Browse the directory →
Best D1 Men's Football Programs in California, Ranked by Academic Score
Athletics and academics don't have to be a tradeoff. Below, we've ranked all 11 D1 men's Football programs in California by academic score — a composite of retention rate, graduation rate, and long-term earnings that reflects the strength of the underlying school.
The average retention rate across D1 men's Football programs in California is 91%, with an average graduation rate of 85%, and median earnings around $83,607.
Use this ranking to find programs at schools with strong academic outcomes, then read our guide on how to compare scholarship offers.
Programs
11
Avg. Retention
91%
Avg. Grad Rate
85%
Avg. Earnings (10YR)
$83,607
Top programs
Showing 11 of 11 programs.
Rank
Program
Retention
Grad Rate
Earnings (10YR)
1
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Retention
98%
Grad Rate
97%
Earnings (10YR)
$124,080
2
2. University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
Retention
97%
Grad Rate
94%
Earnings (10YR)
$92,446
3
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA
Retention
97%
Grad Rate
93%
Earnings (10YR)
$92,498
4
4. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA
Retention
95%
Grad Rate
86%
Earnings (10YR)
$90,768
5
5. University of California-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
Retention
97%
Grad Rate
93%
Earnings (10YR)
$82,511
6
6. University of California-Davis
Davis, CA
Retention
93%
Grad Rate
89%
Earnings (10YR)
$80,838
7
7. University of San Diego
San Diego, CA
Retention
90%
Grad Rate
81%
Earnings (10YR)
$86,522
8
8. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA
Retention
90%
Grad Rate
81%
Earnings (10YR)
$64,909
9
9. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA
Retention
86%
Grad Rate
76%
Earnings (10YR)
$78,988
10
10. California State University-Sacramento
Sacramento, CA
Retention
81%
Grad Rate
71%
Earnings (10YR)
$64,876
11
11. California State University-Fresno
Fresno, CA
Retention
78%
Grad Rate
69%
Earnings (10YR)
$61,244
Explore the full directory
Use the full directory to compare the wider field, apply filters, and evaluate programs beyond the top-ranked set on this page.
Browse all programs