These Are CA's Most Liberal And Conservative Colleges

From progressive university campuses to faith-centered colleges, higher education in California runs the full political spectrum.

A new set of 2026 rankings from Niche highlights the most liberal and most conservative schools in the state, based on student surveys.

The University of California - Santa Cruz was ranked the most liberal, while Biola University topped the list of the most conservative.

Methodology

Niche’s rankings are based on self-reported student surveys of political leanings. For both lists, 80 percent of the weight comes from students reporting their personal political preferences, and 20 percent comes from students reporting the leanings of their campus community.

Most Liberal Colleges In California (2026)

1. University of California - Santa Cruz — Overall Niche Grade: B+
2. University of California - Los Angeles — Overall Niche Grade: A+
3. University of Southern California — Overall Niche Grade: A+
4. University of San Francisco — Overall Niche Grade: B+
5. Minerva University — Overall Niche Grade: A+

Most Conservative Colleges In California (2026)

1. Biola University — Overall Niche Grade: A-
2. California Baptist University — Overall Niche Grade: A-
3. National University — Overall Niche Grade: A-
4. MiraCosta College — Overall Niche Grade: B-
5. Jessup University — Overall Niche Grade: B

National Rankings

Niche also released its 2026 rankings of the most liberal and conservative colleges in America.

Top Five Most Liberal Colleges In The U.S.:

1. American University (Washington, D.C.) — Overall Niche Grade: B+
2. University of Vermont (Burlington, VT) — Overall Niche Grade: B+
3. SUNY Purchase College (Purchase, NY) — Overall Niche Grade: C
4. George Washington University (Washington, D.C.) — Overall Niche Grade: A
5. Oberlin College (Oberlin, OH) — Overall Niche Grade: B+

Top Five Most Conservative Colleges In The U.S.:

1. Liberty University (Lynchburg, VA) — Overall Niche Grade: B+
2. Grove City College (Grove City, PA) — Overall Niche Grade: B-
3. Brigham Young University – Idaho (Rexburg, ID) — Overall Niche Grade: B
4. Colorado Christian University (Lakewood, CO) — Overall Niche Grade: B
5. Bob Jones University (Greenville, SC) — Overall Niche Grade: B

See the full rankings from Niche.