2027 at a glanceCalifornia Degree Completion Programs at a Glance
- The #1 school for degree completion in California in 2027 is University of Massachusetts Global, because its graduates in this field earn a median $83,778 a year (the highest on this list) and 100% of its undergraduates study fully online (higher than 8 other colleges on this list).
- #2 is San Diego State University: 82% of its transfer students earn a degree within eight years (higher than 7 other colleges on this list).
- #3 is San Jose State University: 83% of its transfer students earn a degree within eight years (higher than 8 other colleges on this list).
The ranking
Degree Completion Programs in California, Ranked
#1Aliso Viejo, CaliforniaUniversity of Massachusetts Global
BA in Organizational Leadership
OnlineTransfer entry route
Why it ranks #1: Its graduates in this field earn a median $83,778 a year (the highest on this list) and 100% of its undergraduates study fully online (higher than 8 other colleges on this list).
UMass Global, based in Aliso Viejo, lets up to 90 credits transfer into its Organizational Leadership BA. Standard transfer entry is 12 college credits and a 2.0 GPA. Instructor-led online sessions run eight weeks with deadlines, and the 120-credit curriculum covers team building, organizational change, communication and leadership ethics.
- Undergraduates Fully Online
- 100%
- Where You Start
- Standard transfer entry: at least 12 college credits and a 2.0 GPA; fewer-credit applicants have separate documentation requirements.
- Transfer Credits
- Up to 90 credits may transfer.
- Degree Requirements
- 120 total credits
- Study Schedule
- Online, instructor-led eight-week sessions with deadlines
#2San Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego State University
Bachelor of Science in Public Health
OnlineDegree completion route
Why it ranks #2: 82% of its transfer students earn a degree within eight years (higher than 7 other colleges on this list) and its graduates earn a median $59,914 a year (higher than 3 other colleges on this list).
San Diego State covers the final portion of the public health bachelor's through online coursework. Degree-completion applicants need 60 transferable units, the listed CSU requirements and a GPA of at least 2.9. The program includes epidemiology, statistics and environmental health, plus a preapproved international experience on cross-cultural public health.
- Undergraduates Fully Online
- 4%
- Where You Start
- Degree-completion applicants need 60 transferable units, satisfaction of the listed CSU requirements, and a GPA of at least 2.9.
#3San Jose, CaliforniaSan Jose State University
BA in Anthropology
OnlineDegree completion route
Why it ranks #3: 83% of its transfer students earn a degree within eight years (higher than 8 other colleges on this list) and 7% of its undergraduates study fully online (higher than 1 other college on this list).
San Jose State's online Anthropology BA asks for at least 60 transferable semester units, the four required CSU general education courses with a C- or better and a 2.0 GPA. Up to 70 community college semester units may count. Eight-week courses run across five terms each year, and counselors review unofficial transcripts before you apply.
- Undergraduates Fully Online
- 7%
#4Riverside, CaliforniaCalifornia Baptist University
BA in Public Administration
OnlineTransfer entry route
Why it ranks #4: 59% of its transfer students earn a degree within eight years (higher than 3 other colleges on this list) and it accepts up to 100 transfer credits (the highest on this list).
California Baptist University accepts up to 100 units in transfer toward its online Public Administration BA, and it provides a degree review of your official transcripts. Coursework is asynchronous in eight-week sessions, with 48 units of public administration study. The advertised 16-month plan assumes full-time study and finished general education.
- Undergraduates Fully Online
- 22%
- Where You Start
- CBU evaluates official college transcripts and provides a degree review; a maximum of 100 units may transfer.
#5Fullerton, CaliforniaCalifornia State University, Fullerton
BA in Business Administration, Professional Business
OnlineDegree completion route
Why it ranks #5: 83% of its transfer students earn a degree within eight years (higher than 8 other colleges on this list) and its online rate is $500 per credit for California residents (lower than 2 other colleges on this list).
Cal State Fullerton's online Professional Business degree is a cohort program with eight-week sessions. If you hold a California community college Business Administration ADT, it can satisfy the required transfer coursework. Entry takes 60 transferable semester units, including 30 of general education, and a 2.50 GPA. Tuition is $500 per unit.
- Undergraduates Fully Online
- 7%
- Where You Start
- 60 transferable semester units, including 30 units of approved general education, and a 2.50 cumulative GPA. Returning CSUF students need a 2.0 GPA. General education timing and business prerequisites also apply.
- Transfer Credits
- A California community college Business Administration ADT can satisfy the required transfer coursework; check individual equivalents through ASSIST.
- Degree Requirements
- 54 upper-division units in the completion program; 120 total units for graduation, including American Institutions and any outstanding lower-division requirements.
#6Redlands, CaliforniaUniversity of Redlands
BS in Business
OnlineDegree completion route
Why it ranks #6: 69% of its transfer students earn a degree within eight years (higher than 5 other colleges on this list) and its graduates earn a median $66,639 a year (higher than 6 other colleges on this list).
The University of Redlands offers its business degree in live online classes scheduled for evenings. You need 40 units of transferable credit and a 2.0 GPA, and you send official transcripts from every school you attended. Coursework spans accounting, finance, marketing, operations and geographic information systems, and a capstone paper ties it together.
- Undergraduates Fully Online
- 7%
- Where You Start
- 40 units of transferable credit and a minimum 2.0 GPA.
- Study Schedule
- Live online classes, with evening scheduling for working professionals.
#7San Diego, CaliforniaPoint Loma Nazarene University
BA in Public Administration
OnlineDegree completion route
Why it ranks #7: 81% of its transfer students earn a degree within eight years (higher than 6 other colleges on this list) and its graduates earn a median $59,183 a year (higher than 2 other colleges on this list).
Point Loma Nazarene's Public Administration BA is fully online and asynchronous, with six start dates a year and eight-week courses. The university accepts transfer credits and can also admit students with no completed college units. A capstone has you propose a partnership across sectors to address a societal issue.
- Undergraduates Fully Online
- 13%
- Where You Start
- PLNU accepts transfer credits and requires official transcripts from each institution attended; the program can also admit students with no completed college units.
#8Carpinteria, CaliforniaLionel University
Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science
OnlineTransfer entry route
Why it ranks #8: Its online rate is $333 per credit for California residents (the lowest on this list) and 100% of its undergraduates study fully online (higher than 8 other colleges on this list).
Lionel University offers its Exercise Science BS fully online. Earlier college coursework and other documented learning can be evaluated for transfer toward the 180 quarter credits the degree requires. Core coursework covers biomechanics, exercise physiology, nutrition, psychology and research.
- Undergraduates Fully Online
- 100%
- Degree Requirements
- 180 quarter credits total.
- Published Tuition
- $333 per credit for undergraduate students living in the U.S. (online)
#9Fresno, CaliforniaFresno Pacific University
Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts
OnlineDegree completion route
Why it ranks #9: 68% of its transfer students earn a degree within eight years (higher than 4 other colleges on this list) and 25% of its undergraduates study fully online (higher than 6 other colleges on this list).
Fresno Pacific's Liberal Arts BA is a degree-completion route where you submit official transcripts for admission and transfer evaluation. Thirty-four required units are completed at Fresno Pacific. You choose a concentration in Education, Science or Special Education, and the required work includes California history and a senior research seminar.
- Undergraduates Fully Online
- 25%
- Where You Start
- Submit official academic transcripts for degree-completion admission and transfer evaluation.
#10San Diego, CaliforniaNational University
BA in General Studies
OnlineTransfer entry route
Why it ranks #10: 73% of its undergraduates study fully online (higher than 7 other colleges on this list) and its online rate is $640 per credit for California residents.
National University's General Studies BA lets approved transfer courses apply to breadth or focus requirements after departmental review. The degree takes at least 120 semester credits, 30 of them completed at National. You build a 15-credit focus area from five courses with the same subject prefix, then finish with a capstone project.
- Undergraduates Fully Online
- 73%
- Degree Requirements
- At least 120 semester credits, including 30 completed at National.
- Published Tuition
- $640 per credit for the Bachelor of Business Administration
Build a Plan Around Your Transfer Credits.
List the college credits you already have in the degree planner, then bring that list and your questions to a California school’s transfer advisor. The school’s evaluation decides which credits count toward your degree.
Build your degree plan ↗Going Back to College in California
Start with the 60-unit mark. The CSU online completion programs below ask for 60 transferable semester units, and a California community college ADT is built to fit that path. Costs vary by school. Cal State Fullerton's online business program is $500 per unit, while private schools set their own rates. Transfer limits differ too: UMass Global accepts up to 90 credits, California Baptist up to 100 units, and San Jose State counts up to 70 community college units. For aid, file the FAFSA or the California Dream Act Application and let the Student Aid Commission match you to a Cal Grant.
Read the official guidance: Cal Grant
State financial aid from the California Student Aid Commission. You do not apply for a specific award type. The Commission matches you to Entitlement or Competitive awards using your FAFSA or Dream Act application, GPA on file, financial need and college of attendance.
Who qualifies: Complete the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application and attend a participating college. Awards last up to 4 years of full-time attendance.
Visit the official Cal Grant page ↗Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT)
A California community college associate degree of no more than 60 semester units that is fully transferable to the CSU. Students who meet minimum eligibility are guaranteed priority admission to a CSU campus, and admission to a similar major carries a promise to finish the bachelor's within 60 more semester units.
Read the official guidance: Every college on every state list is scored the same way, out of 100. The measures, from most to least weight:
- Transfer Student Completion (25%): the share of transfer students who earn a degree within eight years (IPEDS Outcome Measures).
- Cost per Credit (20%): the online per-credit rate the school publishes, at the resident rate for in-state schools, or the federal per-credit charge when no online rate is published.
- Transfer Credit Maximum (15%): the most transfer credit the featured degree accepts, from the school’s own policy.
- Online Experience (15%): the share of undergraduates who study fully online (IPEDS).
- Graduate Earnings (15%): median earnings of the school’s graduates in that field (College Scorecard).
- School Reputation (10%): a rating of how employers regard the school’s bachelor’s degrees, made the same way for every school from its published facts.
When a measure is missing for a college, it gets the middle value for that measure, so missing data never helps a school move up.
Read the full state ranking method ↗ Before you call an admissions officeQuestions About Finishing Your Degree in California
Which School Has the Best Degree Completion Program in California?+
The #1 school for degree completion in California in 2027 is University of Massachusetts Global, because its graduates in this field earn a median $83,778 a year (the highest on this list) and 100% of its undergraduates study fully online (higher than 8 other colleges on this list). #2 is San Diego State University: 82% of its transfer students earn a degree within eight years (higher than 7 other colleges on this list). #3 is San Jose State University: 83% of its transfer students earn a degree within eight years (higher than 8 other colleges on this list). The order comes from transfer student graduation rates, cost per credit, transfer credit limits, online experience, graduate earnings and school reputation, weighted the same way for every state.
Does an Associate Degree for Transfer Guarantee a Spot at a Cal State Campus?+
It guarantees priority admission to a CSU campus if you meet the CSU's minimum eligibility requirements, though not necessarily to a particular campus or major. If you are admitted to a CSU program similar to your ADT, you are guaranteed to finish the bachelor's within 60 semester units as long as you complete the required courses.
Read the official guidance: How Many Units Do Cal State Online Completion Programs Require?+
The three in our list each ask for 60 transferable semester units. San Diego State's public health program also needs a GPA of at least 2.9. San Jose State's anthropology program adds four CSU general education courses and a 2.0 GPA. Cal State Fullerton's business program wants 30 units of general education and a 2.50 GPA.
Read the official guidance: Do I Apply Separately for a Cal Grant?+
No. The Student Aid Commission says you do not apply for a specific type. You file the FAFSA or the California Dream Act Application, and you are considered for the right award using your GPA on file, financial need and college of attendance. Anyone who misses an Entitlement Award may be considered for a limited Competitive Award.
Read the official guidance: 
