I’m an NYC kid who is having a tough time deciding between Sonoma State and CSU Bakersfield. Currently I’m enrolled as a first time freshmen at Sonoma, but I’m strongly considering transferring to Bakersfield instead. I know both towns are in the middle of nowhere but which place is more fun and has a better social scene? I’m not expecting any big city life, but I don’t want to be sitting around a farm or mountain area.
I’d encourage you to take a weekend trip to Bakersfield - you’ll get your answer. Bakersfield is far more isolated than Sonoma and doesn’t really have a ‘scene’ to speak of. Most students commute from their family homes. The south end of the San Joaquin Valley and is very hot and dry much of the year and gets gets persistent fog the rest of the year. Big farms and, believe it or not, oil rigs surround the city, it has a very industrial feel and the air isn’t very nice .
Sonoma State is a short trip from Santa Rosa and Petaluma, both of which have pretty active bar/nightclub scenes. On a good day SF is less than 90 min drive, not to mention Bodega Bay, the wine country etc. Most students live on or very close to campus, making it far more likely the person standing next to you at the local coffee shop is also a student.
Sonoma is one of the smaller CSUs. If you are looking for something with a more happening student life, Chico would be a better choice. San Jose or Sac State would be other N Cal choices - though largely a commuter school, the schools is in the middle of a decent sized metro areas with lots to do.
My $.02 - stick with Sonoma State. Lots of students living on campus, you can always head down to SF when you need a city fix.
Sonoma definitely
While both are in smaller towns, Bakersfield is really in the middle of nowhere. It is not close to anything and there is really nothing to do there and is not an attractive area. Really. While Sonoma State is in a small town, Rohnert Park, it is right next to Santa Rosa which has a lot of cool restaurants, shops, and more of a student thing going on. It is a beautiful, lush area, and not far from a beautiful, rugged coastline. You are not far from San Francisco and can easily go into the city for sports, concerts or other entertainment. We are not far from Los Angeles- my D attended Sonoma St. and absolutely loved her time there (once she got used to the term “hella”). Bakersfield is very much a commuter school. Really don’t go there!
Sonoma is one of the more residential CSUs, with about 90% of frosh living in the dorms. Bakersfield is probably heavily commuter, with 13% of frosh living in the dorms.
http://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg05_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=802
https://secure.csumentor.edu/campustour/undergraduate/3/CSU_Bakersfield/CSU_Bakersfield5.html
An out-of-area student who will live at or near the school for the purpose of attending the school may not find the social scene at a heavily commuter school to be as good an experience as at a more residential school.
I live in Sonoma County. Have you actually visited either of these places? The difference will be very obvious when you do 
Sonoma State is not “in the middle of nowwhere.” And your parents are going to love visiting you at college – the California wine country is one of the world’s most desirable destinations for visitors.
Although Bakersfield has a number of great programs and is a couple of hours away from LA, I have to agree with the previous posters. Bakersfield is in the high desert. It gets hot; no, not just hot, it gets “baked”, hence the name Bakersfield.
Bakersfield has some of the worst air pollution in the nation; really poor air quality given the pesticides, fog, and winds, either natural or man-made (tractor plowing). Lots of exposure to methane gas given all of the dairy farms. Unless you plan on majoring in agriculture, I would go with Sonoma.
The best way to figure this out is to fly in, visit Bakersfield and Sonoma. You will see a vast difference.