Find Tech Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Most Popular Computer Programming Schools in California

Find Schools Near

2023 Most Popular Computer Programming Schools in California

79 Colleges
$49,313 Avg Salary
$32,424 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Computer Programming 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 assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Computer Science Degree Search has created its Most Popular Computer Programming Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 79 schools in California to see which 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 following schools top our list of the Most Popular Computer Programming Colleges.

#1

Diablo Valley College

Pleasant Hill, CA

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

Full Computer Programming at Diablo Valley College Report

#2

Orange Coast College

Costa Mesa, CA

The excellent programs at Orange Coast College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best computer programming schools in California. Located in the medium-sized city of Costa Mesa, Orange Coast College is a public college with a large student population.

Full Computer Programming at Orange Coast College Report

#3

De Anza College

Cupertino, CA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend De Anza College. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Most Popular Computer Programming Schools in California list. De Anza College is a fairly large public school located in the city of Cupertino.

Full Computer Programming at De Anza College Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Mt. San Antonio College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Popular Computer Programming Schools in California list. Mt. SAC is a very large public school located in the suburb of Walnut.

Read full report on Computer Programming at Mt. San Antonio College

#5

Santa Monica College

Santa Monica, CA

The excellent programs at Santa Monica College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best computer programming schools in California. Located in the small city of Santa Monica, SMC is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Read More…

#6

City College of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA

City College of San Francisco did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for computer programming students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the city of San Francisco, City College of San Francisco is a public college with a large student population.

Full Computer Programming at City College of San Francisco Report

With a ranking of #7, Dominican University of California did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for computer programming students. Located in the small city of San Rafael, DUofC is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Read full report on Computer Programming at Dominican University of California

#8

Sacramento City College

Sacramento, CA

Sacramento City College ranked #8 on this year’s Most Popular Computer Programming Schools in California list. Located in the large city of Sacramento, Sacramento City is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Full Computer Programming at Sacramento City College Report

#9

Foothill College

Los Altos Hills, CA

Foothill College ranked #9 on this year’s Most Popular Computer Programming Schools in California list. Foothill College is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Los Altos Hills.

Full Computer Programming at Foothill College Report

#10

San Jose City College

San Jose, CA

San Jose City College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular computer programming programs. San Jose City College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of San Jose.

Read More…

#10

ABCO Technology

Inglewood, CA

ABCO Technology did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for computer programming students. It came in at #10 on the list. ABCO Technology is a small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Inglewood.

Full Computer Programming at ABCO Technology Report

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional popular schools for Computer Programming students in the state of California that almost earned our Most Popular Computer Programming Schools in California award.

Rank College Location
12 Cabrillo College Aptos, CA
13 Sierra College Rocklin, CA
14 Riverside City College Riverside, CA
15 American River College Sacramento, CA

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.

Featured Schools

Find Computer Science Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited computer and technology colleges across the U.S.