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Most Popular Computer Programming Basic Certificate Schools in California

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2023 Most Popular Computer Programming Basic Certificate Schools in California

58 Colleges

Finding the Best Computer Programming Basic Certificate School for You

Out of the majors we analyze each year, computer programming was ranked 5th in California. In fact, 594 were awarded in the state in 2020-2021.

It's not easy to decide which computer science program to enroll in when you have so many options available. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Computer Science Degree Search has developed this Most Popular Computer Programming Basic Certificate Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 58 schools in California to see which basic certificate programs were the most popular for computer science students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Computer Programming program at each school on the list.

The colleges and universities below are the most popular for programming majors pursuing a basic certificate.

#1

Diablo Valley College

Pleasant Hill, CA

Our 2023 rankings named Diablo Valley College the most popular school in California for computer programming students working on their basic certificate. Diablo Valley is a large public school located in the large suburb of Pleasant Hill.

Women make up 36% of the programming majors at the school.

Full Computer Programming at Diablo Valley College Report

#2

Orange Coast College

Costa Mesa, CA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Orange Coast College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Popular Computer Programming Basic Certificate Schools in California list. Located in the medium-sized city of Costa Mesa, Orange Coast College is a public school with a large student population.

About 30% of the students majoring in programming at the school are women while 70% are male.

Read full report on Computer Programming at Orange Coast College

#3

De Anza College

Cupertino, CA

The in-demand basic certificate programs at De Anza College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular computer programming schools in California. De Anza College is a fairly large public school located in the city of Cupertino.

Women make up 48% of the programming majors at the school.

Full Computer Programming at De Anza College Report

#4

City College of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA

Out of the 58 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, City College of San Francisco landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the city of San Francisco, City College of San Francisco is a public college with a large student population.

Of the 64 students majoring in programming at City College of San Francisco, 52% are male and 48% are female.

Full Computer Programming at City College of San Francisco Report

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Mt. San Antonio College is a great place for computer programming students working on their basic certificate. Mt. SAC is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Walnut.

About 14% of the students majoring in programming at the school are women while 86% are male.

Full Computer Programming at Mt. San Antonio College Report

#6

Foothill College

Los Altos Hills, CA

Foothill College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for computer programming students to get a basic certificate. It came in at #6 on the list. Foothill College is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Los Altos Hills.

Women make up 23% of the programming majors at the school.

Read full report on Computer Programming at Foothill College

#7

ABCO Technology

Inglewood, CA

With a ranking of #7, ABCO Technology did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for computer programming students working on their basic certificate. ABCO Technology is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Inglewood.

Women make up 6% of the programming majors at the school.

Read full report on Computer Programming at ABCO Technology

#8

Cabrillo College

Aptos, CA

Cabrillo College ranked #8 on this year’s Most Popular Computer Programming Basic Certificate Schools in California list. Cabrillo College is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Aptos.

Women make up 14% of the programming majors at the school.

Read full report on Computer Programming at Cabrillo College

#9

Riverside City College

Riverside, CA

Riverside City College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Computer Programming Basic Certificate Schools in California ranking. Riverside City College is a fairly large public school located in the city of Riverside.

Of the 23 students majoring in programming at Riverside City College, 91% are male and 9% are female.

Read More…

#10

Santa Monica College

Santa Monica, CA

Santa Monica College ranked #10 on this year’s Most Popular Computer Programming Basic Certificate Schools in California list. Located in the city of Santa Monica, SMC is a public college with a very large student population.

About 21% of the students majoring in programming at the school are women while 79% are male.

Full Computer Programming at Santa Monica College Report

Best Computer Programming Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Most Popular Computer Programming Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 327
Oregon 79
Nevada 58
Alaska 0

Computer Programming is one of 10 different types of computer science programs to choose from.

Programming Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
General Computer Programming 8,750
App Specific Computer Programming 2,411
Computer Programming Certifications 278
Computer Programming, Specific Platforms 173
Computer Game Programming 169
Other Computer Programming 158

Related Major Annual Graduates
Computer Information Systems 88,434
Computer Science 59,565
Information Technology 40,555
Information Science 18,325
Computer Systems Networking 14,700

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 26 schools only.

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to luis gomes.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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