Best Online Colleges in California 2024

If you’re looking for the best online colleges in California, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve crunched the numbers using the most recent data from the National Center for College Statistics, weighing school performance based on indicators selected by actual college students.

Our top three picks all scored well in affordability, student outcomes, reputation, diversity, and social mobility. And San Diego State — our No. 1 school — knocked it out of the park. Read on to find out more about our top picks.

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.

San Diego State University tops our list of the best online colleges in California in 2024 due to its exceptional value and student outcomes.

SDSU’s graduation rate is the highest of all the schools on our list, at a whopping 76%. Keep in mind that the average college graduation rate in the U.S. was only 62% in 2023, so SDSU beat the average by a significant margin. The school also has one of the highest retention rates of our top picks, at 90%.

Students may be more likely to stick around and finish their degree at SDSU because of the school’s relatively low cost. With a net price of just under $6,500 per year, it beat out our second pick by $2,000 and is only half as much as our third pick. And with 98% of students awarded financial aid, you’re almost guaranteed some help in covering costs.

SDSU may be attractive for a number of reasons, but likelihood of admission isn’t one of them. While SDSU’s admission rate sits at just 38%, Humphreys University boasts a reassuring 100% admission rate.

With an affordable net price of around $8,500 and 100% of students awarded aid, this school is a solid choice for the cost-conscious. Humphreys also has the smallest class sizes of any of our top picks, with a mere 7-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio. (In comparison, SDSU sits at 25-to-1, and our third pick — California State University, Chico — has a ratio of 20-to-1.)

This private, nonprofit university has campuses in Stockton and Modesto but offers many of its programs online and in hybrid formats, with flexible evening and weekend scheduling.

California State University, Chico, may not top the list in any particular metric, but the school is our third pick due to its overall strong showing across the board.

With an admission rate of 85%, you’re very likely to get in the door if you set your sights on Chico State. Although Chico State’s net price is the steepest of our top picks at just under $13,400 per year, almost three-quarters of students (72%) are awarded some form of financial aid.

And with a retention rate of 81% and a graduation rate of 65%, it’s clear that Chico State works hard to support its students throughout their whole college journey.

In the school’s own words: At Chico State, being named one of the best online colleges in California is a tremendous honor that underscores our commitment to adapting to meeting students’ needs and helping them reach their academic goals … regardless of where they are.