# California City Lands in Top 10 Best College Towns

> San Diego ranks seventh in WalletHub's list of best U.S. college towns, while California cities dominate the cost of living category.
- Title: California City Lands in Top 10 Best College Towns | Shortify
- Summary: San Diego ranks seventh in WalletHub's list of best U.S. college towns, while California cities dominate the cost of living category. San Diego ranked…
- Keywords: san diego, wallethub, college towns, cost of living, california, university of san diego, san diego state university, compton college, norwalk, news, entertainment, City
- Source: California Post — https://nypost.com/2026/10/20/lifestyle/see-which-california-cities-ranked-best-and-worst-college-towns
- Published: 2026-10-20T20:03:43+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: san diego, wallethub, college towns, cost of living, california, university of san diego, san diego state university, compton college, norwalk, news, entertainment
## WalletHub's College Town Ranking
WalletHub ranks San Diego seventh among U.S. college towns based on affordability, academics, and work opportunities.
## California's Top 10 College Towns
California has one city in WalletHub's top 10 college towns, with eight of the bottom 10 college towns in the state.
## Cost of Living in California
Santa Clara, San Francisco, Sunnyvale, Santa Monica, and Stanford rank highest for cost of living among college towns.
## Compton and Norwalk in Bottom 5
Compton, home of Compton College, and Norwalk rank among the bottom five college towns in WalletHub's list.
## WalletHub's Criteria
WalletHub compared over 400 U.S. cities using 31 indicators including cost of living, crime rates, and higher education quality.
## California's College Towns
California cities like Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz are among the most beautiful college towns in the U.S. with stunning views.
## Key takeaway

San Diego ranked seventh in WalletHub's top 10 U.S. college towns, with California cities leading the highest cost of living for students.