My S is a junior with 3.8 gpa and 30 ACT and interested in CS. UCs, CalPoly and San Jose State are unlikely options. What are other good CS options for CSU, WUE and privates that are reachable with these very good, but not excellent enough for the better CA computer science schools? Thank you.
With a 3.8 GPA (CSU/UC GPA capped weighted???) and an ACT of 30, most Cal States and possibly UC Riverside and Merced could be options.
Cal States to consider: San Diego State (son graduated this year for CS), CSU Long Beach, CSU Fullerton, Cal Poly Pomona, San Francisco State, Sacramento State, CSU East Bay.
School name is not that important for CS majors unless he is targeting some big name companies: Google, Amazon, etc…
Plenty of CS jobs and the Cal States are a bargain and he will get an excellent education at any of these schools.
Best of luck and he still has time to increase his GPA and ACT scores before Senior year applications.
Perhaps you mean “Facebook” rather than “Google, Amazon, etc.”.
Utah is a good cost effective option (comparable in price to the UCs if you stay over the summer to get residency), which would be a match/safety for these stats. The campus and other facilities are great and you have all the advantages of PAC-12 sports, but it is often overlooked by Californians in favor of (more expensive but what are perceived to be politically more congenial options in) Arizona/Oregon/Colorado.
If open to outside of CA, look at Colorado State, Oregon State, ASU, NAU, Boulder, Western Washington and if open to privates Seattle U, Gonzaga.
Of those CSU, WWU and NAU will be WUE and all have Honors college options that could be a good fit. As is Portland State which is also strong in CS but more of a commuter school (not dissimilar to SJSU or CSLB)
If it must be CA I would agree with the CSU/UC’s above. Private options could include Redlands and Santa Clara, probably LMU and Chapman as well.
U of Maine at Orono has matching in-state flagship program for tuition, in case he wants a different experience. There’s an international airport there, making it easy to get to, and the campus is lovely.
https://go.umaine.edu/apply/scholarships/flagship-match-first-year/
I would also suggest expanding beyond the west coast and looking at some of the tech schools. Is the 3.8 UW or Cal State Weighted and Capped? That will make a difference but ones to consider that might be in range are:
RIT, RPI, WPI, Rose-Hulman, Stevens Institute of Technology, Clarkson. Also look at Michigan State and University of Minnesota.
My kids like cold so I’m not much help with warmer options!
I don’t believe that I would choose a WICHE school that didn’t offer WUE exchange. The added cost just isn’t going to be worth it given all of your CA options. Portland State is oft overlooked, but has a nice campus right in downtown Portland. I’d second Utah also. My son, now an ME at Cal Poly, almost chose Utah instead, even though it is a WAY easier admit than Poly. There’s lots to like. As was previously mentioned, stay over the first summer and the student converts to in state. Lastly, we aren’t Mormon. Although there is an influence, it is way lower in SLC than the rest of the state. It is a very pleasant town.