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Highest first-year retention in California
252 colleges in California with this figure reported (500+ students).
201Hope International University · CA · Private (nonprofit)68%202UEI College-Bakersfield · CA · Private (for-profit)68%203Academy of Art University · CA · Private (for-profit)67%204Butte College · CA · Public67%205Cerritos College · CA · Public67%206Coalinga College · CA · Public67%207College of the Desert · CA · Public67%208Los Angeles Southwest College · CA · Public67%209Porterville College · CA · Public67%210UEI College-Fresno · CA · Private (for-profit)67%211Berkeley City College · CA · Public66%212California State University-Dominguez Hills · CA · Public66%213Chaffey College · CA · Public66%214Golden West College · CA · Public66%215San Diego City College · CA · Public66%216Career Care Institute · CA · Private (for-profit)65%217College of the Redwoods · CA · Public65%218Los Angeles City College · CA · Public65%219Reedley College · CA · Public65%220Taft College · CA · Public65%221Barstow Community College · CA · Public64%222Merced College · CA · Public63%223San Jose City College · CA · Public63%224Carrington College-Sacramento · CA · Private (for-profit)62%225City College of San Francisco · CA · Public62%226Simpson University · CA · Private (nonprofit)62%227Copper Mountain Community College · CA · Public61%228Santa Barbara City College · CA · Public61%229Lake Tahoe Community College · CA · Public60%230SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary · CA · Private (nonprofit)58%231California College of the Arts · CA · Private (nonprofit)57%232College of the Siskiyous · CA · Public57%233UEI College-Gardena · CA · Private (for-profit)57%234College of Alameda · CA · Public56%235Laney College · CA · Public56%236Life Pacific University · CA · Private (nonprofit)56%237National University · CA · Private (nonprofit)54%238Compton College · CA · Public53%239Whittier College · CA · Private (nonprofit)53%240Merritt College · CA · Public51%
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS (latest survey year). Sorted only by highest first-year retention — this is not an overall quality ranking. Open-admission colleges do not report an admit rate and are not listed here.