By major · Computer Science
Where can your student actually get into computer science?
Computer science is a major where the campus admit rate and the rate reported for this major can be very different numbers. At UC Berkeley, 7,215 students applied to computer science for Fall 2025 and 283 were admitted, a 4% rate. At Cal State Monterey Bay, 677 applied and 648 were admitted, 95.7%, for the same bachelor's degree. Every number below is the college system's own reporting or federal outcome data, assembled in one place.
At a glance · California
- 49 colleges in California report a bachelor's computer science program in federal outcome data or a computer science admit rate in the UC/CSU data.
- Hardest reported gate: University of California-Berkeley — Computer Science, Fall 2025: 7,215 applied, 283 admitted (4%).
- Highest reported admit rate into the program: California State University-Monterey Bay — 95.7% (677 applied, 648 admitted, Fall 2025).
- Highest median earnings four years after the degree: Pomona College, $217,051.
- Lowest average net price with aid: California State University-Los Angeles, $3,967 per year.
A college with no first-year row here is not an easier door; it means the system does not publish an admit rate for computer science, and at most UC campuses a student is admitted to the campus rather than to the major. Where a program does report its own rate for computer science, that is the number to plan around. Admits are not enrollees. At most UC programs students are admitted to the campus, not the major. This page as JSON → · Show all 676 colleges nationwide →
Hardest reported gate
Computer Science, Fall 2025: 7,215 applied, 283 admitted
Highest reported admit rate
Computer Science, Fall 2025: 677 applied, 648 admitted
Highest earnings, 4 yrs out
median, graduates of this program
Lowest net price with aid
average for aid recipients, per year
Every college, one row each
Colleges with a reported gate into the program come first, hardest first; the rest are sorted by earnings. Program admit rate is the college system's own number for this major (UC Information Center, CSU Chancellor's Office). Net price is the average paid by aid recipients; full price is the cost of attendance. Earnings are federal College Scorecard medians four years after the degree.
| College | Gate into the program | Program admit rate |
Campus admit rate |
Net price with aid |
Full price |
Earnings 4 yrs out |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
University of California-Berkeley
CA · Public · Test-optional
|
Computer Science
Fall 2025: 7,215 applied, 283 admitted · admit GPA 4.20–4.29
|
4% | 10% | $13,481 | $45,619 | $204,379 |
|
University of California-Los Angeles
CA · Public · Test-optional
|
Computer Science
Fall 2025: 6,803 applied, 498 admitted · admit GPA 4.25–4.30
|
7% | 11% | $12,548 | $38,614 | $216,722 |
|
University of California-San Diego
CA · Public · Test-optional
|
Computer Science
Fall 2025: 6,464 applied, 672 admitted · admit GPA 4.19–4.30
|
10% | 27% | $12,470 | $38,701 | $159,487 |
|
University of California-Davis
CA · Public · Test-optional
|
Computer Science
Fall 2025: 4,893 applied, 946 admitted · admit GPA 4.20–4.30
|
19% | 46% | $14,741 | $41,238 | $138,673 |
|
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
CA · Public · Test-optional
|
Computer Science
Fall 2025: 4,090 applied, 1,085 admitted
impacted
Software Engineering: 23.0%
|
26.5% | 30% | $16,665 | $32,265 | $154,784 |
|
University of California-Irvine
CA · Public · Test-optional
|
Computer Science
Fall 2025: 5,418 applied, 1,608 admitted · admit GPA 4.17–4.29
Software Engineering: 29%
|
30% | 30% | $14,251 | $38,632 | $127,404 |
|
University of California-Santa Barbara
CA · Public · Test-optional
|
Computer Science
Fall 2025: 5,793 applied, 1,972 admitted · admit GPA 4.19–4.29
|
34% | 44% | $16,109 | $41,573 | $149,190 |
|
San Jose State University
CA · Public · Test-optional
|
Computer Science
Fall 2025: 1,866 applied, 957 admitted
impacted
Software Engineering: 77.2% · Computer Science and Information Technology: 87.8%
|
51.3% | 80% | $13,760 | $26,593 | — |
|
California State University-Long Beach
CA · Public · Test-optional
|
Computer Science
Fall 2025: 2,614 applied, 1,425 admitted
impacted
|
54.5% | 47% | $10,440 | $22,679 | $101,428 |
|
San Diego State University
CA · Public · Test-optional
|
Computer Science
Fall 2025: 3,107 applied, 2,219 admitted
impacted
|
71.4% | 34% | $15,364 | $27,780 | $100,586 |
|
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
CA · Public · Test-optional
|
Computer Science
Fall 2025: 2,917 applied, 2,186 admitted
impacted
|
74.9% | 74% | $11,531 | $23,955 | $103,494 |
|
University of California-Riverside
CA · Public · Test-optional
|
Computer Science
Fall 2025: 2,712 applied, 2,104 admitted · admit GPA 4.03–4.26
Computer Science With Business Applications: 83%
|
78% | 88% | $14,304 | $38,942 | $117,705 |
|
University of California-Santa Cruz
CA · Public · Test-optional
|
Computer Science
Fall 2025: 4,616 applied, 3,744 admitted · admit GPA 3.96–4.25
Computer Science: Computer Game Design: 71%
|
81% | 82% | $17,890 | $41,179 | $123,422 |
|
California State University-Bakersfield
CA · Public · Test-optional
|
Computer Science
Fall 2025: 229 applied, 190 admitted
|
83.0% | 88% | $5,652 | $19,522 | $80,432 |
|
California State University-San Marcos
CA · Public · Test-optional
|
Computer Science
Fall 2025: 662 applied, 560 admitted
Software Engineering: 84.6% · Computer Science and Information Technology: 79.1%
|
84.6% | 96% | $10,229 | $21,649 | $97,827 |
|
California State University-East Bay
CA · Public · Test-optional
|
Computer Science
Fall 2025: 608 applied, 518 admitted
|
85.2% | 97% | $9,320 | $22,850 | $119,900 |
|
California State University-Chico
CA · Public · Test-optional
|
Computer Science
Fall 2025: 435 applied, 387 admitted
|
89.0% | 94% | $14,480 | $26,283 | $127,498 |
|
Sonoma State University
CA · Public · Test-optional
|
Computer Science
Fall 2025: 326 applied, 293 admitted
|
89.9% | 95% | $12,885 | $24,648 | $106,181 |
|
California State University-Los Angeles
CA · Public · Test-optional
|
Computer Science
Fall 2025: 1,315 applied, 1,182 admitted
|
89.9% | 92% | $3,967 | $18,403 | $87,525 |
|
California State University-Fullerton
CA · Public · Test-optional
|
Computer Science
Fall 2025: 2,282 applied, 2,054 admitted
impacted
|
90.0% | 87% | $6,555 | $18,269 | $87,460 |
|
San Francisco State University
CA · Public · Test-optional
|
Computer Science
Fall 2025: 1,156 applied, 1,043 admitted
|
90.2% | 96% | $12,278 | $26,488 | $105,166 |
|
California State University-Channel Islands
CA · Public · Test-optional
|
Computer Science
Fall 2025: 288 applied, 260 admitted
|
90.3% | 93% | $9,849 | $23,561 | $100,887 |
|
California State University-Stanislaus
CA · Public · Test-optional
|
Computer Science
Fall 2025: 250 applied, 229 admitted
|
91.6% | 98% | $6,067 | $19,739 | $71,601 |
|
California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt
CA · Public · Test-optional
|
Computer Science
Fall 2025: 508 applied, 468 admitted
Software Engineering: 94.4%
|
92.1% | 99% | $13,171 | $25,170 | $74,620 |
|
California State University-Sacramento
CA · Public · Test-optional
|
Computer Science
Fall 2025: 1,026 applied, 951 admitted
|
92.7% | 94% | $9,338 | $22,945 | $92,519 |
|
California State University-Northridge
CA · Public · Test-optional
|
Computer Science
Fall 2025: 1,136 applied, 1,055 admitted
Computer Science and Information Technology: 94.2%
|
92.9% | 93% | $7,021 | $20,485 | $101,348 |
|
California State University-Fresno
CA · Public · Test-optional
|
Computer Science
Fall 2025: 599 applied, 557 admitted
|
93.0% | 96% | $7,000 | $20,095 | $71,490 |
|
California State University-Dominguez Hills
CA · Public · Test-optional
|
Computer Science
Fall 2025: 646 applied, 613 admitted
Computer Science and Information Technology: 91.9%
|
94.9% | 91% | $8,615 | $23,191 | $74,788 |
|
California State University-San Bernardino
CA · Public · Test-optional
|
Computer Science
Fall 2025: 497 applied, 474 admitted
Computer Science and Information Technology: 95.7%
|
95.4% | 98% | $4,564 | $17,427 | $74,845 |
|
California State University-Monterey Bay
CA · Public · Test-optional
|
Computer Science
Fall 2025: 677 applied, 648 admitted
|
95.7% | 95% | $13,663 | $26,987 | $101,787 |
|
Pomona College
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
|
Not reported by the college system | — | 7% | $19,285 | $85,300 | $217,051 |
|
Stanford University
CA · Private nonprofit · Required
|
Not reported by the college system | — | 4% | $13,807 | $87,833 | $214,907 |
|
California Institute of Technology
CA · Private nonprofit · Required
|
Not reported by the college system | — | 3% | $16,075 | $86,886 | $200,511 |
|
Harvey Mudd College
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
|
Not reported by the college system | — | 13% | $35,924 | $90,165 | $198,257 |
|
University of Southern California
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
|
Not reported by the college system | — | 10% | $32,740 | $90,300 | $192,897 |
|
Northeastern University Oakland
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
|
Not reported by the college system | — | 16% | $25,181 | $85,418 | $163,708 |
|
University of San Francisco
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
|
Not reported by the college system | — | 51% | $41,431 | $80,141 | $150,341 |
|
University of San Diego
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
|
Not reported by the college system | — | 47% | $30,365 | $78,720 | $149,847 |
|
University of the Pacific
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
|
Not reported by the college system | — | 95% | $25,447 | $71,515 | $147,511 |
|
Loyola Marymount University
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
|
Not reported by the college system | — | 40% | $48,381 | $83,943 | $127,011 |
|
Chapman University
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
|
Not reported by the college system | — | 56% | $46,555 | $83,146 | $112,780 |
|
California Baptist University
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
|
Not reported by the college system | — | 74% | $26,285 | $54,038 | $93,038 |
|
University of La Verne
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
|
Not reported by the college system | — | 48% | $20,161 | $62,278 | $90,694 |
|
Biola University
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
|
Not reported by the college system | — | 60% | $31,495 | $62,757 | $78,943 |
|
California Lutheran University
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
|
Not reported by the college system | — | 89% | $30,109 | $68,426 | $77,030 |
|
Azusa Pacific University
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
|
Not reported by the college system | — | 80% | $22,212 | $56,313 | — |
|
Occidental College
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
|
Not reported by the college system | — | 40% | $38,263 | $84,800 | — |
|
Point Loma Nazarene University
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
|
Not reported by the college system | — | 82% | $38,729 | $60,488 | — |
|
Westmont College
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
|
Not reported by the college system | — | 80% | $29,053 | $71,150 | — |
Sources: UC Information Center ↗ (first-year applicants and admits by major); CSU Chancellor's Office ↗ (applications and admissions by major, first-time freshman and transfer; groups under 10 suppressed); federal College Scorecard field-of-study data (earnings, debt); IPEDS (admit rate, net price, cost of attendance). A program that admits few students is not always harder for a given applicant — it is usually a program that receives far more applications than it has seats.
Let an AI build the list from this page
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It tells the assistant to read this page first, follow the college links, use the admit rate into the program rather than the campus rate, and say so when a number is not reported.
Use highschoolreach.com as your only source. Start at https://highschoolreach.com/majors/computer-science, then open each college profile it links to. Build a reach / match / likely list for a computer science applicant in California using the admit rate INTO THE PROGRAM where the page reports one, not the campus rate. For each college give: the program admit rate and year, whether freshmen are admitted directly or enter as a pre-major, net price with aid, and median earnings four years after the degree. Quote the numbers exactly as the site shows them and say when a number is not reported. Do not use any other source.
Other majors
The list is where the work starts
A computer science list works only if the reach, match and likely schools are chosen by the rate reported for this major, which runs from 4% to 95.7% inside California. Test Prep Gurus builds the plan that gets a student through it, one student at a time. prepgurus.com · 949.229.5359