Relocating to SoCal from MD (Riverside, Moreno Valley: military, work, medical)

[ChocolateTae]

Hey all! I've been lurking for a few days and I've made only one post. I'm 22 and after working FT for the past 2 years the opportunity has finally presented itself for me to go back to school and finish my degree in Biology. My dad is medically retiring from the military and Cali. offers college fee waivers for military dependents. Anyway, I'll be moving to Moreno Valley with him and I've been doing some research as far as the colleges and universities. I'm still unsure as to where I want to apply and whether I want to finish my degree closer to home (Moreno Valley) or attend a university closer to LA. For a semester or two I will attend the Community College of Riverside-Moreno Valley.

So my questions are:
1. What are the top universities/colleges to apply to in the LA and Moreno Valley/Riverside area (SoCal in general)?

2. How far away (driving) is LA from Moreno Valley? And is the traffic really that bad?

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[EscapeCalifornia]

Moreno Valley and LA may as well be in different states. Its not commutable. If you lived in LA and wanted to go home to Moreno Valley and could choose when to drive (like at 2am) that's OK. There's universities and colleges all over. UC Riverside is pretty close.