Best Business Programs in California for 2027

Business programs in California fill one of the deepest state pages on this site: 14 rankings across ten fields, built from 149 programs analyzed at 65 schools that made at least one list. Accounting is the deepest field, with 34 ranked programs across the associate's, bachelor's, and master's levels. The price gap is the widest story here: in-state tuition among the ranked undergraduate programs runs from $1,104 at Irvine Valley College to $69,130 at Pepperdine University, $68,026 a year apart. 31 of the 59 schools charge in-state students under $10,000 a year.

University of San Diego and Loyola Marymount University appear in more of California's rankings than any other school, seven each. Santa Clara University holds the top spot in accounting, finance, and marketing. The jobs these degrees lead to pay well here: 300,840 general and operations managers in California earn a median of $124,390 a year (BLS, May 2025), $18,620 above the national median; the operations manager salary guide compares every state. Related pay guides: MBA salary guide, accountant salary, and financial analyst salary.

By enrollment, University of California-Los Angeles is the biggest school among the business programs in California (47,335 students). The top graduation rate belongs to Lincoln University, at 100%. Admission is hardest at Claremont McKenna College, which takes 10% of applicants. For distance study, look at College of San Mateo, Golden West College and six more.