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Universities in California

Every California university and college on our list, compared by tuition and total cost in rupees, with the programs Indian students choose most.

23 institutions compared
From ₹74 lakh – ₹85 lakh
Intakes: Fall (Aug/Sep)
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Quick answer

Which universities in California suit Indian students?

We compare 23 institutions in California. The lowest total cost on our list is Sacramento State (₹74 lakh – ₹85 lakh); the highest is USC (₹1.6 crore – ₹1.81 crore). Popular programs here include Computer Science, Electrical & Electronics Engineering and Mechanical Engineering.

Ask on WhatsAppUpdated October 2026 · Reviewed by the Visa Edu Loans admissions & finance desk

California at a glance

Country: USA
Institutions compared: 23
Lowest total cost: Sacramento State — ₹74 lakh – ₹85 lakh
Intakes: Fall (Aug/Sep), Spring (Jan), limited Summer (May)
Work during study: Up to 20 hours/week on campus during semesters
After graduation: OPT 12 months + 24-month STEM OPT extension for STEM-designated degrees

Compare

All universities in California by total cost

Total for the full program in rupees; tuition per year in local currency.

All universities in California by total cost
University	City	Type	Tuition a year	Total in ₹
Sacramento State	Sacramento	Public	$16,000 – $21,000	₹74 lakh – ₹85 lakh
Cal State Long Beach	Long Beach	Public	$17,000 – $22,000	₹81 lakh – ₹92 lakh
Cal State LA	Los Angeles	Public	$16,000 – $21,000	₹82 lakh – ₹93 lakh
Cal Poly Pomona	Pomona	Public	$16,000 – $21,000	₹82 lakh – ₹93 lakh
Cal State Fullerton	Fullerton	Public	$17,000 – $22,000	₹83 lakh – ₹94 lakh
CSUN	Northridge	Public	$16,000 – $22,000	₹82 lakh – ₹95 lakh
Cal State East Bay	Hayward	Public	$16,000 – $21,000	₹85 lakh – ₹96 lakh
San Diego State	San Diego	Public	$18,000 – $24,000	₹85 lakh – ₹98 lakh
San Jose State	San Jose	Public	$18,000 – $24,000	₹89 lakh – ₹1.02 crore
SF State	San Francisco	Public	$17,000 – $22,000	₹93 lakh – ₹1.04 crore
UC Riverside	Riverside	Public	$28,000 – $40,000	₹97 lakh – ₹1.21 crore
UC Davis	Davis	Public	$30,000 – $42,000	₹1 crore – ₹1.24 crore
UC Santa Cruz	Santa Cruz	Public	$28,000 – $40,000	₹1.06 crore – ₹1.3 crore
LMU	Los Angeles	Private	$30,000 – $40,000	₹1.09 crore – ₹1.29 crore
UC Santa Barbara	Santa Barbara	Public	$30,000 – $42,000	₹1.1 crore – ₹1.34 crore
UC San Diego	La Jolla	Public	$30,000 – $45,000	₹1.08 crore – ₹1.37 crore
UC Irvine	Irvine	Public	$30,000 – $45,000	₹1.08 crore – ₹1.37 crore
UCLA	Los Angeles	Public	$30,000 – $45,000	₹1.09 crore – ₹1.38 crore
Santa Clara University	Santa Clara	Private	$35,000 – $45,000	₹1.21 crore – ₹1.41 crore
USF (San Francisco)	San Francisco	Private	$35,000 – $45,000	₹1.27 crore – ₹1.47 crore
UC Berkeley	Berkeley	Public	$45,000 – $60,000	₹1.32 crore – ₹1.62 crore
Stanford University	Stanford	Private	$62,000 – $67,000	₹1.64 crore – ₹1.75 crore
USC	Los Angeles	Private	$60,000 – $70,000	₹1.6 crore – ₹1.81 crore

Programs

Popular programs in California

Computer Science

Offered by 23 of the 23 universities on our California list.

Electrical & Electronics Engineering

Offered by 19 of the 23 universities on our California list.

Mechanical Engineering

Offered by 14 of the 23 universities on our California list.

Civil Engineering

Offered by 8 of the 23 universities on our California list.

Business Analytics

Offered by 7 of the 23 universities on our California list.

Data Science

Offered by 7 of the 23 universities on our California list.

Living costs

Rent and living costs in California

Rent and living costs in California
City	Room in shared housing (month)	Yearly budget
Sacramento & Davis	$750 – $1,100	$20,000 – $24,200
Long Beach	$900 – $1,400	$21,800 – $27,800
Los Angeles	$1,000 – $1,600	$23,000 – $30,200
Orange County (Irvine & Fullerton)	$1,000 – $1,500	$23,000 – $29,000
Berkeley & the East Bay	$1,100 – $1,700	$24,200 – $31,400
San Diego	$1,000 – $1,500	$23,000 – $29,000
San Jose & Silicon Valley	$1,100 – $1,700	$24,200 – $31,400
San Francisco	$1,300 – $2,000	$26,600 – $35,000
Riverside	$750 – $1,100	$20,000 – $24,200
Santa Cruz	$1,100 – $1,600	$24,200 – $30,200
Santa Barbara	$1,100 – $1,600	$24,200 – $30,200

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

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On our list, Sacramento State has the lowest total cost at ₹74 lakh – ₹85 lakh, followed by Cal State Long Beach and Cal State LA.

23: Sacramento State, Cal State Long Beach, Cal State LA, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State Fullerton and CSUN and more.

Sacramento & Davis: a room in shared housing costs $750 – $1,100 a month; budget $20,000 – $24,200 a year.

Up to 20 hours/week on campus during semesters. After graduation: OPT 12 months + 24-month STEM OPT extension for STEM-designated degrees.

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Universities

Fees at every university in California

Programs

Master's programs in California

Plan

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