2025 Best Education Schools in California
26
Colleges in California
26,121
Education Degrees Awarded
$53,180
Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in
education is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #4 out of 38 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.
For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 26 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for education students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 26,121 degrees in education annually.
What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Education School
The education program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Education rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for education schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.
In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.
Education Rankings by Degree Level
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Education Schools in California list, to help you choose the best school for you.
You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.
In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you.
When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.
Best Schools for Education in California
The schools below may not offer all types of education degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.
10 Top California Schools in Education
University of California - Irvine is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in education. Located in the city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #73 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UC Irvine is a great university overall.
There were about 577 education students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, education degree recipients usually earn an average of $44,082 in their early careers.
More information about a degree in education from University of California - Irvine
Azusa Pacific University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in education. Located in the suburb of Azusa, Azusa Pacific is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #143 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Azusa Pacific is a great university overall.
There were approximately 272 education students who graduated with this degree at Azusa Pacific in the most recent data year. Those education students who get their degree from Azusa Pacific University earn $11,813 more than the standard education student.
More information about a degree in education from Azusa Pacific University
It's difficult to beat National University if you wish to pursue a degree in education. National University is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of San Diego. A Best Colleges rank of #249 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means National University is a great university overall.
There were approximately 2026 education students who graduated with this degree at National University in the most recent data year. Education degree recipients from National University receive an earnings boost of around $14,593 above the average income of education majors.
More information about a degree in education from National University
San Diego State University is a good option for students pursuing a degree in education. Located in the city of San Diego, SDSU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #185 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means SDSU is a great university overall.
There were approximately 737 education students who graduated with this degree at SDSU in the most recent year we have data available. Education degree recipients from San Diego State University earn a boost of approximately $5,311 above the typical earnings of education majors.
More information about a degree in education from San Diego State University
Located in the city of San Diego, PLNU is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 58th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were roughly 196 education students who graduated with this degree at PLNU in the most recent year we have data available. Those education students who get their degree from Point Loma Nazarene University receive $10,131 more than the standard education grad.
More information about a degree in education from Point Loma Nazarene University
Located in the city of Fresno, Fresno State is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 81st out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were roughly 482 education students who graduated with this degree at Fresno State in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the education program state that they receive average early career wages of $51,416.
More information about a degree in education from California State University - Fresno
Located in the city of Orange, Chapman is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #172 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Chapman is a great university overall.
There were roughly 209 education students who graduated with this degree at Chapman in the most recent year we have data available. Education degree recipients from Chapman University earn a boost of approximately $2,163 above the typical earnings of education majors.
More information about a degree in education from Chapman University
Located in the large city of Los Angeles, Cal State LA is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 87th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 835 education students who graduated with this degree at Cal State LA in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the education program state that they receive average early career wages of $54,605.
More information about a degree in education from California State University - Los Angeles
Located in the large city of San Francisco, SFSU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #225 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means SFSU is a great university overall.
There were about 561 education students who graduated with this degree at SFSU in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the education program report average early career wages of $52,776.
More information about a degree in education from San Francisco State University
UCR is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Riverside. A Best Colleges rank of #219 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UCR is a great university overall.
There were roughly 314 education students who graduated with this degree at UCR in the most recent year we have data available. Those education students who get their degree from University of California - Riverside receive $6,995 more than the average education student.
More information about a degree in education from University of California - Riverside
