<p>I’m surprised no one has brought up how US News ranks them, since that’s typically the first thing brought up in the UC threads. Here’s what it looks like (Master’s Universities - West rankings)</p>
<h1>6 Cal Poly - SLO (also #1 public)</h1>
<h1>26 Long Beach State</h1>
<h1>30 Chico State</h1>
<h1>32 Cal Poly - Pomona</h1>
<h1>32 Cal State Fullerton</h1>
<h1>32 Sonoma State</h1>
<h1>38 Fresno State</h1>
<h1>38 Humboldt State</h1>
<h1>38 San Jose State</h1>
<h1>45 Cal State Stanislaus</h1>
<h1>45 San Francisco State</h1>
<p>“Tier 3”</p>
<p>CSU Bakersfield
CSU East Bay
CSU Northridge
CSU Sacramento
CSU San Bernardino
CSU San Marcos</p>
<p>“Tier 4”</p>
<p>CSU Dominguez Hills
CSU Los Angeles</p>
<p>EDIT: Just saw that you did look at the US News rankings, sorry.</p>
<ol>
<li>San Diego State</li>
<li>Cal Poly San Luis Obispo</li>
<li>Cal State Long Beach</li>
<li>Cal State Chico</li>
<li>Cal Poly Pomona</li>
<li>Cal State Fullerton</li>
<li>Humboldt State</li>
<li>Cal State Fresno</li>
<li>San Jose State</li>
<li>Cal State Stanislaus</li>
<li>San Francisco State</li>
<li>Cal State Sacramento</li>
<li>Cal State San Bernardino</li>
<li>Cal State Northridge</li>
<li>Cal State San Marcos</li>
<li>(Un-ranked) Cal State Bakersfield, Dominguez Hills, East Bay, Los Angeles</li>
</ol>
<p>I feel like the best CSU’s are Cal Poly SLO and San Diego State, most others are good except the unranked schools of course. People in LA seem to look down on CSULA. I feel like CSUN is the most favored in LA because it’s familiar and a lot of corporations in LA work with many of the departments @ CSUN.</p>
<p>Interesting, I didn’t know SDSU topped Cal Poly this year. I’d go to SDSU over SJSU or SFSU but still would choose Cal Poly SLO over any other CSU. If you are doing anything technical Cal Poly trumps over all the other CSU’s and even the majority of UC’s. For the majority of other programs its closer to the same quality as a normal CSU just for a bit more a year.
For So Cal CSU’s I’d also choose CSUN over CSULA, CSUSB, CSUSM, CSUS and even CSULB although that would be my next choice then CSUF.</p>
<p>How can you place SDSU at number one when US news doesn’t even put it in the same category as the other CSUs due to the fact that they offer Phds? The only fair way to incorporate SDSU into the rankings is to look at their Academic Reputation score which I believe is as follows:</p>
<p>CSUN is the most favored in LA? According to who? Most people would rather go to Cal Poly Pomona, CSULB, CSUF. For comparison, Cal Poly Pomona freshmen average 1060 on the SAT while CSUN averages 925. Three quarters of CSUN freshmen have to take remedial math and English. I would say they’re about the same as CSULA and CSUDH in the Los Angeles area.</p>
<p>@CSUN is the most favored in LA? According to who? Most people would rather go to Cal Poly Pomona, CSULB, CSUF. For comparison, Cal Poly Pomona freshmen average 1060 on the SAT while CSUN averages 925. Three quarters of CSUN freshmen have to take remedial math and English. I would say they’re about the same as CSULA and CSUDH in the Los Angeles area.</p>
<p>Sorry, I’m taking everything into consideration including location, location, location, program offering with electives I want, overall campus aesthetics, cost, educational value including student body, professors, and administration!
I tend to do that since didn’t grow up in LA but did live there 2 years to take SMC’s Environmental and Urban Studies program. I also checked out many of the campuses and majors I could choose from within the CSU system course by course. I use to think CSUN was eh okay but my opinion just improved over time realizing it’s actually pretty damn good and close to what I wanted but not quite. More people from where I was living who didn’t go to UCLA tended to go to CSUN over say CSULA or CSUDH. I just liked CSUNs program and locations more. I don’t really care for Pomona but could handle Fullerton and like many of their programs too which before I looked thought would have been just blah.</p>
<p>@kmazza, just because you favored CSUN doesn’t mean it’s the most favored in Los Angeles, though I am glad you found what you wanted there. </p>
<p>I would say that the best way to measure which CSU is most “favored” is to look at their SATs since higher scores mean higher standards and thus a reflection of higher demand. Please excuse the repost.</p>
<p>Actually I never had to care about SAT rankings as I am a transfer with an excellent transcript and GPA. I was really happy with taking most of my lower division UC transferable classes at SMC over anywhere else throughout LA region including UCLA. I just loved the location, professors, classes, educational quality, facilities, cost, vibe etc than over say at CCLA. I just think alot more people on the west side in general if grew up around there tended to go to CSUN over CSULA unless CSULA had the more appropriate program for them just like they would more likely choose SMC over CCLA. That was the case with me whether I choose geo-sciences or film as I don’t think I would get into UCLA Film as a junior transfer but will try anyways for the hell of it. It just happens that Caly Poly has one of the best BS in Earth Science/Soil Science programs in the US that I personally think is the best amongst the CSU system and rivals UC’s. I thought CSUF’s geo-sciences looked really good but like there Photojournalism program better. I decided I wanted something more challenging in the geo sciences and decided on UCSB but need to take a few more classes. I’ve also decided that next year I am going to even return to SMC and take a year of math, chem, physics, and botany for the Environmental Science AA/Cert.</p>
<p>I am in my first semester at CSUN right now & while I do feel like it is an “upper division” community college based on the kind of clique-y people who go there & all the commuters, I guess the quality of classes is fairly rigorous. Although, I have no idea what classes are like at the UCs so I suppose my definition of “rigorous” here is just, well…having homework that never seems to end? :)</p>
<p>However, there are the same brands of professors at CSUN as there were at my CC. Like, you do occasionally get a PhD, but the majority of profs seem to be MAs. My Critical Theory prof this semester is a PhD from UCI, for example, while the others as far as I know have only MA degrees. I am in the English department, so I’m not sure about the other departments and their professors, though.</p>
<p>But, in keeping in check with the previous posts, the location is much more favorable than CSULA, not just because of my proximity to it, but it’s got a more “small town” feel to it. CSULA, on the other hand, being right off the 10 Freeway, doesn’t seem quite as nice, heh.</p>
<p>^^^That was my sentiment as well so thanks for supporting my original premise.</p>
<p>Its not the quality of classes that distinguish a CC from a CSU or UC, its the pace and level of grade where you have the chance to take the specialty classes and electives.
For example a UC may offer on the 3000 level basically the exact same class, albeit a different fancier name, a CSU student will take on the 4000 or 5000 level.
It is just that the quality of professors at a UC is more consistent. That is you have a better chance not to get a dud where a CC or CSU can be hit or miss.
Also to teach at a CC or CSU, one only needs a MA/MFA, but at a UC, they would most likely need a PhD to get hired and/or become a full time faculty member.
Really in the end, its all what the individual student does on their own. This is college…instructors are not going to hold your hand and do the work for you. You are only being taught about 20% of what you need for the real world and have to teach yourself the other 80% on your own no matter where you go. Instructors are there for you to ask questions to and to see if you have the passion and ability to possibly make it in their field of choice. They get paid no matter if a student gets an A or an F as their primary job is too herd you through the system and wishing you the best of luck in life.</p>
<p>Any CCC is basically an extension of lower division high school and CSU an extension of upper division high school. A CSU also has the primary goal of prepping the student for entry level work and/or the state exam. If a person was smart enough and could take and pass the state exam they wouldn’t need college in the first place.</p>
<ol>
<li>Cal Poly San Luis Obispo</li>
<li>San Diego State</li>
<li>Cal Poly Pomona</li>
<li>Cal State Long Beach</li>
<li>Cal State Fullerton</li>
<li>Humboldt State</li>
<li>Chico State</li>
<li>Fresno state</li>
<li>San Jose State</li>
<li>Sonoma State</li>
<li>Cal State Northridge</li>
<li>San Francisco State</li>
<li>Cal State Stanislaus</li>
<li>Cal State Sacramento</li>
<li>Cal State San Bernardino</li>
<li>Cal State San Marcos</li>
<li>Cal State Bakersfield</li>
<li>Cal State Dominguez Hills</li>
<li>Cal State East Bay</li>
<li>Cal State LA</li>
<li>Cal State Channel Islands</li>
</ol>
<p>NR. Cal Maritime (Not a comprehensive university)</p>
<p>CSULB is ranked overall higher then CSUN. For a career in journalism, you wan’t to be in an area with more job opportunities and work experience. Long Beach would probably offer that more than Northridge. I have been told Northridge’s student body is not an active campus then again most cal states are commuters with students just heading home after class BUT Long Beach may offer a better social scene then Northridge. Therefore, you will possibly meet more people in the same career of study that you can work with in the future.</p>
<p>I’ll just say Long Beach for an overall better experience.</p>