Acceptance Rate and Admission Trends for California Colleges

There are 307 active four-years colleges and universities in California - 54 public and 253 private schools. The 2024 average acceptance rate of the 4-year colleges in California is 65.02% - 876,849 students accepted out of total 1,981,799.

Compared to the acceptance rate of 10 years ago, the rate becomes higher from 60.40% to 65.02%. The California Colleges' yield, also known as enrollment rate, is 34.41% and the yield is lower than 36.50%, rate of 10 years ago.

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Acceptance Rate Changes

The average acceptance rate over the last 10 years is 61.00% where the current academic year rate is 65.02% at California Colleges. By gender, men students' acceptance rate is 59.44% and women students' rate is 61.74%. The next table and chart illustrate the acceptance rates changes at California Colleges over the past 11 years (2013-2024).

Year	Total	Men	Women
Year	2013-14	60.40%	59.56%	60.44%
2014-15	59.95% -0.45%	57.63% -0.25%	60.19% -0.25%
2015-16	58.99% -0.96%	57.03% -0.66%	59.53% -0.66%
2016-17	58.73% -0.26%	56.85% -0.03%	59.50% -0.03%
2017-18	58.82% 0.09%	57.51% 0.65%	60.14% 0.65%
2018-19	59.09% 0.28%	58.32% -0.18%	59.96% -0.18%
2019-20	59.61% 0.52%	58.47% 1.36%	61.32% 1.36%
2020-21	62.11% 2.50%	60.83% 0.61%	61.93% 0.61%
2021-22	63.90% 1.79%	61.99% 2.80%	64.73% 2.80%
2022-23	64.33% 0.42%	62.18% 1.52%	66.24% 1.52%
2023-24	65.02% 0.70%	63.42% -1.03%	65.21% -1.03%
Average	61.00%	59.44%	61.74%

California Colleges Acceptance Rate Changes Chart

Admission Yield (Enrollment Rate) Changes

The average admission yield of the last 12 years is 35.61% where the current academic year yield is 34.41%. The yield, also known as enrollment rate is the percentage of admitted students who finally enrolled. The following table and chart illustrate the changes in yield at California Colleges from 2013 to 2024.

Year	Total	Men	Women
2013-14	36.50%	38.19%	35.12%
2014-15	37.42% 0.92%	40.64% -1.01%	34.11% -1.01%
2015-16	36.96% -0.46%	37.99% 0.93%	35.05% 0.93%
2016-17	38.14% 1.18%	39.00% -0.01%	35.04% -0.01%
2017-18	37.96% -0.18%	38.36% 2.01%	37.05% 2.01%
2018-19	36.93% -1.03%	40.10% -2.10%	34.95% -2.10%
2019-20	33.32% -3.60%	35.05% -3.07%	31.87% -3.07%
2020-21	34.82% 1.49%	34.43% 0.88%	32.76% 0.88%
2021-22	31.83% -2.99%	34.35% -2.65%	30.11% -2.65%
2022-23	33.46% 1.63%	34.92% 1.41%	31.52% 1.41%
2023-24	34.41% 0.95%	35.58% 0.56%	32.08% 0.56%
Average	35.61%	37.14%	33.60%

California Colleges Yield (Enrollment Rate) Changes Chart

Applicants, Admitted, and Enrolled Headcount Changes

The average number of applicants is 1,621,073, the average number of admitted is 701,530, and the average number of enrolled students is 140,155 over the last 10 years. The number of applicants to California Colleges increased by 4.52% (85,741 applicants) compared to last year. The following table and chart show the changes of applicants, admitted, and enrolled headcount at California Colleges from 2013 to 2024.

Year	Applicants	Admitted	Enrolled
2013-14	1,215,095	541,699	125,947
2014-15	1,376,101 161,006	593,539 9,684	135,631 9,684
2015-16	1,450,832 74,731	598,237 919	136,550 919
2016-17	1,522,756 71,924	651,332 3,465	140,015 3,465
2017-18	1,578,897 56,141	662,235 3,772	143,787 3,772
2018-19	1,699,460 120,563	676,914 1,608	145,395 1,608
2019-20	1,713,287 13,827	728,518 -2,957	142,438 -2,957
2020-21	1,627,424 -85,863	784,158 -6,286	136,152 -6,286
2021-22	1,770,098 142,674	797,423 6,370	142,522 6,370
2022-23	1,896,058 125,960	805,927 1,385	143,907 1,385
2023-24	1,981,799 85,741	876,849 5,451	149,358 5,451
Average	1,621,073	701,530	140,155

California Colleges Applicants Trends Chart

Most Searched California Colleges (last 30 days)

4-Year Colleges

Stanford University Private, four-years | Stanford
University of California-Berkeley Public, four-years | Berkeley
University of California-Los Angeles Public, four-years | Los Angeles
University of Southern California Private, four-years | Los Angeles
California State University-Long Beach Public, four-years | Long Beach
San Diego State University Public, four-years | San Diego
Northcentral University Private, four-years | San Diego
San Jose State University Public, four-years | San Jose
University of California-Davis Public, four-years | Davis
University of California-Irvine Public, four-years | Irvine

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Graduate

Northcentral University Private, four-years | San Diego
San Jose State University Public, four-years | San Jose
University of Southern California Private, four-years | Los Angeles
California State University-Long Beach Public, four-years | Long Beach
San Francisco State University Public, four-years | San Francisco
Loma Linda University Private, four-years | Loma Linda
California State University-Northridge Public, four-years | Northridge
Stanford University Private, four-years | Stanford
University of California-Los Angeles Public, four-years | Los Angeles
University of California-Santa Barbara Public, four-years | Santa Barbara

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Online Schools

Northcentral University Private, four-years | San Diego
Las Positas College Public, 2-4 years | Livermore
Santa Monica College Public, four-years | Santa Monica
University of Redlands Private, four-years | Redlands
Academy of Art University Private, four-years | San Francisco
Clovis Community College Public, 2-4 years | Fresno
American Film Institute Conservatory Private, four-years | Los Angeles
California State University-Sacramento Public, four-years | Sacramento
National University Private, four-years | San Diego
Point Loma Nazarene University Private, four-years | San Diego

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Trade Schools

CBD College Private, four-years | Los Angeles
UEI College-Riverside Private, Less than 2-years | Riverside
Stanbridge University Private, four-years | Irvine
Blake Austin College Private, Less than 2-years | Vacaville
National Career Education Private, Less than 2-years | Citrus Heights
North-West College-San Diego Private, four-years | San Diego
National Polytechnic College Private, 2-4 years | Lakewood
Adrian's Beauty College of Turlock Private, Less than 2-years | Turlock
Unitek College Private, Less than 2-years | Hayward
Casa Loma College-Los Angeles Private, four-years | Sherman Oaks

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