Best colleges in San Jose

Get Your Geek On

Northern California's prized possession: The Bay Area

San Jose is located at the heart of Silicon Valley. The premier computer technology capital of the U.S. proudly houses big-name businesses like Apple, Google, Yahoo, Facebook and more. San Jose thrives off a healthy economy established by tech geniuses from all over the nation. Not from around here? You're in good company. As the 10th largest city in the country, many flock to the San Jose region for unbeatable job opportunities in computers and engineering.

Community colleges are easy to find in the San Jose area, with local access to at least 4 campuses. This great city offers plenty of fun ways to spend evenings and weekends. The city is home to the Sharks hockey team, so be sure to take in a game at the "Shark Tank." Downtown plays host to a variety of gourmet restaurants for evenings out as well as the HP Pavilion, the go-to arena for concerts, sports and special events. Great America amusement park is just down the road, and for those who are still a kid at heart, Raging Waters can't be beat. This waterslide complex feeds into a lake, providing a combination of natural and artificial water experiences. These are just a few of the great amusements found in the South Bay, where San Jose serves as the center hub of food, fun and friendship.

Click Here to See the Best Colleges in the US*www.sanjoseca.gov *Wikipedia, "San Jose"

Best Four Year Universities in San Jose

Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Image by @kaiii_e

Founded in 1885, Stanford University is a private research university in the San Francisco metro area and has a total undergraduate enrollment of about 17,000 students. Stanford is made up of three schools with over 40 undergraduate academic departments, and popular graduate programs including medicine, law, and business. The campus was rebuilt after the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and is now known for its mission-style architecture, with the Stanford Memorial Church at the epicenter of campus life. 

Stanford is on a quarter-based academic calendar with tuition and fees exceeding $50,000 annually. The school is one of the most highly regarded research institutions and has produced numerous Fulbright and Rhodes Scholars.

In addition to its strong scholastic traditions, Stanford is also known for its local rivalry with UC Berkeley, and their annual meeting known as the “Big Game” takes place at the Rose Bowl. Notable alumni include actress Reese Witherspoon, author John Steinbeck, and former President of the United States, Herbert Hoover.

Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA

Santa Clara University offers 98 degree programs. It's a medium sized, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a midsize city. In 2023, 2,762 students graduated with students earning 1,459 Bachelor's degrees, 1,025 Master's degrees, 254 Doctoral degrees, and 24 Certificates.

Find Online Schools

San Jose State University offers 213 degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a large city. In 2023, 10,214 students graduated with students earning 6,860 Bachelor's degrees, 3,226 Master's degrees, 89 Certificates, and 39 Doctoral degrees.

University of Silicon Valley offers 15 degree programs. It's a very small, private for-profit, four-year university in a large city. In 2023, 88 students graduated with students earning 81 Bachelor's degrees, and 7 Master's degrees.

Foothill College
Los Altos Hills, CA

Foothill College offers 126 degree programs. It's a large, public, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2023, 1,186 students graduated with students earning 716 Associate's degrees, 416 Certificates, and 54 Bachelor's degrees.

Palo Alto University
Palo Alto, CA

Palo Alto University offers 6 degree programs. It's a small, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a outlying rural area. In 2023, 340 students graduated with students earning 227 Master's degrees, 91 Doctoral degrees, and 22 Bachelor's degrees.

Sofia University
Palo Alto, CA

Sofia University offers 14 degree programs. It's a small, private for-profit, four-year university in a small city. In 2023, 383 students graduated with students earning 370 Master's degrees, 9 Doctoral degrees, 3 Bachelor's degrees, and 1 Certificate.

University of East-West Medicine offers 1 degree programs. It's a very small, private for-profit, four-year university in a midsize city. In 2023, 20 students graduated with students earning 20 Master's degrees.

Best Community Colleges in San Jose

De Anza College
Cupertino, CA

De Anza College offers 137 degree programs. It's a large, public, two-year college in a small city. In 2023, 2,054 students graduated with students earning 1,737 Associate's degrees, and 317 Certificates.

Institute for Business and Technology offers 7 degree programs. It's a very small, private for-profit, two-year college in a midsize city.

Mission College
Santa Clara, CA

Mission College offers 87 degree programs. It's a medium sized, public, two-year college in a midsize city. In 2023, 971 students graduated with students earning 632 Associate's degrees, and 339 Certificates.

West Valley College
Saratoga, CA

West Valley College offers 137 degree programs. It's a medium sized, public, two-year college in a large suburb. In 2023, 917 students graduated with students earning 711 Associate's degrees, and 206 Certificates.

Evergreen Valley College offers 43 degree programs. It's a medium sized, public, two-year college in a large city. In 2023, 958 students graduated with students earning 683 Associate's degrees, and 275 Certificates.

Carrington College-San Jose offers 12 degree programs. It's a very small, private for-profit, two-year college in a large city. In 2023, 448 students graduated with students earning 294 Certificates, and 154 Associate's degrees.

Gavilan College
Gilroy, CA

Gavilan College offers 95 degree programs. It's a medium sized, public, two-year college in a outlying rural area. In 2023, 877 students graduated with students earning 549 Associate's degrees, and 328 Certificates.

San Jose City College
San Jose, CA

San Jose City College offers 97 degree programs. It's a medium sized, public, two-year college in a large city. In 2023, 790 students graduated with students earning 419 Associate's degrees, and 371 Certificates.

List of all colleges in San Jose

School Average Tuition Student Teacher Ratio Enrolled Students
Stanford University Logo Stanford University Stanford, CA
5/5
12 : 1 18,446
Santa Clara University Logo Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA
5/5
14 : 1 9,340
San Jose State University Logo San Jose State University San Jose, CA
2/5
42 : 1 36,062
De Anza College Logo De Anza College Cupertino, CA
1/5
72 : 1 16,990
Institute for Business and Technology Logo Institute for Business and Technology Santa Clara, CA   61 : 1 609