I’ve already gotten some answers, but I’d like some more valuable insight.
I have been recently thinking about applying to some UCs (OOS). However, I am pretty set on going to medical school after my undergrad. While my family can afford the UCs, I don’t want to drown in debt. Should I refrain from applying to UCs?
Thank you!
If your family can pay upwards of $450K for both undergrad and medical school then apply. California schools have more Pre-Med students than Medical school spots so there is no advantage for you to attend any of these schools.
^ So that looks like a no. 
You can save money by staying in-state and possibly finish your state Med School with no debt. Sounds like a good deal to me.
What got @mom2collegekids S into med school and Harvard was his efforts in college and med school respectively. What will get you into med school will be reflective of your college efforts, not where you attend. Save your parents the 60K yearly cost as an OOS UC student. Med school is very expensive. Graduating from a UC will not give you an edge. More likely you’ll get weeded out as the UCs are full of strong aspiring premeds on day one but who end up in their Plan B, C, etc.Good luck.
What is the appeal of the UCs for you (there are very good reasons to like them)? What is your state flagship? Does your state have reciprocity with other nearby states (like MN and WI) and the western states)?
To me, you are paying a lot OOS at the UCs for very large classes, and, at least this year, some crowded campuses. They are great, and we looked at them OOS. You can do that, just might be an expensive option. That might be fine for you, which is great. Go for it!
You might be able to get a better deal at a private university, which will probably have a higher sticker price than the UCs, but you might have a better chance at aid. Public universities rarely give much aid to OOS students. You can run the Net Price Calculators at different schools to get an estimate of what you might be expected to pay.
Some possibilities where the weather is nice (since that might be some of the appeal of the UCs): Santa Clara University, Tulane, Miami University (Florida), Duke, Wake Forest, and Wash U in St. Louis. Some smaller schools that might be good for a pre-med student: Emory, Rhodes, Davidson, Denison, and Colorado College. Denison gives good merit aid. (I’m assuming you have a strong record if you are looking at UCs OOS, but Emory, Duke, and Wash U, in particular, are very, very tough in RD.) Case Western gives good merit aid and has a research hospital immediately adjacent to campus. Cleveland is a much better city than most think; the school’s neighborhood is nice; weather IS cold and gray. Good luck!
I live in Ohio, and am applying to Ohio State’s Honors Program, which I will seriously consider if I get in. I am applying to Case Western, mostly because of the hospitals surrounding it and the opportunities I can get there. I have honestly been resistant to applying to the UCs, because of the distance (I come from an arabic family, so family is emphasized), and while my parents can afford these schools, I don’t want them to really stretch their money out.
While my family can afford the UCs, I don't want to drown in debt. Should I refrain from applying to UCs?
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Can you clarify?
Are you saying that your parents will pay (no loans) $60k per year for a UC, but then if you went to med school, you’d have a bunch of debt for that?
Either way, no OOS premed should go to a UC…a total waste