Southern California Universities and Colleges: List of Largest Colleges
Higher Education Articles February 14, 2013The region between Ventura County and the Mexican border is commonly referred to as South California; this includes urban settlements such as Riverside, Los Angeles and Santa Clarita. There are hundreds of universities and colleges in this region, from vocational schools and two-year community colleges to sprawling four-year research universities. In this article, we will take a look at some of the largest and best post-secondary institutions in South California.
California State University – Fullerton
California State University – Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California, which is north of Anaheim, and this school is part of the other major public university system in California. Other large California State University institutions in Southern California include California State University – North Ridge and California State University – Long Beach. CSU – Fullerton is ranked as being the top public universities in the nation along with having the top ten master’s institutions in the Western United States according to the U.S. News and World Report. This school has a hugely diverse student body. California State University – Fullerton have been ranked fifth in the country for the number of undergraduate degrees that have been awarded to minority students according to the Diverse Issues in Higher Education. CSU – Fullerton awards professional, undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees in a wide range of disciplines. Divisions at Fullerton include engineering, computer science, natural sciences, mathematics, communication, education, social sciences, humanities, arts, business, and human development.
Riverside Community College District
The Riverside Community College District (RCCD) ranks first among Southern California’s largest two-year college systems and fifth among the largest in the state. The college has three campuses spread across Riverside County in the urban settings of Moreno Valley, Riverside and Norco. Students are trained for jobs at RCCD colleges and prepared for transfer to four-year colleges. Degrees are granted at the associate degree and certificate levels. Students are trained for jobs in diverse fields such as microbiology, engineering, construction, Computer Information Systems (CIS), nursing, and business. There are also specific vocational programs offered, ranging from welding technology to geographic information systems (GIS). Transfer to four-year secondary institutions is facilitated in many areas with degrees awarded in a range of subjects including sociology, health care, foreign language, chemistry, and anthropology among others.
University of California – Los Angeles
University of California – Los Angeles is located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California and it is part of the University of California public university system. Other University of California institutions in Southern California include the University of California – San Diego and the University of California – Riverside. UCLA is more than just the largest public research university in Southern California. The school was ranked eleventh in the world by the Times Higher Education international rankings. UCLA boasts a ninety-one percent progress and success rate that refer to the percentage of students who either are in good standing or graduate by their fourth academic year. UCLA awards undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and professional degrees in almost every subject. The College of Letters and Sciences offers programs in majors such as life sciences, physical sciences, social sciences, and the humanities; these range from evolutionary biology to English. Professional degrees can also be pursued at UCLA by graduate students; these include areas such as the arts, engineering, architecture, education, law and business. Students who want to pursue careers in health care can study public health, dentistry, psychiatry, nursing or medicine.
Largest Universities and Colleges in Southern California
| College/University | Student Enrollments | Location |
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | 22,273 | Pomona, California |
| California State University, Fullerton | 36,262 | Fullerton, California |
| California State University, Long Beach | 35,557 | Long Beach, California |
| California State University, Northridge | 35,198 | Northridge, California |
| Cerritos College | 21,776 | Norwalk, California |
| College of the Canyons | 21,575 | Santa Clarita, California |
| East Los Angeles College | 35,717 | Monterey Park, California |
| El Camino Community College District | 27,237 | Torrance, California |
| Fullerton College | 22,469 | Fullerton, California |
| Long Beach City College | 27,894 | Long Beach, California |
| Pierce College | 21,928 | Woodland Hills, California |
| Mt. San Antonio College | 29,935 | Walnut, California |
| Orange Coast College | 25,316 | Costa Mesa, California |
| Palomar College | 27,442 | San Marcos, California |
| Pasadena City College | 26,453 | Pasadena, California |
| Rio Hondo College | 22,432 | Whittier, California |
| Riverside Community College | 36,586 | Riverside, California |
| Saddleback College | 23,260 | Mission Viejo, California |
| Santa Ana College | 31,073 | Santa Ana, California |
| Santa Monica College | 32,313 | Santa Monica, California |
| University of California, Irvine | 27,142 | Irvine, California |
| University of California, Los Angeles | 38,550 | Los Angeles, California |
| University of California, San Diego | 28,418 | La Jolla, California |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 22,850 | Santa Barbara, California |
| University of Southern California | 34,824 | Los Angeles, California |
