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Would you agree with a statement that an undergrad degree from a "lesser" UC university (Riverside, Santa Cruz, Merced) is as rigorous and prestigious as a degree from a Cal State university, such as CSU San Marcos or San Jose State?
I am a little confused, as I have always heard that it is the other way around (i.e. the UC's are some of the finest state schools, not only in CA, but in the country; I have never heard the same said of the Cal state schools.)
Case in point: UC Berkeley, UC Los Angeles, even UC Santa Cruz and UC Irvine and heads-and-tails above any CSU schools.
if you major in basket weaving, party for four years, and have no ambition, then there is little difference. Otherwise, there is likely to be measurable difference. The one disadvantage of the lesser UC's (I would not put UCSC on that list, as some depts are quite excellent) is location--they are somewhat remote. Bright and ambitious SJSU can take full advantage of Silicon Valley, while UCR and UCM offer almost no location advantages.
But...the true value of the degree is really a function of what you plan to do with the time at Uni and with your degree. I would argue that for 60%-70& of university students, the worry over name of school is far less important than should be the worry over lack of preparation, strategy or ambition.
California State University San Bernardion MBA graduates have the highest 5th year post graduate salaries of any MBA program in the Inland Empire.
California State Univestiy San Bernardino has the 8th highest CPA exam pass rate west of the Mississippi.
The organization that accredits Computer Science programs, stated, "California State University San Bernardino has the finest Computer Science program, bar none."
The MSW program at California State University San Bernardino is one of the 14 such programs in California.
For years, California State University San Bernardino took first AND second place in the Mock United Nations Competition in Washington D.C. This occurred for at least eight years in a row.
So, you go to the "better" schools. CSUSB graduates do extremely well. So well, that they are considered to be some of the best and brightest.
The only thing that CSUSB does NOT have that the UC schools have are doctorial programs in a wide number of subjects. CSUSB only offers one doctorial program.
It really depends on your major and your career goals.
The U.Cs tend to be much more research oriented and while Cal States tend to be more work based (Keep in note this is a generalization). If you just look at the majors offered between the some of the schools, you'll instantly see the difference.
For example in San Jose State, "B.A. - Biological Science, Preparation for Teaching" and "B.S. -Biological Sciences, Concentration in Microbiology and Certification in Clinical Laboratory Science" are offered. If you wish to pursue teaching or work in clinical labs, these majors would fit perfectly for you.
However on the other hand, if you wish to pursue graduate school or professional school in biology/health, it may be better to attend a U.C. Interning with a distinguished professor can help boost your CV and get you ahead in the application/ admissions process. It also provides valuable research/laboratory experience in cutting edge fields.
Nevertheless you must find a system and environment that fits you. Do you really want to live in merced for the next 4 years? Can you deal with large class sizes? Is the extra tuition of a U.C worth your career goals? It's not quite so simple as rankings and percieved prestige.
It really depends on your major and your career goals.
The U.Cs tend to be much more research oriented and while Cal States tend to be more work based (Keep in note this is a generalization). If you just look at the majors offered between the some of the schools, you'll instantly see the difference.
For example in San Jose State, "B.A. - Biological Science, Preparation for Teaching" and "B.S. -Biological Sciences, Concentration in Microbiology and Certification in Clinical Laboratory Science" are offered. If you wish to pursue teaching or work in clinical labs, these majors would fit perfectly for you.
However on the other hand, if you wish to pursue graduate school or professional school in biology/health, it may be better to attend a U.C. Interning with a distinguished professor can help boost your CV and get you ahead in the application/ admissions process. It also provides valuable research/laboratory experience in cutting edge fields.
Nevertheless you must find a system and environment that fits you. Do you really want to live in merced for the next 4 years? Can you deal with large class sizes? Is the extra tuition of a U.C worth your career goals? It's not quite so simple as rankings and percieved prestige.
California State University San Bernardion MBA graduates have the highest 5th year post graduate salaries of any MBA program in the Inland Empire.
California State Univestiy San Bernardino has the 8th highest CPA exam pass rate west of the Mississippi.
The organization that accredits Computer Science programs, stated, "California State University San Bernardino has the finest Computer Science program, bar none."
The MSW program at California State University San Bernardino is one of the 14 such programs in California.
For years, California State University San Bernardino took first AND second place in the Mock United Nations Competition in Washington D.C. This occurred for at least eight years in a row.
So, you go to the "better" schools. CSUSB graduates do extremely well. So well, that they are considered to be some of the best and brightest.
The only thing that CSUSB does NOT have that the UC schools have are doctorial programs in a wide number of subjects. CSUSB only offers one doctorial program.
Would you agree with a statement that an undergrad degree from a "lesser" UC university (Riverside, Santa Cruz, Merced) is as rigorous and prestigious as a degree from a Cal State university, such as CSU San Marcos or San Jose State?
for an undergraduate degree, i don't think there's much of a difference (to be honest) because you'll be getting the same degree.
if you want to be specific in what you want to study a CSU might be a better fit because of how the CSU system is structured. they tailor to those who want a career right after school (which is one of the reasons that many CSUs are known as "commuter schools").
the UC system seems to emphasize research a great deal and seem to excel at the graduate level (all of the UCs offer some sort of PHD degree while CSUs do not).
but in general, both systems are known in and out of the country.
The csu system is the largest university in the world--with well over 350,000 students. What a force for communicating American culture to the world!
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