UC Davis vs UC San Diego for Computer Science undergraduate

College Search & Selection
1

So I recently got accepted to both colleges for computer science (technically CSE for Davis but I plan on just going CS) and I’m completely torn between the two. As of now, I’m leaning more towards Davis just because the social scene seems much more pleasant. However, the disparity in ranking between the schools makes it hard to choose.

My main objectives in college are to socialize (as I am a pretty introverted person and I want to break out of my shell a bit) while also setting myself up to get a good paying job right out of college (possibly with a big tech company). While I’m sure that both schools can fulfill this, both schools seem to have their strengths and weaknesses. I’m not super concerned about the distance from home because I will honestly be far enough no matter what and I already plan to study abroad later in college.

I also plan to visit both schools in the near future to get a feel for the campuses, but I tend to stress about things all the time so I at least want to have some peace of mind before I visit and make a final decision.

Here’s what I know/think about the schools as far as my understanding:

UC Davis:

  • Close to home (I live in the bay area)
  • College Town
  • Great community (from what I’ve heard from alumni and others)
  • I won’t need a car
  • Close® to silicon valley (not sure how important this is tbh)
  • Good CS program

UC San Diego:

  • Much more prestigious CS program
  • Much farther from home (again, not really a problem either way)
  • I got placed in Sixth College… nuff said
  • “Socially Dead” (While I know that college is what you make of it and everything, I would much appreciate a little boost in socializing and stuff so this is a disadvantage for me)
  • Expensive area to live in so I would have to pay a fortune if I want to stay outside of campus (I see that sixth college apartments are even farther than the freshman dorms)
  • A car would be very useful (even though I’ve heard that parking is a nightmare)
  • A beach (honestly I don’t care TOO much about this)

After considering all these things, it seems that the only thing that draws me to San Diego is its prestige; am I wrong to consider it just for that? I know I want to find balance in my college life which is why I’m leaning towards Davis but… I’m still torn between the two.

What are your thoughts/experiences with the schools? How are the job opportunities for both schools in CS? Any feedback regarding the schools and/or CS courses would be appreciated!

2

I’m a graduate of UC Davis and I live and work near UCSD. And for social life you are better off at Davis. Davis is a true college town. Everything you need is right there in biking distance. And while there is a college vibe in the immediate vicinity of the UCSD campus, the town of San Diego is the 2nd-largest city in California, and if it has any overall vibe at all I’d say it’s a military town.

Weather-wise it’s no contest. San Diego is pleasant pretty much all year round. Davis is quite pleasant in the spring and fall but it gets cold rain storms in the winter and blazing heat in the summer.

Other comparisons: UC Davis is a bigger sports school. It is NCAA Div.I and has a football team. UCSD is not and does not. Although there is some talk of it going Div.I in a few years. UCSD is near the beach. UC Davis is near a lot of farms. Davis has better pizza. UCSD has better Mexican food.

I can’t speak to their relative strengths in CS because that’s not my field. In general both schools are very well respected and you can get a good job or get into a fine graduate school from either school. My suggestion is to visit both schools while school is in session and see which one says to you “These are my people.”

3

Yes.

Prestige helps a lot when you are in a “soft” major. A consulting firm hiring liberal arts students will tend to recruit at highly selective colleges because 4 years earlier the college already did a lot of screening for them and with records they won’t have access to (gpa, teacher recs, test scores).

CS is different. It is a readily demonstrable skill. Spend a few minutes and search on the web for “CS interview questions”. This is the kind of stuff future employers will ask you, and they don’t care where you learned it.

Another thing that will matter a lot is having internships. From either UC you will be able to get good ones starting summer after soph year, and ambitious kids find one after frosh year.

What I’m saying is there is no advantage for SD over Davis.

4

What @mikemac said. Go with the best fit here, not the highest ranked program.