What is the most affordable public university in California?

By average net price — what students actually pay per year after grants and scholarships — it is Skyline College at about $1,738 a year. That is an average across all students there; your own cost depends on your family's income, so check the school's net price calculator.

What is the difference between sticker price and net price?

Sticker price is the published tuition before any aid. Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted — not loans, which you pay back. Net price is usually far lower, and at expensive private colleges the gap can be tens of thousands a year, which is why every figure on this page is net price rather than tuition.

How much do public universities in California cost on average?

Across the 49 public universities in California that report a figure, the middle of the range is about $10,229 a year after aid, running from $1,738 to $32,654.

What does the Pell grant percentage mean?

It is the share of undergraduates at that school receiving a federal Pell grant — need-based aid that does not have to be repaid. A higher share usually means the school enrols more students from lower-income families. Across the public universities listed here it runs from 9% to 66%, with a middle of about 35%. It is the only aid figure the Department of Education publishes per school, so it is the only one shown.

Most Affordable Public Universities in California

State-run four-year universities, ranked by net price after aid. In-state students usually pay far less than the published out-of-state rate.

49 public universities in California are listed here, 49 of them reporting a net price. They run from $1,738 a year at Skyline College to $32,654 at University of Massachusetts Global, with a middle of about $10,229.

The cheapest are Skyline College, Santa Monica College and Modesto Junior College. A low average is not a low bill for everyone — aid depends on your family's income — but it is where to start.

Public universities in California, cheapest first · 49

Average net price per year after grants and scholarships, with the share of students on federal Pell grants where reported. Schools publishing no net price are listed last.

← All colleges in California

Questions families ask

What is the most affordable public university in California?: By average net price — what students actually pay per year after grants and scholarships — it is Skyline College at about $1,738 a year. That is an average across all students there; your own cost depends on your family's income, so check the school's net price calculator.
What is the difference between sticker price and net price?: Sticker price is the published tuition before any aid. Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted — not loans, which you pay back. Net price is usually far lower, and at expensive private colleges the gap can be tens of thousands a year, which is why every figure on this page is net price rather than tuition.
How much do public universities in California cost on average?: Across the 49 public universities in California that report a figure, the middle of the range is about $10,229 a year after aid, running from $1,738 to $32,654.
What does the Pell grant percentage mean?: It is the share of undergraduates at that school receiving a federal Pell grant — need-based aid that does not have to be repaid. A higher share usually means the school enrols more students from lower-income families. Across the public universities listed here it runs from 9% to 66%, with a middle of about 35%. It is the only aid figure the Department of Education publishes per school, so it is the only one shown.

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