I would choose the state first and the community college second. If you are interested in transferring to a public university (like Berkeley, UCLA or UW), then you should be attending a community college in that state. Acceptance rates for in-state transfer applicants are typically a lot higher than for out-of-state transfer applicants at selective public universities like the ones you named.
After I chose a state, I would take the following into account when selecting a community college:
- Cost of living. I would probably avoid the big cities because I don't want to pay $1300k for a bedroom in NYC when I could get a room for $300 upstate.
- Transportation. Assuming that I don't want to pay for a car, I would choose a community college in a location that either has a public transit system, or is located such that I could live within walking/biking distance and also have all of my other needs met within walking/biking distance (groceries, doctors, etc). Keep in mind that some areas of the country have weather that makes walking or biking not a good option for part of the year. (E.g. can't easily walk/bike in 3-foot snow and wouldn't want to be outside for too long in 120 degree heat.) Your odds of finding a bus system are a lot higher in "college towns". Check for community colleges near 4-year universities.
- School size and course options. Take a look at the course schedules (NOT THE CATALOG) and see how many courses of interest are offered each term. Try to find out if it's difficult to get into the courses you want - you may have to reach out to an academic adviser at the college to find out. It could be difficult to get into a course for a couple of different reasons:
- Most colleges will cancel courses with insufficient enrollment. What's the cutoff (10 students? 20?) and how likely is it that the courses you want to take will meet the cutoff? That's mostly a concern for the more specialized upper-level courses that may not appeal to many students.
- On the flip side, the courses you want to take may be too popular (or not have enough sections offered) and the college may have to limit enrollment through a lottery or other means.
- Some courses are closed to non-majors, and the particular major may have a waitlist associated with it. (For example, in my area there's a 2-3 year waiting list for nursing programs at community colleges.)
- If you want to work while you're in school, consider scheduling flexibility. Does the college offer evening or weekend or online sections of the courses you need?
After you have chosen a community college, one last important question to think about is WHEN you want to enroll. If money is a concern, it may make sense to live locally for a year WITHOUT TAKING CLASSES. That way you qualify for cheaper in-state tuition rates. If you enroll straight away, you may be classified an out-of-state student for all 4+ years you study in the state.