Best Finance Programs in California (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Business Colleges in California
This page ranks the 8 Finance programs in California by median earnings of Finance graduates four years after completing, highest first. Santa Clara University leads the list at $118,737, followed by Loyola Marymount University at $109,303 and Menlo College at $103,918.
The median across the listed programs is $98,352, with a spread of $61,419 from the top figure to the lowest of $57,318. For 2 of the 8 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
7 of the 8 schools are private nonprofits, and 1 is public. California State University-Northridge posts the lowest average net price on the page at $7,021, and it also holds the highest admission rate, admitting 93% of applicants.
California State University-Northridge ranks 7th on Azimuth's composite ranking among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Clara University · Santa Clara, CA | $118,737 | $50,062 | $22,985 | 48.0% |
| Santa Clara University reports $118,737 in median earnings for its Finance graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $50,062. | |||||
| 2 | Loyola Marymount University · Los Angeles, CA | $109,303 | $48,381 | $32,268 | 45.1% |
| Loyola Marymount University ranks 2nd on this list and posts a 45% admission rate, the lowest among the 8 programs. | |||||
| 3 | Menlo College · Atherton, CA | $103,918 | $31,100 | $25,546 | 68.5% |
| With a cohort of 28 graduates, Menlo College shows median federal debt of $23,250 among Finance completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 4 | University of San Francisco · San Francisco, CA | $103,605 | $41,431 | $31,537 | 61.7% |
| University of San Francisco sits 4th on this page and carries an average net price of $31,537 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 5 | University of San Diego · San Diego, CA | $93,099 | $30,365 | $15,586 | 52.4% |
| Median earnings of $93,099 four years after completing and a cohort of 204 graduates mark University of San Diego's Finance program. | |||||
| 6 | California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA | $74,656 | $7,021 | $4,905 | 93.5% |
| California State University-Northridge, a public university in Northridge, ranks 7th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and posts median earnings of $74,656 for its Finance graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | Point Loma Nazarene University · San Diego, CA | $66,821 | $38,729 | $30,999 | 83.7% |
| Point Loma Nazarene University admits 84% of applicants and reports an average net price of $38,729 across all aid recipients. | |||||
| 8 | Pepperdine University · Malibu, CA | $57,318 | $58,098 | $50,560 | 62.9% |
| Pepperdine University posts median earnings of $57,318 for its Finance graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 8. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Finance graduates four years after completing, or two years for programs that report only a two-year figure, highest first. The figures cover federally aided completers of the Finance program who were working and not enrolled after completing. For 2 of the 8 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The range from $57,318 to $118,737 and the median of $98,352 cover the 8 schools with a reported completion median. Santa Clara University leads Loyola Marymount University by $9,434, and the spread from top to bottom is $61,419.
Related rankings
- Best Colleges in California
- Best Accounting Colleges in California
- Best Business Colleges in California
- Accounting Colleges in California for Social Mobility