Many students seek a college or university with a low student-to-faculty ratio as it means that students, on average, get more face-to-face time with professors and instructors. This also means that it's easier to get help outside of class and get in to faculty office hours.
| Rank | Institution | Undergraduates | Student-Faculty Ratio | Acceptance Rate | SAT Score | Your Est. Net Price Avg. Net Price | Median Starting Salary | Save |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California Institute of Technology | 987 | 3 | 2.57 | 1,540 – 1,590 | 14513 | 132140 |
#1
2026 Top Colleges Ranked by Student-Faculty Ratio – Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceCalifornia Institute of Technology
|
| 2 | Pomona College | 1700 | 7 | 7.09 | 1,490 – 1,560 | 19938 | 60850 |
#2
2026 Top Colleges Ranked by Student-Faculty Ratio – Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic ConferencePomona College
|
| 3 | Claremont McKenna College | 1390 | 8 | 9.59 | 1,470 – 1,560 | 33895 | 87603 |
#3
2026 Top Colleges Ranked by Student-Faculty Ratio – Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceClaremont McKenna College
|
| 4 | Harvey Mudd College | 951 | 8 | 12.66 | 1,500 – 1,580 | 43966 | 115107 |
#4
2026 Top Colleges Ranked by Student-Faculty Ratio – Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceHarvey Mudd College
|
| 5 | Whittier College | 769 | 8 | 80.79 | 1,160 – 1,360 | 28101 | 46025 |
#5
2026 Top Colleges Ranked by Student-Faculty Ratio – Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceWhittier College
|
| 6 | Occidental College | 1881 | 9 | 44.17 | 1,390 – 1,520 | 48400 | 52209 |
#6
2026 Top Colleges Ranked by Student-Faculty Ratio – Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceOccidental College
|
| 7 | Pitzer College | 1242 | 10 | 25.16 | 1,190 – 1,370 | 34979 | 51784 |
#7
2026 Top Colleges Ranked by Student-Faculty Ratio – Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic ConferencePitzer College
|
| 8 | Scripps College | 1117 | 10 | 38.29 | 1,430 – 1,530 | 44396 | 68027 |
2026 Top Colleges Ranked by Student-Faculty Ratio – Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceScripps College
|
| 9 | University of La Verne | 3050 | 10 | 71.17 | 990 – 1,230 | 21530 | 53806 |
2026 Top Colleges Ranked by Student-Faculty Ratio – Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceUniversity of La Verne
|
| 10 | University of Redlands | 2049 | 10 | 82.71 | 1,110 – 1,350 | 28482 | 61686 |
2026 Top Colleges Ranked by Student-Faculty Ratio – Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceUniversity of Redlands
|
| 11 | Chapman University | 7713 | 12 | 65.43 | 1,280 – 1,430 | 47902 | 58080 |
#11
2026 Top Colleges Ranked by Student-Faculty Ratio – Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceChapman University
|
| 12 | California Lutheran University | 2297 | 13 | 75.67 | 1,160 – 1,350 | 32774 | 54981 |
#12
2026 Top Colleges Ranked by Student-Faculty Ratio – Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceCalifornia Lutheran University
|
School data is from 2023–2024 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
Join thousands of students and parents learning about finding the right college, admissions secrets, scholarships, financial aid, and more.