I’m looking to apply to a few CSU’s instead of UC to save money. Which CSU’s are best for the degree I’m going for, finance, and maybe a double concentration or minor in accounting. I’m looking for rankings. Thank you.
Depending upon your Stats, look at Cal Poly SLO, Cal Poly Pomona, San Diego State, San Jose State, CSU Long Beach, Fullerton, Sonoma State, Chico State, San Francisco, Northridge and Sacramento.
What’s your eligibility index? Cal poly slo is the best for business i heard
CSU’s (except SLO) admit by Eligibility index and major.
(CSU GPA x800) + (SAT Math + CR) or (CSU GPA x200) + (ACT comp x10).
Calculate out your CSU EI and then posters can give you some suggestions.
SLO uses an MCA point system instead. Below is how to calculate but here are the Freshman profile stat for SLO Business school so you can compare your CP GPA (SLO includes 9th grades also) and your test scores:
Average CP GPA: 4.02 Average ACT: 30 Average SAT (Math + CR): 1342
The maximum GPA they will use is 4.2, even though you can have a higher calculated CP GPA. A 4.2 is worth 2250 MCA points. Thus, multiply your CP GPA by 535.7 and you’ll get your MCA points for GPA.
The next biggest thing is test scores. The odd thing, likely because they wanted it to total a nice round number, is that the max score is 1650, even though the max SAT score is 1600. Multiply the total of your best SAT CR and your best SAT math by 1.03125 to get your MCA test points. If you took the ACT, they convert and vice versa.
The third largest section is the class rigor score, worth 750 points. In this section you get zero points for meeting the minimum admission requirements and adders for more than the minimum. The bonuses in order of power are (min semesters/max total semesters/bonus per extra semester/total possible bonus): math 6/10/125/500 (note: stats and finite do not count), lab science 4/8/50/200, English 8/10/50/100, foreign language 4/8/25/100, visual performance 2/4/25/50, no bonus points for social sciences or electives. As with GPA, you can actually score higher than the maximum, but 750 is the most they will count.
Finally, work and ECs, worth 350 points. Work (hours per week/bonus): 0/0, 1-5/20, 6-10/40, 11-15/60, 16-20/80, 21+/100, add 50 points if work is major related. ECs (hours per week/bonus): 0/0, 1-5/30, 6-10/60, 11-15/90, 16-20/120, 21+/150, add 60 points for leadership role.
There you go. Good luck.
GPA = 2250
Test = 1650
Class rigor = 750
EC / Work Hrs = 350
Subtotal for accademic points = 5000
Parents education = 600
Veteran’s benefit = 700
Zip code= 500
High school = 700
Parent employed by CPSLO = 700
Subtotal for Demographic points = 3200
Max attainable points = 8200
Scores are capped at 5,000
Based on selectivity:
Cal Poly SLO
SDSU
CSULB
SJSU
CSU Fullerton
Depending upon who is doing the rankings (US News/Forbes…)
SLO and SDSU are usually 1 or 2
SJSU
CSULB
CSU Fullerton
Remember best is in the “eye of the beholder” meaning the best should be a good fit for you: academically/socially and financially.
Apply to all and I would also include CSU Northridge for accounting and Cal Poly Pomona. Much will depend upon your stats since CSU’s are a numbers game.
Can someone rank the top 5 CSU’s for the business degree I’m pursuing? I’m looking to major in finance and I might double major in accounting or minor in accounting. Thank you.
Without your stats and other interests, this is a silly exercise.
As @gumbymom notes above, you need to find the program/campus that’s right for you. Truth be told, the business programs at most of the 23 CSUs are fine. Find where you fit and go there.
If all you want is rankings then just look on a rankings website.
A 5-second google search titled “best CSUs” came up with this:
The best CSUs regardless of major are
1.Cal Poly Slo
2.Cal Poly Pomona
3.SJSU
4.CSULB
5.CSU Chico
More or less what others said, although I was under the impression SDSU was a good school. Just cross reference the rankings with whether or not they have business schools.
I reject any ranking top 5 ranking that excludes SDSU…
SDSU Business is ranked #77 by US News while Cal Poly Pomona is #183. I agree with @arch918 that SDSU is in the top 5. Also SDSU is ranked under National Universities #144 not under regional so that is why it may not be on the Regional list. Cal Poly Pomona is higher ranked for Engineering but not for Business. Rankings still will not tell an applicant if they are a fit.
^Of course they won’t, but the OP didn’t say anything about fit, just rankings.
As @Gumbymom wrote, the ranking link provided in post #7 is what the US News classifies as “Regional Universities (West).” SDSU is not ranked as a “Regional Universities (West)” school, and that is the reason they weren’t listed in that particular link. 22 of the 23 CSU campuses are considered by US News as a “Regional Universities (West)” university, but SDSU is the only CSU that is ranked as a “National University.” That is why none of the UCs are listed in that link since they are considered National Universities, too.
Per US News -
“Regional Universities offer a full range of undergraduate programs and some master’s programs but few doctoral programs. Regional Universities include Providence College, Santa Clara University, Elon University and Butler University.”
"Schools in the National Universities category, such as Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania, offer a full range of undergraduate majors, plus master's and doctoral programs. These colleges also are committed to producing groundbreaking research."
I understand - and I am curious why SDSU falls under national unlike the other ones
SDSU has doctoral programs and other CSU’s do not or very few as posted by @Fish125.
@philbegas - Exactly what @Gumbymom wrote – doctoral programs. Way back in 1960, the State of CA and the UC Regents created the CA Master Plan for Higher Education. This plan has been updated several times over the years, but it was created to establish clear and specific boundaries for the UCs, CSUs, and community colleges in the state in order to give all residents access to a quality college education. Basically, the powers-that-be wanted to stop all of these institutions from competing. The UC system became more of the elite system and was able to do tons of research and have doctoral programs. The CSUs were expected to primarily attract high school seniors in the top 1/3rd of their graduating class, and seniors from each university’s local area were given priority. Also, the CSUs were only allowed to have a few doctoral programs if they were able to support these programs at their schools, and only if those doctorates were given in conjunction with a UC school or an equally accredited university.
These specific CSU/UC boundaries have become a bit murky over the years, especially as the state’s population increased considerably. A few of the CSUs rose to the top, and with that, their schools greatly changed, and, with some of the schools, their towns/cities are completely different than they were 50+ years ago. San Diego is no longer a sleepy little military town. Back in those days, much of the city and county were farmland, but, though we are still very proud of our strong military presence, San Diego has expanded into a very multi-faceted and vibrant city. With this growth, and being one of the largest cities in the country, our universities have greatly benefited, particularly SDSU.
Over the past several years, SDSU has received lots of money in grants/contracts for research. It is a significant amount. Not in the same category as some of the UC schools, but definitely huge, especially for a CSU. I forget the years, but, between 2005-2010, SDSU was also named the number 1 “small research university” for, I think, three or four years in a row. The designation of “small research university” was also based on how many doctoral degrees the school awards. In recent years, due to demands by some of the CSUs, the number of doctoral degrees that CSU schools can award has increased significantly. Due to this research and doctoral program growth, SDSU is considered a “national” university in those rankings.
Wow, thank you for the in-depth reply, I missed Fish125’s blurb about it somehow. I’ve only heard good things about SDSU from friends who graduated from it, and San Diego is an awesome city. I’m definitely keep SDSU in mind for my own graduate possibilities.
@philbegas - Glad to help!!
@thekollegekid123 - In addition to rankings, GPA, test scores, and fit, you might want to think of where you would eventually like to work post college graduation. In a county like San Diego, where one out of every seven college graduates is an Aztec, quite a few business owners, managers, and HR staff are SDSU graduates. Approximately, 60% of SDSU students remain in San Diego after they graduate, and the alumni, locally and state- and nation-wide, is a strong and loyal bunch. They are donors to the school, mentor current students, and often create internship partnerships with the school. Other CSU campuses might have a similar alumni business network in their communities, too.