| University of California-San Diego | La Jolla, CA | 24% |
| University of California-Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara, CA | 28% |
| California State University-East Bay | Hayward, CA | 97% |
| California State University-Long Beach | Long Beach, CA | 47% |
| California State University-Stanislaus | Turlock, CA | 98% |
| California State University-Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA | 92% |
| University of California-Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz, CA | 62% |
Data from IPEDS & College Scorecard. Browse all 3,500+ universities →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is UC Berkeley the only strong CS option in California?
No. Multiple UCs, several CSUs, and California privates award large numbers of CS degrees. Capacity and direct-admit rules should drive the list as much as rankings.
Are California CS majors impacted?
Many are. Campus admit rate can be several times higher than the CS-major rate. Apply to a mix of direct-admit programs.
Do California CS programs require SAT scores?
UC is test-free. Some California privates still use scores. Check the campus policy; do not generalize from UC to every California CS program.
Next steps
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