UC Berkeley Named To Niche's 10 Best Colleges In California List

BERKELEY, CA — University of California-Berkeley has been named as one of the top 10 colleges in the state of California by Niche, a college ranking and review platform.

UC Berkeley was given an A+ overall by Niche which also gave the school an A+ in Academics, Diversity, and Value. The school received an A for its Athletics, Professors, Student Life, Location and Party Scene, a B for its campus. UC Berkeley's lowest scores were in the Campus Food (C+), Safety (C-) and its dorms which received a D-.

Stanford University was named the best college in California, according to the rankings which were released Monday. In all, 62 colleges in the Golden State were ranked among the best nationwide.

Niche said its 2024 Best Colleges Rankings reflect the declining importance of SAT and ACT scores and the increasing importance prospective students and their families place on value and economic mobility — that is, the ability of students to improve their economic status after graduation.

The platform evaluated 4,048 public and private four-year colleges nationwide and developed separate lists for the best academics value, food, dorms and college life.

The top 10 colleges in California were:

1. Stanford University

Overall Niche grade: A+

Acceptance rate: 4 percent

Net price: $14,402 / year

SAT range: 1470-1570

2. Harvey Mudd College

Overall Niche grade: A+

Acceptance rate: 10 percent

Net price: $33,838 / year

SAT range: 1480-1560

3. California Institute of Technology

Overall Niche grade: A+

Acceptance rate: 4 percent

Net price: $30,162 / year

SAT range: 1530-1580

4. Pomona College

Overall Niche grade: A+

Acceptance rate: 7 percent

Net price: $17,000 / year

SAT range: 1470-1570

5. University of California, Los Angeles

Overall Niche grade: A+

Acceptance rate: 11 percent

Net price: $13,393 / year

SAT range: N/A

6. Claremont McKenna College, Claremont

Overall Niche grade: A+

Acceptance rate: 11 percent

Net price: $21,663 / year

SAT range: 1420-1530

7. University of Southern California, Los Angeles

Overall Niche grade: A+

Acceptance rate: 13 percent

Net price: $26,021 / year

AT range: 1410-1540

8. University of California - Berkeley

Overall Niche grade: A+

Acceptance rate: 14 percent

Net price: $17,652 / year

SAT range: 1310-1530

9. University of California - Irvine

Overall Niche grade: A+

Acceptance rate: 29 percent

Net price: $11,633 / year

SAT range: 1230-1430

10. University of California - San Diego

Overall Niche grade: A+

Acceptance rate: 34 percent

Net price: $15,632 / year

SAT range: 1270-1480

To see the full rankings of all the California schools ranked by Niche, click here.

Other California schools ranked by Niche are found on the website.

To rank the schools, Niche analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Education along with reviews and ratings from current students, alumni and parents. The new economic mobility index takes into account the percentage of students receiving Pell Grants, the net tuition price for students from low-income households and the median earnings of those students six years after they get their first post-graduation jobs.

The top schools nationwide are, respectively: Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; Stanford University, Stanford, California; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge; Harvard University, Cambridge; and Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey.

The nationwide best value colleges are, respectively, Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, California; Stanford University; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; California Institute of Technology, Pasadena; and Clarmont-McKenna College.

Schools in California ranked among the 10 best value colleges are, respectively, Harvey Mudd College, Claremont; Stanford University, Stanford; California Institute of Technology, Pasadena; Claremont McKenna College, Claremont; and Pomona College, Claremont.