The 6 best universities in Los Angeles: A student's guide

Which universities in Los Angeles are best based on their rankings, tuition fees, best degrees, and campus life?

Ivandzhelin

6 minute read

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13 Jun 2024

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Studying

Choosing a university is exciting, especially if you're heading to Los Angeles. Known for its celebrity allure and sunny weather, LA is also home to some of the top universities in the world. So let us guide you through the 6 best universities in Los Angeles. We cover everything from rankings and tuition fees to varsity sports and the highest-rated study programs at each school.

There is no better time than the present to move to Los Angeles to study. Until fall 2025, Californian universities don’t require SAT/ACT test results as part of their admissions. So, you can apply to any university in Los Angeles without having to stress about your test scores. Let’s see which are the 6 best universities in Los Angeles: 1. California Institute of Technology (Caltech) 2. University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) 3. Occidental College (Oxy) 4. University of Southern California (USC) 5. Loyola Marymount University (LMU) 6. California State University, Los Angeles

Caltech is the smallest university on our list but one of the best in the world. It is renowned for its education in engineering and science. Caltech offers degrees in mathematics, biology, astronomy, chemistry, geology, and physics. It is also one of the best universities in Los Angeles for international students, with over 20.6% of the student body being international.

Aside from a rigorous curriculum, the university offers plenty of things to do outside class. Caltech has 16 men’s and women’s varsity sports teams. Even if you aren’t into sports, you can join the board came club, music club, robotics team, cheese society, physics club, and origami club, to name a few of the 100s student organizations on campus.

• Ranking: 15th (QS) and 7th (THE) worldwide
• Number of international students: 20.6% of the student body
• Eligibility criteria:
  • Undergraduate students (American): report from the school’s guidance counselor, teacher recommendations, transcripts from years 9 to 11, mid-year school report
  • Undergraduate students (international): 2 teacher letters of recommendation, minimum 7 IELTS, 100 TOEFL or 130 DET; school transcripts covering scores in math, physics, chemistry, biology, English, and history/social sciences
  • Graduate students: Bachelor’s degree, university transcripts, 3 letters of recommendation, motivational letter, and CV; proof of English proficiency if your old university’s primary language of teaching isn’t English
• Highest-ranked degrees: Earth and marine sciences, Natural sciences, Geology, Physics and astronomy, and Geophysics
• Tuition fees:
  • Undergraduate: $63,402
  • Graduate: $65,706

The University of California is a public university with campuses throughout the state. The LA campus is the highest-ranked public university in the US, providing over 125 degrees in natural sciences, humanities, engineering, and arts. As UCLA is a public university with lower tuition fees, it’s one of the cheapest universities in Los Angeles for international students.

Students can focus on academics and social life thanks to UCLA’s campus initiatives. There are numerous campus clubs, organizations, and events where students can make new friends. Home to the Bruins, UCLA offers 12 different men's and women's club sports, including a Division I basketball team. You choose whether they want to live on campus or find cheap student accommodation in Los Angeles.

• Ranking: 29th (QS) and 18th (THE) worldwide
• Number of international students: 5,247
• Eligibility criteria:
  • Undergraduate students (American): 3.0 GPA for California residents and 3.4 GPA for non-state residents; achievements in school and extracurriculars
  • Undergraduate students (international): minimum 100 TOEFL, 7.0 IELTS, 120+ on Duolingo English Test (DET), official transcripts and high shool diploma
  • Graduate students: completed Bachelor’s degree in English; for non-English Bachelor degrees, students need minimum 7.0 IELTS or 560 TOEFL
• Highest-ranked degrees: Modern languages, Geography, English language and literature, Anatomy and physiology, and Anthropology
• Tuition fees:
  • Undergraduate: $15,154 for California residents and $49,354 for non-California residents
  • Graduate: $18,136 for state residents and $33,238 for non-state residents (including international)

Occidental College (or Oxy for short) is a liberal arts and sciences college in the heart of LA. With over 40 majors and minors, Oxy is one of the best colleges in LA for cognitive or computer science, cultural studies, media studies, mathematics, and psychology.

Oxy is located in Eagle Rock, one of LA’s northern areas, allowing the college’s curriculum to be tightly woven with the city. Students get the opportunity to learn about leadership, participate in social causes, and practice the arts through Oxy’s community partners scattered throughout LA. You can join over 100 clubs and organizations, become a Tiget by joining one of the varsity sports, or become part of the student council.

• Ranking: 35th National Liberal Arts Colleges and 68th Best Value Schools (US News)
• Number of international students: 7% of the student body
• Eligibility criteria:
  • Undergraduate students (American): school transcripts, a mid-year report from senior year, and counselor and teacher recommendations
  • Undergraduate students (international): a mid-year report, school transcripts, recommendation letters from a school counselor and a teacher, proof of English- minimum 100 TOEHL iBT, 7 IELTS, 130 DET
• Highest-ranked degrees: Biology, Diplomacy, and world affairs, Psychology, Media arts and culture, Economics
• Tuition fees: $65,678

The University of Southern California (USC) is home to 23 schools and institutes that provide education in engineering, dance, accounting, law, arts, and public policy. With 27.1% of the student body coming from abroad, USC is the most international university in Los Angeles on our list.

With over 1,000 student groups to choose from, you’ll find your clique in no time. You can become part of a consulting group, a cheerleading squad, fraternities, an engineering society, the student council, or the anime club. Students can choose from 9 men’s and 12 women’s club sports or show their Trojan spirit by cheering at their games.

• Ranking: 116th (QS) and 74th (THE) worldwide
• Number of international students: 27.1% of the faculty
• Eligibility criteria:
  • Undergraduate students (American): school/college transcripts, letters of recommendation, mid-year or end-year school grades, portfolio (if applicable)
  • Undergraduate students (international): school transcripts and grades, minimum 7 IELTS, 100 TOEFL, 68 PTE score, letters of recommendation
  • Graduate students: university transcripts, Bachelor’s degree, proof of English (if applicable)
• Highest-ranked degrees: Engineering, Philosophy, Social policy, Media studies, and Performing arts
• Tuition fees:
  • Undergraduate: $69,437
  • Graduate: $48,819

With 56 undergraduate and 46 graduate programs, Loyola Marymount University is one of the best universities in Los Angeles. You can choose from degrees in liberal arts, law, education, engineering, and business administration. LMU students can choose between living on campus or in one of LA’s neighborhoods.

The campus is in Culver City between Venice Beach and LAX, so you have one of the most scenic parts of the city as your study grounds. You can join 20 Division I club sports and become part of over 241 student organizations, LMU’s TV network, newspaper, or radio!

• Ranking: 93rd Best National Universities and 136th Best Value Schools (US News)
• Number of international students: 9.7% of the student body
• Eligibility criteria:
  • Undergraduate students (American): school achievements, official transcripts, a letter of recommendation, and a portfolio (if applicable)
  • Undergraduate students (international): school transcripts and diploma, evaluated by an official evaluation center; minimum 100 TOEFL, 7 IETLS or 130 DET; portfolio (if needed)
  • Graduate students: university/college transcripts, completed online application, proof of English (if needed)
• Highest-ranked degrees: Economics, Marketing, Finance, International business, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Law
• Tuition fees:
  • Undergraduate: $57,602
  • Graduate: between $1,458 and $1,922 per unit

Located in the eastern part of LA, California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA) is the cheapest university for international students on our list. Cal State LA is a public university, part of the 23 campuses of California State University. It offers over 130 bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs in business administration, engineering, education, nursing, psychology, and sociology.

The university offers 100s student organizations, sororities, cultural centers, and support services, like WellBeingU, to foster a sense of belonging and promote student success. Additionally, Cal State LA's athletics program allows students to participate in intercollegiate sports and recreational activities.

• Ranking: 1401st Best universities worldwide (QS) and 9th Top public schools (US News)
• Number of international students: 1,641
• Eligibility criteria:
  • Undergraduate students (American): test scores (completed A — G classes with a grade higher than C-), 2.5 GPA for California residents and 3.0 GPA for non-California residents
  • Undergraduate students (international): high school diploma or similar, 3.00 GPA, minimum 61 TOEFL iBT, 5.5. IELTS, 44 PTE or 95 DET
  • Graduate students: academic transcripts, Bachelor’s diploma, proof of English (if applicable), and any additional documents your program might require
• Highest-ranked degrees: Business, Engineering, Nursing, Psychology, Computer science
• Tuition fees:
  • Undergraduate: $7,160 for California residents and $420 per unit additionally for non-California residents (around $15,705 annually)
  • Graduate: $8,684 for state residents and $420 per unit additionally for non-state residents (around $17,720 annually)

So there you have it—the best 6 universities in Los Angeles. Now that you know more about what the City of Angeles has to offer, it’s time to apply and start searching for student accommodation in LA. Good luck!