Best colleges for accounting in California

    California State University-Northridge ranks first in California for accounting value (#12 nationally, value score 79.5): graduates earn $92,329 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $6,346 a year.

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition · Source: College Scorecard field of study, reporting year 2025 · 8 California colleges ranked · Updated November 4, 2026

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    Best accounting colleges in California

    California State University-Northridge ranks first in California for accounting value (#12 nationally, value score 79.5): graduates earn $92,329 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $6,346 a year. 8 California colleges qualify. At the median one, accounting graduates earn $99,060 and the average net price is $30,018 a year.

    Source: U.S. College Scorecard field of study, 2025

    What the data shows

    Key findings

    • 8 California colleges qualify. At the median one, accounting graduates earn $99,060 and the average net price is $30,018 a year.
    • The highest accounting earnings in the state are at Santa Clara University ($130,087), ranked #2 in the state once cost, debt and graduation rate count.
    Median earnings
    $99,060
    National: $76,108
    Median net price
    $30,018
    National: $17,285
    Median federal debt
    $19,875
    accounting graduates
    Public colleges
    1 of 8
    in this list

    8 colleges

    The California ranking

    Ordered by the national value score; the national rank is shown with each college. Earnings are medians 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

    1. Rank in California 1

      California State University-Northridge

      Northridge, CA · Public · #12 nationally

      79.5Value
      Earnings
      $92,329
      Net price
      $6,346
      Federal debt
      $18,646
      Graduation rate
      57%
    2. Rank in California 2

      Santa Clara University

      Santa Clara, CA · Private nonprofit · #26 nationally

      75.7Value
      Earnings
      $130,087
      Net price
      $36,116
      Federal debt
      $16,249
      Graduation rate
      87%
    3. Rank in California 3

      University of San Diego

      San Diego, CA · Private nonprofit · #41 nationally

      72.0Value
      Earnings
      $109,142
      Net price
      $29,539
      Federal debt
      $21,000
      Graduation rate
      81%
    4. Rank in California 4

      Loyola Marymount University

      Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit · #59 nationally

      69.9Value
      Earnings
      $111,733
      Net price
      $50,518
      Federal debt
      $18,750
      Graduation rate
      79%
    5. Rank in California 5

      Chapman University

      Orange, CA · Private nonprofit · #83 nationally

      66.7Value
      Earnings
      $102,147
      Net price
      $46,708
      Federal debt
      $21,500
      Graduation rate
      83%
    6. Rank in California 6

      University of San Francisco

      San Francisco, CA · Private nonprofit · #92 nationally

      64.3Value
      Earnings
      $95,973
      Net price
      $30,496
      Federal debt
      $18,000
      Graduation rate
      66%
    7. Rank in California 7

      California Baptist University

      Riverside, CA · Private nonprofit · #284 nationally

      40.4Value
      Earnings
      $81,150
      Net price
      $24,138
      Federal debt
      $30,015
      Graduation rate
      60%
    8. Rank in California 8

      National University-California

      La Jolla, CA · Private nonprofit · #332 nationally

      33.0Value
      Earnings
      $79,696
      Net price
      $24,008
      Federal debt
      $31,250
      Graduation rate
      43%

    Method: the same value score as the national accounting ranking (earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate, each a national percentile). Data: College Scorecard, reporting year 2025; 2026–27 edition, verified Nov 2026.

    Questions about accounting colleges in California

    What are the best colleges for accounting in California?

    By CollegesRef value score, the top 3 California colleges for accounting are California State University-Northridge (value score 79.5), Santa Clara University (value score 75.7) and University of San Diego (value score 72). The score weighs graduate earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate.

    Which California college has the highest earnings for accounting graduates?

    Santa Clara University: its accounting graduates have median earnings of $130,087 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

    What is the most affordable accounting college in California on this list?

    California State University-Northridge has the lowest average net price of the ranked California colleges, $6,346 a year after grants. A family's own price depends on income and aid.

    How many California colleges are ranked for accounting?

    8 California colleges have a accounting bachelor's program with enough graduates and reported earnings, plus a published net price and graduation rate. Ranks shown are national; the state rank is their order within California.