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

What’s Covered:

 

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:

School 

Undergraduate Enrollment 

UCLA

33,900

UC San Diego

33,500

UC Davis

33,300

UC Berkeley

33,000

UC Irvine

31,300

UC Santa Barbara

25,100

UC Riverside

24,600

UC Santa Cruz

18,600

UC Merced

8,600

UC San Francisco*

0

*A graduate and professional school only. 

 

The California State University system schools:

School 

Undergraduate Enrollment 

CSU Fullerton

41,700

CSU Long Beach

36,700

CSU Northridge

36,700

San Diego State University

33,300

CSU Sacramento

32,900

San José State University

29,800

Cal Poly Pomona

29,200

San Francisco State University

27,100

CSU Los Angeles

24,700

CSU Fresno

24,100

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

22,100

CSU San Bernardino

18,900

CSU Dominguez Hills

17,000

CSU Chico

16,900

CSU San Marcos

16,100

CSU East Bay

14,900

CSU Bakersfield

11,000

CSU Stanislaus

10,900

Sonoma State University

7,800

CSU Channel Islands

7,700

CSU Monterey Bay

7,200

Cal Poly Humboldt

6,500

Cal Maritime Academy

900

 

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:

School 

CollegeVine Ranking 

UC Berkeley

54

UCLA

55

UC San Diego

99

UC Irvine

112

UC Davis

128

UC Santa Barbara

146

UC Riverside

185

UC Santa Cruz

212

UC Merced

353

 

CollegeVine Rankings of the Cal State schools:

School 

CollegeVine Ranking

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

132

San Diego State University

149

CSU Long Beach

218

Cal Poly Pomona

233

San José State University

245

CSU Fullerton

260

CSU Fresno

336

CSU Northridge

366

CSU Chico

420

CSU San Bernardino

423

CSU Los Angeles

518

CSU Monterey Bay

584

CSU Bakersfield

590

CSU Sacramento

620

Cal Maritime Academy

656

San Francisco State University

670

CSU San Marcos

703

Sonoma State University

877

CSU Stanislaus

1,009

CSU Dominguez Hills

1,018

CSU Channel Islands

1,074

CSU East Bay

1,108

Cal Poly Humboldt

1,190

 

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: 

School 

Acceptance Rate 

UCLA

11%

UC Berkeley

14%

UC Irvine

29%

UC Santa Barbara

29%

UC San Diego

34%

UC Davis

49%

UC Santa Cruz

59%

UC Riverside

65% 

UC Merced

87%

 

Acceptance rate at the Cal State schools:

School 

Acceptance Rate

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

33%

San Diego State University

38%

CSU Long Beach

47%

CSU Fullerton

59%

Cal Poly Pomona

61%

CSU East Bay

82%

Cal Maritime Academy

82%

San José State University

84%

CSU Bakersfield

85%

CSU Chico

85%

CSU Northridge

88%

CSU Dominguez Hills

90%

Cal Poly Humboldt

91%

CSU San Bernardino

91%

CSU Los Angeles

91%

CSU Channel Islands

93%

CSU Monterey Bay

93%

San Francisco State University

93%

CSU San Marcos

93%

CSU Sacramento

94%

Sonoma State University

94%

CSU Stanislaus

95%

CSU Fresno

97%

 

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:

Ethnicity 

Percentage of Undergraduate Population 

Asian 

35.7%

Hispanic/Latino

25.3%

White 

20.7%

International 

10.6%

African American/Black

4.4%

Unknown 

2.5%

American Indian 

0.5%

Pacific Islander 

0.2%

 

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:

Ethnicity 

Percentage of Undergraduate Population 

Hispanic/Latino

45.4%

White 

21.5%

Asian 

15.7%

International 

5.2%

Two or More Races

4.2%

African American/Black

4.0%

Unknown 

3.4%

American Indian 

0.3%

Pacific Islander 

0.2%

 

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:

 

Letter 

Subject

Requirement

A

History

Two years

B

English

Four years

C

Mathematics

Three years

D

Science

Two years

E

Language other than English

Two years (or the equivalent to the second level of high school instruction)

F

Visual and performing arts

One year

G

College-preparatory elective

One year

 

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.


Short Bio
A graduate of Northeastern University with a degree in English, Tim Peck currently lives in Concord, New Hampshire, where he balances a freelance writing career with the needs of his two Australian Shepherds to play outside.