Higher education in State of California 2026

• Wide range of programs

A century and a half of history and the glory of the world's best universities mean undeniable quality. California universities offer the best programs in the world, the variety and depth of which can only be envied: there are both theoretical and practically-oriented programs in various fields that are in demand among employers.

• The best shots

Dozens of Nobel and Fields Medalists, winners of other prestigious awards, successful businessmen, journalists, artists, and public figures teach at California universities, either full-time or as guest lecturers.

• Excellent infrastructure

Study and work here - access to the best laboratories, libraries, grants from leading foundations.

• Climate and geographical location

Studying here is not only useful, but also pleasant: by choosing one of the California universities for admission, you choose the sea and the sun, the mountains and the fresh wind. Studying at a resort where summer reigns all year round - what could be better?

• Opportunities for entertainment, tourism and recreation

In addition to the natural beauty, there is a lot to see in the Sunshine State - life here does not stop for a moment, so students never get bored. And this is not to mention the many natural and man-made attractions, which can take half a lifetime to see!

Even public universities in California enjoy well-deserved fame. The national model of higher education is based on the Californian Master Plan for Higher Education, approved in the mid-60s of the XX century. It is thanks to this document and the consistent policy of local authorities that it was possible to create the most successful model at the national and world level, improve the quality of education, make universities accessible to all, as well as convince numerous small institutions to unite, making them more competitive and attractive.

The key characteristic of this model is diversity. There are both public and private universities in California. The latter are not fully bound by all the limitations of the Master Plan, but support its postulates of diversity, equality of opportunity and the right to choose. At the same time, all universities and colleges, regardless of size, are subject to accreditation in certified higher education agencies.

Colleges in California

In the United States, graduates of the last year of high school enter here, and this is often a full-fledged higher education or a valuable certificate/diploma/qualification in a working specialty, with which you can immediately start a career.

There are two types of colleges:

• Community colleges that teach applied specialties and give associate degrees. Training in such a college lasts 2 years.
• Liberal arts colleges: Students study here for four years, and graduates receive a bachelor's degree, the same as at the university.

There is often no fundamental difference between a university and a four-year college: Americans often refer to all universities as colleges without going into details, and some universities traditionally bear the names of colleges they once were.

Two-year community colleges are a different matter. There are several hundred of them in California and, as mentioned, they train specialists in demand in the labor market, releasing them "into the world" with an associate degree. However, what makes a community college attractive to applicants from Russia is not the opportunity to become a certified social worker, for example, —  often, after graduating from a community college, you can immediately transfer to the 3rd year of a traditional university, and without taking the SAT and TOEFL. At the same time, the cost of a year of study at a community college is 50-70% lower than at a university. The task is simplified even more if there is a partnership agreement between the college and the university, and there are dozens and hundreds of them.

Universities in California

They differ from colleges in that they award all degrees - from bachelor to doctor (PhD), as well as are engaged in advanced training and additional education. They can be private and public.

• Public or state (there is no difference, it's just a name) are funded by the state, and therefore natives of California pay less for tuition than residents of other states, and even more so foreigners. The difference can be quite significant, from 20% to 70%.
• Private is funded by tuition fees, donations, and foundations, so there is complete equality in terms of fees.

Private universities are divided into non-profit and commercial – the only difference is what the income is spent on: the former are invested in the educational process, the latter in PR and commerce. Usually, it is easier to get into a commercial university, and the tuition fee is higher, but there are exceptions.

Universities can be divided into colleges and schools or departments of two types: graduate school (where masters and doctoral students of various profiles are trained) and professional school (the closest analogue is Russian departments).

California's GDP is comparable in volume and structure to the economies of some independent states; If this state were independent, it would be able to fully support itself at its own expense. At the same time, the key sectors of the Californian economy are agriculture, mining and services, as well as high-tech industries in the field of electronics, space, and aviation. And, of course, cinema - it is not for nothing that Hollywood stands in the hills of Los Angeles.

Fresh statistics on applicants from Russia are not available, however, according to data for 2020, the highest share of applicants from our country and the CIS countries was in such areas as:

• Show business, film, theater and television: California is home to Hollywood + three of the world's largest and most influential universities in this field:
• School of Cinematography at the University of California, Berkeley;
• University of Southern California School of Cinematography;
• School of Film, Television, and Theater at the University of California, Los Angeles.

In total, the three universities offer over 70 programs of various levels and annually graduate more than 40 thousand specialists, which more than covers the industry's demand for directors, producers, screenwriters and other cinematography specialists. The cost of a year of study for bachelor's programs here starts from $26,000, master's and PhD programs from $34,000 .

IT, engineering specialties

Another powerful consumer of personnel in the state is Silicon Valley, the fiefdom of Stanford University, a thirty-kilometer paradise where the offices of the largest TNCs working in IT and collectively creating 1% of the world's GDP are located. Demand creates supply, so in the world ranking of engineering schools according to US News, there are 9 universities from California in the first hundred, and four take places from second to fifth, behind only the famous MIT:

• Stanford;
• University of California, Berkeley;
• Caltech;
• University of Southern California.

Studying here is prestigious and expensive, but a diploma pays off a hundredfold for every dollar invested: for example, 10 years after graduation, the average Stanford graduate receives more than $150 thousand a year.

There are no uniform, unified admission rules and unified platforms like the British UCAS in the states, but 70% of California universities work with the Common App, a single questionnaire for applicants. It contains comprehensive information about a potential student, including his academic performance, exam results, and all kinds of achievements. There is even a special section for essays! It is enough to fill out the application form and submit applications, the admissions committee will request everything you need on its own.

California universities usually accept applicants' documents in three streams:

1. There is early admission, usually from September to December. By applying during this period, you get a head start, you will be able to apply for a scholarship or grant, and you will be better prepared for an interview with a visa officer (this is important!).
2. Then comes regular admission — the main stream, from December to February. During this period, the competition grows, because universities process the largest number of applications.
3. Some universities accept documents all year round — this is called rolling admission. The admissions committee processes the application, and as there are vacancies (in American universities, someone is constantly expelled, students transfer, drop out, etc.), the lucky ones are enrolled. A great opportunity for everyone who did not have time and was late! It's a pity that "waiters" usually can't count on scholarships — at the time of application, the funds will already be exhausted.

Many California residents can study at the state's public universities for free or for a modest fee. Applicants from Russia and other countries are less fortunate in this regard, because there are no free universities in California, everyone has to pay. But this does not mean that there is no way to save money – quite the opposite!

There are two types of scholarships:

• Based on need-based criteria. Awarded to those students whose families earn less than a certain amount. For example, if the income is below $60 thousand per year, an applicant can study at the university for free (and some universities even pay for housing and food, not only for tuition).
• For merit, or merit-based. Those who have something to boast of can count on them: Olympiad participants and athletes, talented musicians and artists. The amount of the scholarship in each case is different: somewhere we are talking about a fixed amount, somewhere about a discount of 10-20% of the tuition fee.

The golden state occupies an honorable third place in the list of the most expensive states, therefore, in addition to university fees, a foreign student will have to pay from 15 to 35 thousand US dollars per year for housing or dormitories, health insurance, food, transport and other expenses. The closer a room or apartment is to a good university, the more expensive it is, so the cost of rent in Pasadena, Berkeley, San Francisco, and especially Los Angeles is very high — on average, 30-40% higher than the state average, usually from 2.6-3.2 thousand USD per month. Therefore, some parents sometimes buy their children housing in California so as not to rent (and it will come in handy later: according to statistics, up to 50% of students stay to live and work in the state, including up to 30% of expat students).

Living on campus is cheaper, on average by about 30-40%, because you will not have to pay for transport, housing and utilities, and you can have lunch in the university canteens.