California has the largest and most diverse higher‑education system in the United States, with world‑class public universities, elite private institutions, and the biggest community‑college network in the country.

🏛️ 1. Public Universities in California

California’s public system includes two major networks:

• University of California (UC) – research‑focused
• California State University (CSU) – broad access, career‑oriented

University of California (UC System)

• UC Berkeley – Berkeley
• UCLA – Los Angeles
• UC San Diego – La Jolla
• UC Santa Barbara – Santa Barbara
• UC Irvine – Irvine
• UC Davis – Davis
• UC Santa Cruz – Santa Cruz
• UC Riverside – Riverside
• UC Merced – Merced
• UC San Francisco – San Francisco (graduate/medical only)

California State University (CSU System)

(23 campuses total; major examples below)

• CSU Long Beach – Long Beach
• CSU Fullerton – Fullerton
• San Diego State University – San Diego
• San José State University – San José
• CSU Northridge – Northridge
• CSU Sacramento – Sacramento
• CSU Fresno – Fresno
• Chico State – Chico
• Humboldt State University – Arcata
• Sonoma State University – Rohnert Park
• Cal Poly San Luis Obispo – San Luis Obispo
• Cal Poly Pomona – Pomona

🏫 2. Public Regional / Branch Campuses

California does not use the same “regional campus” model as Ohio, but several UC and CSU campuses serve specific geographic regions:

• UC Merced – Central Valley
• CSU Monterey Bay – Monterey Bay region
• CSU Channel Islands – Ventura County
• CSU San Marcos – North San Diego County
• CSU Stanislaus – Turlock (Central Valley)

These campuses expand access to underserved areas.

🎓 3. Private Colleges & Universities

Major Private Research Universities

• Stanford University – Stanford
• University of Southern California (USC) – Los Angeles
• California Institute of Technology (Caltech) – Pasadena
• Santa Clara University – Santa Clara
• University of San Diego – San Diego

Liberal Arts Colleges

• Pomona College – Claremont
• Claremont McKenna College – Claremont
• Harvey Mudd College – Claremont
• Scripps College – Claremont
• Pitzer College – Claremont
• Occidental College – Los Angeles

🏫 4. Community Colleges

California operates 116 community colleges, the largest two‑year system in the U.S.

Examples

• Santa Monica College – Santa Monica
• Pasadena City College – Pasadena
• City College of San Francisco – San Francisco
• Los Angeles City College – Los Angeles
• Orange Coast College – Costa Mesa
• San Diego Mesa College – San Diego

🔧 5. Technical & Specialized Colleges

Examples

• Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) – Los Angeles
• California College of the Arts – San Francisco/Oakland
• Los Angeles Film School – Hollywood
• Universal Technical Institute – Rancho Cucamonga

📚 Summary

California’s higher‑education system includes:

• 10 UC campuses
• 23 CSU campuses
• 100+ private institutions
• 116 community colleges
• Numerous technical and specialty schools

It is the largest and most comprehensive state system in the country.