Timothy Peck April 17, 2023 9 College Lists,School Comparisons

UC vs. Cal State Schools: Which Should You Pick?

What’s Covered:

• Overview
• Prestige
• Selectivity
• Finances
• Diversity
• Outcomes

The University of California system and California State University system have an enormous effect on higher education, the state of California, and the nation as a whole. Together, they’re home to roughly 700,000 students and a combined six million living alumni. 

Wondering which system is better for you? Here’s a comprehensive overview, including size, location, outcomes, application requirements, and more.

Overview of the UC and Cal State Schools

The University of California system (UC system) dates back to the late 1860s and encompasses ten campuses, nine of which provide undergraduate education.

Conversely, the larger and younger California State University system (Cal State) includes 23 campuses and was established in the early 1960s, although some of the schools are much older—for example, San José State University was founded in 1857 and was California’s first institution of public higher education.

Between the two systems, an enormous breadth of academic fields is covered. The UC system offers 160 academic majors and 800 different degree programs, while the Cal State system provides over 4,100 undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Size

The Cal State system boasts more than 475,000 undergraduate students—more than twice that of the UC System’s approximately 225,000 undergraduates. In 2017, one in every 20 Americans with a college degree earned it at a school in the Cal State system.

The University of California schools:

*A graduate and professional school only. 

The California State University system schools:

Location

Both the UC and Cal State systems have campuses across the state. The UC system ranges from San Diego in the south to Davis in the north. The Cal State system’s southernmost school is also found in San Diego, however, its range extends as far north as Arcata, which is roughly 200 miles northwest of Davis.

Both systems reflect California itself and offer a vast number of geographic opportunities, whether it’s a location close to the mountains, the ocean, or the state’s rich farmland. Similarly, both systems have campuses in large and small cities, and near the state’s well-known industries, such as entertainment, high tech, and agriculture.

UC school map:

Cal State school map:

Prestige

In general, the UC schools are considerably more prestigious than their Cal State counterparts. UC Berkeley and UCLA are considered among the top institutions of higher education in the country while other UC Schools lay claim to other best-of titles, for example, UC Davis (the ninth-best college for Agriculture in the U.S.), UC Irvine (ranked among the nation’s best Hispanic-Serving Institutions), and UC Santa Barbara (one of the country’s top party schools).

Although the UC schools on average outrank Cal State schools in CollegeVine’s rankings, many of the system’s schools place highly overall. This includes Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, which is positioned at number 132 on our list and ahead of four of the UC institutions.

CollegeVine’s rankings are based on a variety of factors, including school quality, outcomes, and return on investment (ROI). Also considered in our evaluations are retention rate, selectivity, endowment per student, student-faculty ratio, median earnings, and cost of attendance.

CollegeVine Rankings of the UC schools:

CollegeVine Rankings of the Cal State schools:

Selectivity

The schools of the UC system have a reputation for very selective admissions, thanks, in part, to the extremely low acceptance rates at schools like UCLA and UC Berkeley. Although the UC system schools have traditionally been harder to gain admission to than those of the Cal State system, some Cal State schools have tougher admissions than their University of California  counterparts.

Acceptance rates at the UC schools: 

Acceptance rate at the Cal State schools:

Acceptance rates provide a guideline for how difficult it is to get into a school, however, your personal chances of acceptance can vary, depending on the strength of your profile. CollegeVine’s free chancing engine uses a variety of metrics—like academic record, extracurricular activities, and demographics—to estimate your odds of admissions at hundreds of colleges across the country, including the UC and Cal State Schools.

Finances

Both the UC system and Cal State schools provide robust financial aid to undergraduates, particularly those from in-state. That said, there are some differences between the two.

UC Schools: More than half (55%) of undergraduates in the UC system pay no tuition and 45% graduate with no student loan debt. Through the Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan, Californians with a family income of $80,000 or less and who qualify for financial aid don’t pay any tuition at UC schools and some may be eligible for greater financial support to help cover other educational expenses like housing, books, and transportation. 

The UC system has also taken steps to make it easier to manage the cost of college. Its Tuition Stability Plan keeps students’ tuition the same for up to six years. 

Cal State Schools: More than half of Cal State students graduate without student loan debt and those who did incur student loan debt took on substantially less than the national average—$17,367 vs. $28,650 in 2018-2019. Also in 2018-2019, the Cal State system:

• awarded $4.5 billion in financial aid to 388,000 students
• provided financial aid to four out of five undergraduates
• fully covered the tuition of more than 60% of its undergraduates with grants and waivers (which don’t require repayment)

In general, Cal State undergraduates from families with less than $70,000 in family income who qualify for financial aid don’t pay for tuition. LendEDU, a website that assists consumers with financial products, like student loans, ranks CSU Chico fifth nationally for lowest student debt figures in the nation—CSU Fullerton also placed in the top 20.

Diversity

The campuses of both the UC and Cal State systems are generally welcoming and feature diverse undergraduate bodies reflective of the state. The schools of the UC and Cal State are commonly counted among the most diverse and most LGBQT-friendly schools in the nation.

UC Schools

In 2021, the UC System accepted its most diverse class ever, with 43% of students coming from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. Six of the ten UC campuses are classified as Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)—to earn HSI recognition, a school’s full-time undergraduate population must consist of at least 25% Hispanic students. UC Santa Barbara became the first member of the prestigious Association of American Universities to earn HSI classification in 2015.

More than a third (39%) of the UC system’s undergraduates are first-generation college students and of those 60% are from low-income families. More than merely attracting first-generation students, the UC system is making a difference in their financial futures—seven years after graduation, UC first-generation students’ median income surpasses that of their families.  

The UC-HBCU Initiative is an interesting graduate-level program created to bolster African American/Black representation in UC doctoral programs. The initiative encourages UC faculty to actively engage in collaboration and cooperation with faculty and students at HBCUs.

LGBTQ+ students will find support and resources available on all ten UC campuses.

Undergraduate student ethnicity at UC schools:

Cal State Schools 

Nearly half of Cal State students are underrepresented minorities—the Cal State system provides more than half of all undergraduate degrees earned by California’s Latinx, African American, and Native American students combined.

The Cal State system is a leader in Hispanic higher education, with 21 of its 23 campuses classified as HISs—only the Cal Maritime Academy and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo have failed to earn the designation. The Cal State system confers 62% of all bachelor’s degrees granted to California’s Hispanic students.

The Cal State system is also an important provider of higher education to Asian Americans and Native American Pacific Islanders—14 of the system’s 23 campuses are defined as Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISI). AANAPISI status is achieved when an institution’s undergraduate enrollment is at least 10% Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander.

Almost one-third of Cal State system undergraduates are first-generation college students and nearly half of its undergraduates are Pell Grant recipients. The Cal State system plays a critical role in California employment—one in ten employees in California graduated from a CSU school.

All 23 of Cal State’s campuses provide services, support, and community for LGBTQIA students, faculty, and staff.

Undergraduate student ethnicity at UC schools:

Outcomes

A degree from any school in the UC or Cal State system typically has a significant effect on students’ lives—making them more employable and boosting their earnings.

UC System Student Outcomes

Generally, a degree from a UC school has a profoundly positive outcome on a student’s future. Recipients of a bachelor’s degree from a UC school earn, on average, roughly $67,000 six years after graduation, which is more than the median income of bachelor’s degree recipients both in California and nationally. UC bachelor’s degree recipients also outpace their peers in home ownership—eight years after graduation, 27% of UC graduates own a home compared to just 14% of similarly aged individuals nationally.

A UC education also plays an important role in students moving up the socioeconomic ladder. Most UC Pell Grant recipients go on to outearn their parents within five years and most first-generation UC students will do so within seven years. One in three UC students who entered a UC school in the lowest 20% of income will move into the top 20% of income as an adult.

All of the UC schools rank highly on the website Payscale’s list of best-value colleges, particularly for in-state students. Notable rankings include:

• UC Berkeley, 24th for in-state students
• UC San Diego, 53rd for in-state students
• UCLA, 92nd for in-state students
• UC Santa Barbara, 127th for in-state students
• UC Irvine, 128th for in-state students
• UC Davis, 133rd for in-state students

Approximately 75% of the 2 million living UC alumni live and work in California.

Cal State Student Outcomes

Cal State graduates play a vital role in the economy—one in every 20 Americans with a college degree earned it at a Cal State school. The Cal State system counts 4 million living alumni—a network larger than the population of 23 states—84% of which live in California.

Cal State graduates’ average median incomes are:

• $50,480 two years after graduation
• $63,567 five years after graduation
• $78,759 ten years after graduation

Cal State schools are consistently included among the best colleges for social mobility and have a well-deserved reputation for providing a good return on investment, especially for students from underrepresented and underserved communities. A number of Cal State schools also rank highly for in-state students on Payscale’s list of best-value colleges. Notable rankings include:

• Cal Poly Pomona, 103rd for in-state students
• Cal East Bay, 146th for in-state students
• Cal Chico, 177th for in-state students
• Cal Sacramento, 227th for in-state students
• Cal Long Beach, 257th for in-state students

Application Requirements

UC Schools

Applicants to UC schools need to complete a minimum of 15 college-preparatory classes and 11 of them before their last year of high school—this is also commonly referred to as the “A to G subject requirements.” The A to G subject requirements are:

UC applicants must also maintain a 3.0 GPA (3.4 for non-California residents) in A to G courses and cannot earn a grade lower than a C.

The UC system uses its own application which is applicable to all nine of its undergraduate schools. The UC schools don’t consider standardized test scores when making admissions decisions; consequently, additional importance is placed on other aspects of an application, like essays. CollegeVine can help ensure your essays grab the attention of admissions offices—our article, How to Write the University of California Essays, provides valuable insight into the questions the UC system asks and how to respond.

UC applications are due November 30, roughly a month earlier than the deadline for most college applications. There are no early action or early decision plans at UC schools.

Cal State Schools

Applicants to Cal State schools must complete the same A to G course requirement as those applying to UC schools. Cal State applicants also cannot earn a grade lower than a C in an A to G course and need a 2.5 GPA (3.0 for non-California residents) in those courses to be eligible for admission—students with an A to G GPA between 2.00 and 2.49 (2.47 and 2.99 for non-California residents) may be evaluated on other factors.

Like the UC system, the Cal State system has its own application which is also due November 30, about a month earlier than most other college applications. There are no early action or early decision plans at Cal State schools. Also, like the UC system, the Cal State system doesn’t consider standardized test scores when making admissions decisions.

How to Find the Right UC or Cal State for You

There are 32 undergraduate campuses between the UC and Cal State systems. To figure out which one is best for you, use our free school search tool and chancing engine. You can filter for schools based on location, size, major, your personal chances of acceptance, and more.