Hello,
I am a transfer student from a California community college and have been accepted to UC Riverside and San Diego State for business. I’m having a hard time deciding on which school to pick. I live in San Diego and would commute if I picked SDSU. I have full financial aid for both so money is not an issue. My ultimate goal is get accepted into a top MBA program after obtaining my bachelors degree. Any advice would help. Thank you!
San Diego state for sure. Work hard in college and you will make it to a top MBA program. If you are serious about attending a top MBA program you CANNOT slack off. Remind yourself that you are at college to educate yourself and not mess around.
Congrats, they are both very good, spend a couple hours on each campus and talk to a few current students and see which one feels like a better fit for you.
good luck !
Determine whether more firms recruit from UCR or SDSU and which business school these firms recruit from for summer internships and later permanent jobs when you graduate. Talk to current students, graduates, place offices and professors of both school if you can. My preference is UCR.
UC’s are only stereotyped as the “best” in California public schools because they house the 5 of the top public schools in the country, UCLA, UC BERKELEY, UC SANTA BARBARA, UC DAVIS and UC SAN DIEGO. The other UC’s outside of these are as good schools but not as good as the top cal states such as CSULB, SDSU, and CAL POLY SLO. If you want a top school, go with SDSU. However if your priority is that you do not want to commute, then choose UCR. SDSU is more a more happy and upbeat campus. UCR is thought to be boring to the students who attend.
I would not count the other UC’s (UCI, UCSC, UCR) as “not as good” as the top CSU’s with the exception of engineering/computer science at CPSLO. For example, UCR is ranked #85 in the US News national rankings while SDSU is #127. The other CSU’s mentioned are ranked regionally by US News. All UC’s are in the national rankings.
Also, rankings should not be the sole determinant in picking a school. Choose where you are comfortable, the opportunities and career prospects.
Ranking across those platforms is essentially meaningless as UCs offer PhDs and CSUs don’t. They aren’t lumped together by USNWR for just that reason.
Would attending UCR look better to employers outside of California and internationally because they have heard of the UC System. Or would SDSU be better since their acceptance rate is at 34%?
OP: Do you plan to attend MBA school immediately after finishing undergraduate school with a business degree ?
I do plan on attending MBA school after I graduate, however plans change and I want to place myself in the best position possible incase I don’t go the MBA route. I know SDSU has a great business school, but I’m not sure if employers nationwide know that and if attending a school with the UC name would help in that situation.
Generally, you cannot attend a top tier or even a top 25 to 30 MBA program without quality work experience. You need at least about 2 to 3 years of work experience… If you are looking at business school rankings, US News ranks both UCR and SDSU business schools equal somewhere around the high 80’s. Talk to people in the business world and get some opinion which school is better regarded in the long run. From the accounting prospective, I know the Big 4 accounting firms recruit from UCR and I assume the same at SDSU. However, both UCR and SDSU are not heavily targeted schools where the large accounting firms give a larger proportionate number of job offers to graduates versus to other big name business schools. The same for investment banking, etc. I still have a preference for UCR because it is a UC brand name. Also, UCR is one of the lower UC that is moving up in status and perception.
@ashleycosio wrote "I do plan on attending MBA school after I graduate "
Do not do this. If you earn an undergraduate degree in business, there is no reason at all to then immediately do an MBA. You wont be more employable. Also, as noted above, the top full time programs dont generally accept students without prior work experience. ‘’
So you should plan on not attending an MBA school prior to working.
As for SDSU vs UCR prestige, I dont think it makes a huge difference. Both are solid schools, but neither will push a resume to the top of the pile. You should go with whichever you prefer for location, campus, etc. I would lean towa SDSU since San Diego is a much nicer city than Riverside and there are more local businesses vs Riverside. But as noted above, the Univ of Calif name has some cachet.
Finally, while you said you have full aid to both, if that aid includes loans, you shoud consider cost. I assume SDSU is cheaper.
@ashleycosio
+1 on working prior to pursuing your MBA
I would be far more focused on your first employer than graduate program. Significant number of companies will fund an executive MBA if they consider you valuable.
Disagree about the “executive MBA” funding. But many companies will pay for employees’ MBA courses one at a time while continuing to work.
Enrolling in an MBA program immediately after earning an undergraduate degree in business is not wise. You will not derive as much from the MBA program as do those who enter with a few years of post undergraduate work experience.
UCR ranked higher than SDSU on 2019 US News…#78 Undergraduate Business (SOBA) and #89 (Gary Anderson MBA Program)…received my B.S degree in Business Administration there…very good program! The campus is the fastest growing UC for a reason…jumped 39 spots (#85) on 2019 US News ranks…the biggest jump of any college in the NATION! Still has that “personal touch” and a much more collaborative learning experience than most other UC’s with the prestigious University of California name attached to it.
SDSU is a solid Business school as well. Rankings aside, best to check out your “fit” at both by touring them and seeing what feels right for you. Cannot go wrong at either. However, as a UCR alumnus, I’m partial to UC Riverside! Best of luck to you!