I originally posted a forum a whole back in search of cal state schools that would be good for OOS students. During my search I’ve come to to the conclusion that Chico, Humboldt, Sonoma, and Monterey Bay have the most traditional college feel. Chico is an unattractive option because of its location, and I’ve heard bad things about the Monterey Bay campus. Humboldt seems to be the best option, it’s close to the beach and it looks beautiful. I’ve also heard good things about Sonoma but I don’t know too much about the campus. Also, I will definitely be applying to the San Diego, and Cal Poly SLO, however their admission criteria has become so selective that I’m starting to think I won’t get into either. Any suggestions or insight about this situation would help. Thanks (:
Have you checked out Channel Islands? I know a lot of happy students there. Many commute but there is on-campus housing.
I highly recommend visiting. Each campus is very different, partly because California’s geography is quite varied.
Note that Humboldt, sure, is close to a beach, but it’s already Pacific Northwest weather (rainy and cold ocean). Beautfiul environment if you like feeling like you’re on an island off the coast of Portland.
Add CPP. Less competitive than SLO but still quite reputable and while many students commute, you may qualify for Honors College which would provide for a more residential/community feel.
Where did you get your information?
Chico has a great vibe and is a great college town.
I’ve heard its a great town but its located in a rural area far away from the ocean and I would rather be by the ocean,
Do you realize that MOST of California is not near an ocean and almost all of California beaches aren’t swimmable? If you want “ocean weather” you’re pretty much restricted to the coast below Los Angeles.
There are three aspects to a college’s location:
(1) The campus itself. A residential campus with activity on nights and weekends will have a better atmosphere than a commuter campus where most students drive home after class.
(2) Off-campus stuff within walking distance. Ideally you want to be able to walk off-campus into an attractive commercial area with fun student-oriented services like restaurants, clothing stores, book stores, movie theaters, music venues, etc.
(3) Off-campus stuff within driving distance. A lot of college applicants like the idea of being close to a major city, or to the beach, so there will be cool stuff to do in their spare time.
College applicants typically understand point (1), but in my opinion they tend to underestimate the importance of (2), while overvaluing (3). The harsh reality is that you are going to college to study – you aren’t going to have loads of free time to explore the Big City or hang out on the beach or whatever. So the vast majority of your day-to-day college experience will be in (1) and (2). Once in a while, like on a break or a three-day weekend, you might take advantage of (3) if your schoolwork is going well, but this will be the exception.
So to me, Chico State has a more attractive location than, say, Sonoma State. OK, Sonoma beats Chico in terms of (3), but Chico easily beats Sonoma in terms of (2). Chico is one of the top college towns in the state, while there are few student-oriented services in Rohnert Park. If you want go out with some friends and do something fun off-campus after class or in the evening, then Chico will be better than Sonoma on nine days out of ten.
@katelynkey, Most of the great California schools are inland and are not on the beaches.
I have to agree with @Corbett and @MYOS1634.
You are basing everything on a flat map that has any blue color nearby.
California is huge, with mountains, forrests, hills, deserts, sand dunes, vast agricultural valleys and beaches. For warm weather and warm beaches, where you can sit for a while, it has to be anything LA and southwards. Go north from that point and you start to get cold, windy, choppy, non-swimmable waters for most of the academic year. The views are great in some areas! Even the Southern California beaches get big waves and cold un-swimmable weather. In other words, working on your tan, aint gonna happen. Take blankets, hot cocoa, gloves and hats and find someplace where you can actually sit on the beach.
If you want beaches with water temps in the 70’s and 80’s, head to Hawaii. You won’t get that for most of the year ANYWHERE in California.
FYI: Many Californians don’t really head north to Humboldt and the Sonoma areas for college because they don’t like being cold and wet. There is a reason the trees are so green. Northern California is really NORTHERN-look at the longitude and latitudes for those areas.
So you go ahead and go to Humboldt, pay our state your $42K per year for the beach views, and let us know how the lumberjacks are holding up near the beaches.
jeez…you guys are mean lol
@rosaliefontaine,
This child is basing her education on the location of a beach. It’s not meant to be mean but realistic for her education. If her parents are going to pony up $160K+ for this child’s education, that family needs to know what they are getting themselves into.
Humboldt is a WUE school and the top choice for many kids from Colorado. It’s not easy to get to.
Humboldt admits 77% of applicants. It’s supremely easy to get into.
I really am at a loss as to where you get your statistics. And I totally agree with those who are saying you can’t base your school choice based on blue on a map. And most of those aren’t really that near the beaches anyway. They just look like it on a map. And most beaches aren’t that nice to swim in.
Your original question was about “traditional college feel.” Now you are making it all about beaches. May I suggest you spend time clarifying your priorities? There are many good state schools with a very good “college feel.” Don’t dismiss them.
But DO visit.
@calla1,
I think that @twoinanddone meant that physically, it’s harder to get to Humboldt and Sonoma (limited airport access, smaller highways, longer drive). I had forgotten about that part until she mentioned it.
Traditional college feel? From the OP’s limited choices, I say Chico.
San Diego and Cal Poly don’t participate in WUE, but they also have a great college traditions; but, OP won’t get into those impacted campuses.
Sonoma State is a 50-mile round trip from the nearest beach, at Bodega Bay. It’s scenic, but also cold, rocky, and windy. You probably won’t want to spend any time in the water without a wetsuit. Rohnert Park is arguably in the Bay Area, but it’s a 120-mile round trip to San Francisco. On a day-to-day basis, the beach and the city are not part of the college experience there.
CSUMB and Humboldt State actually are near beaches, and I will acknowledge that this is an advantage. However, it probably isn’t as big an advantage as the OP thinks. The beaches will also be cold and windy, and a wetsuit will be needed for swimming or surfing. At CSUMB, the proximity of the beach does not compensate for the lack of anything else near the campus. At Humboldt, there will be many days of rain and fog, which will make the beach much less appealing.
Chico is not near a beach or a major city. Students can, however, find a lot of off-campus entertainment simply by walking across the street. The only CSUs where you can do this are Chico, SLO, Humboldt State, and San Diego State. SLO and SDSU are highly impacted, so that leaves Chico and Humboldt.
Chico State is a larger school, in a larger community, warmer and drier, somewhat isolated, no beach access, and a mainstream college vibe. Humboldt State is a smaller school, in a smaller community, cooler and wetter, extremely isolated, close to a cold foggy beach, and a hippie alternative vibe. My guess is that most California residents, if they had to choose between the two, would probably prefer Chico.
I think the OP is approaching the limit of what be learned from college confidential. The next step is to start visiting these schools.
And the OP may need a lot of time to do this. San Diego State and Humboldt State are nearly 800 miles apart, and that’s without including side trips to Cal Poly SLO, CSUMB, Sonoma State, or Chico State.
Humboldt is great if you love great, dark forests and melancoly grey skies overlooking the pearl-colored waves with mirrors of shallow water on dark sand beaches shrouded in romantic fog (not so romantic if you’re in the middle of it, but can make for a great photograph). Academically, it’s terrific for biology in all its forms. And of course for Colorado students there’s continuity in finding incense-tinged air 
just kidding (but Humboldt does uphold its reputation).
@twoinanddone I apologize for reading your post too quickly and reacting too fast. I was thinking I was talking with the OP. Thanks AuntBea for the correction!
The list of WUE schools with a view of the Pacific from campus AND offer a ‘college experience’ is SHORT. Just Humboldt, but, if you think Chico is isolated, try making the drive to Arcata… Channel Islands is really close but, it doesn’t yet have much of a buzz around it. Monterrey doesn’t participate in WUE anymore.
You really should visit all the campuses before getting your heart set on one vs the other.
The CSU Channel Islands campus is WUE and close to the beach. The problem, as with CSUMB, is that it isn’t very close to anything else. The CSUCI campus was the former site of a state mental hospital, which was deliberately placed in a isolated location. There are farms on one side of the campus, undeveloped hills on the other side, and literally nothing else within walking distance.
Agree that Humboldt is the only WUE school in California that offers both a “college experience” and a reasonably accessible “beach experience”. However, Humboldt offers an “Oregon beach experience,” as opposed to a “Southern California beach experience”. And there is a reason why Oregon, despite a long coastline, isn’t as famous for its beaches as Southern California or Florida or Hawaii.
@katelynkey My recommendation for combining college and beach experiences: check out WUE schools in Hawaii. If you prefer a WUE school in California, then I would suggest going to Chico for a great college experience, paying discounted WUE tuition, and using the savings to pay for an annual Hawaii vacation to get a great beach experience.
I believe Monterrey is no longer a WUE school.