California schools are known for having brutally competitive admissions, but fortunately, that doesn’t apply to all of them. The state is home to many high-quality colleges and universities, both public and private, that have high acceptance rates and reasonable academic standards.
If you’re looking for the easiest colleges to get into in California, this guide covers five schools that have high acceptance rates but still provide top-notch educations and have solid reputations with employers and grad schools.
We considered factors such as acceptance rate, median SAT and ACT scores, class rank, and GPA to come up with a list of colleges that offer a terrific education without making the admissions process too difficult.
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The 5 Easiest Colleges to Get Into in California
This guide covers what we believe are the five easiest academically selective colleges to get into in California. When we say “academically selective,” we mean schools that don’t have open-admissions policies — typically community colleges and the like.
The schools on this list all have academic standards, and a degree from any of them carries value in the marketplace. But they also aren’t so brutally competitive that an average high school student from California has zero shot.
Basically, if you have decent grades and no major red flags on your record, and you apply to all five of these schools, you’re almost certain to get into at least one or two.
University of California, Merced
- Location: Merced, CA
- Acceptance rate: 89%
- Middle 50% SAT range: N/A (test blind)
- Middle 50% ACT range: N/A (test blind)
- Test optional?: Yes (test blind)
- Average high school GPA: Not reported
- Top 10% of high school class: Not reported
- Top 25% of high school class: Not reported
- U.S. News ranking: #60 in National Universities
The University of California, Merced is the newest of the ten campuses in the University of California system. It is located near Yosemite National Park in the city of Merced. The campus opened in 2005 and currently enrolls more than 8,000 undergraduates and nearly 1,000 graduate students. The university offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in a variety of disciplines.
UC-Merced has a strong commitment to environmental sustainability and is one of the most energy-efficient campuses in the country. The campus was built with many environmentally friendly features, including a solar power system, water-saving fixtures, and energy-efficient lighting. In addition, all new construction on campus must meet stringent LEED standards.
UC-Merced is also home to a unique research facility, the Sierra Nevada Research Institute (SNRI). The institute was established in 2006, one year after the university opened, with the goal of conducting research on the Sierra Nevada region of California. The institute has since grown to include research on a variety of topics related to the Sierra Nevada, including climate change, water resources, forests, and wildlife.
Of the 10 UC campuses, Merced has by far the easiest admissions standards, accepting nearly 9 out of 10 applicants. Like all UC schools, it is test blind, meaning it doesn’t look at SAT/ACT scores or consider them when making an admissions decision. Even if you submit your scores, they will be disregarded.
Whittier College
- Location: Whittier, CA
- Acceptance rate: 94%
- Middle 50% SAT range: 1,170-1,290
- Middle 50% ACT range: 24-30
- Test optional?: Yes
- Average high school GPA: 3.43
- Top 10% of high school class: Not reported
- Top 25% of high school class: Not reported
- U.S. News ranking: #93 in National Liberal Arts Colleges
Whittier College is a small, private liberal arts college located in Whittier, California. The college was founded in 1887 by Quakers and currently enrolls roughly 1,700 undergraduates. The student body is fairly diverse, with students coming from all over the United States and many different countries, though the majority of students — about 80 percent — hail from California.
Perhaps its most famous graduate is a former U.S. president who went on to study law at Duke University: Richard Milhous Nixon.
Whittier is known for its strong academic programs but also for having manageable admissions standards. The most popular majors at the college are business, psychology, and biology. The college also has a strong and broad liberal arts curriculum, with requirements in English, history, the social sciences, fine arts, and other humanities disciplines.
Small class sizes are another benefit of Whittier. Most classes have fewer than 20 students, and the average is about 15. This allows for more personal interaction between students and professors. Many professors even invite students into their homes for informal discussions over dinner or coffee.
Whitter has over an 90% acceptance rate. The SAT and ACT midranges are above the averages for those tests, which might make them look intimidating if you scored closer to the mean, but remember that Whittier is test optional. You are not required to submit scores with your application.
University of the Pacific
- Location: Stockton, CA
- Acceptance rate: 95%
- Middle 50% SAT range: 1,170-1,410
- Middle 50% ACT range: 23-31
- Test optional?: Yes
- Average high school GPA: 3.63
- Top 10% of high school class: Not reported
- Top 25% of high school class: Not reported
- U.S. News ranking: #142 in National Universities
The University of the Pacific is a private university in Stockton. The school was founded in 1851 and is the oldest chartered university in California. Pacific has an enrollment of about 3,300 undergraduates and 1,100 graduate students.
It’s a research university that often feels more like a liberal arts college because of its small student body, small classes, and close relationships that form on campus. The student-to-faculty ratio is 11:1 and the average class size is 20 students.
Pacific offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs. The most popular majors at Pacific are business, biology, psychology, nursing, and education. The school also has several popular programs that let you pursue a bachelor’s degree and an advanced degree at the same time, shaving one or more years off the process. Qualified students can earn a PharmD degree at Pacific in only five years.
Pacific’s 100-acre campus in Stockton’s Lincoln Center neighborhood features beautiful Victorian architecture and plenty of green space.
With an acceptance rate of 95%, Pacific is one of the easiest reputable universities to get into in California. The SAT and ACT midranges may look a little high, but remember Pacific is test optional, and most applicants take advantage of that. Less than 30% of students submitted SAT scores, and less than 5% submitted ACT scores.
California State University—Fresno
- Location: Fresno, CA
- Acceptance rate: 95%
- Middle 50% SAT range: 880-1,140
- Middle 50% ACT range: 16-24
- Test optional?: Yes
- Average high school GPA: 3.32
- Top 10% of high school class: 15%
- Top 25% of high school class: 80%
- U.S. News ranking: #185 in National Universities
California State University—Fresno, more commonly known as Fresno State, is a public university in Fresno, California. The school is part of the CSU system and offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees. The university enrolls about 23,000 undergraduates and nearly 3,000 graduate students.
Fresno State is a bit of a commuter school but has been increasing its on-campus population in recent years. The climate in Fresno is sunny and warm year-round, making it a great place to study outdoors on the lawn.
Fresno State University excels in a variety of fields, including business, education, engineering, nursing, and agriculture. The university is also home to the only medical school in the Central Valley region of California.
With a 95% acceptance rate, Fresno State is the easiest four-year public university to get into in California. It’s also test optional, and the small percentage of students who elected to submit their test results scored around average. So, as long as you’re roughly an average student from California, you should have no problem getting in.
California Polytechnic State University—Humboldt
- Location: Arcata, CA
- Acceptance rate: 83%
- Middle 50% SAT range: 1,022-1,257
- Middle 50% ACT range: 21-28
- Test optional?: Yes
- Average high school GPA: 3.5
- Top 10% of high school class: Not reported
- Top 25% of high school class: Not reported
- U.S. News ranking: #32 in Regional Universities West
California Polytechnic State University—Humboldt, more commonly known as Humboldt State, is located in the small city of Arcata, about two hours north of San Francisco. The university has a beautiful campus, set among redwood trees.
Compared to most public universities in California, Humboldt’s student body is small, with only about 6,000 undergraduate students enrolled, plus another 500 graduate students. This gives the campus a close-knit community feel that is lacking at larger schools like UCLA and UC-Berkeley.
Humboldt State is known for its strong academic programs in the sciences and environmental studies. The university also has a reputation for being progressive and liberal. Students are passionate about social and environmental justice issues. They’re also active in the community, volunteering for local organizations and causes.
With an acceptance rate of over 80% and a test-optional admissions policy, Humboldt State is one of the easiest schools to get into in California. You also don’t have to have been a stellar high school student to get admitted, as the average weighted GPA for the 2023-2024 freshman class was 3.5.
