UC vs CSU UC gets the jobs?

Transfer Students UC Transfers
1

<p>I know that there is the constant debate about which is better for trying to get a job. A UC with a major like (econ, comm, psych,english,asian/enviro/latin/etc.. studies and poli sci) or a CSU with a business major (finance, management, marketing, HR or Information systems) </p>

<p>I know that the CSU's are more job entry education base, where as the UC is theory based. But is the UC name so powerful that even with what would seem like a weaker major(listed above), it would still get the good jobs. But someone who goes to a CSU and studies what would seem like a strong major, is left with scraps. </p>

<p>For GPA, lets says they are all between 3.0-3.5</p>

<p>It seems like even though people who go to UCs and study majors not related to business, they get the good jobs. Perhaps because of there wide visions from the theory base teaching style. </p>

<p>But the CSU kids who study like marketing or finance, they can't get a job, or a good one, even though they majored in it specifically. </p>

<p>It seems strange how one who doesn't even study the major at a UC has higher pay and the better job rank. But the CSU students who spend years studying the major have to fight just to be left with scraps. </p>

<p>1) My cousin went to UCLA and majored in English, now she works for IMAX in marketing</p>

<p>2) My friend went to UCLA and majored in business economics, now she works for facebook ad marketing</p>

<p>3) My friend went to UCD and majored in economics, now he works in finance for Smith Barney </p>

<p>4) My friend went to CSUN and majored in accounting, now works for HR Block.</p>

<p>5) Another went to CSULB and majored in finance, now can't find a job(1.5 yrs of looking)</p>

<p>6) One when to CSULB and majored in Information systems management, and had an internship, now has no job. 2 yrs. </p>

<p>Even though CSULB is the 2nd best CSU (behind San Luis). It seems like the good jobs/careers go to the UC kids, where as the CSU kids who study like marketing specifically are left with nothing. </p>

<p>What are your thought on this?
Is the UC name that strong that even if you do something entirely not related, you can still have a great career even better than those at the CSU who spend 3-4yrs?</p>

2

<p>Simple answer: Yes.
UC’s are superior over CSU’s.
You have Nobel Lauretes professors (meaning they won the Nobel Prize) at UC’s – there are none at CSU
You have professors who are teaching you while doing a research at the same time.
Berkeley has their own nuclear reactor on campus for their nuclear/physics majors students
and etc, etc.</p>

<p>6 out of 9 of our UC’s are ranked Top 50 worldwide.
And these 6 are considered public ivy leagues</p>

<p>UC’s also get hundreds of million of dollar in endowments</p>

3

<p>This is impossible to determine, since it really depends on what the persons end goals are . UCLA is one of the best schools on Earth , like if we compared UCLA and UCSC I’m sure that UCLA has a higher rate of people with nice jobs . </p>

<p>Personally I’m more concerned with getting into grad school , since thats what you need to get a decent job now ( poli sci m,ajor</p>

4

<p>I’m not sure about other major, but a Business degree from UCLA, or UCB of course BETTER THAN ANY CSU. The name of UCLA and UCB are far the strongest name ever to ever land the job for any student. ( The only school that can beat those are Ivy league) </p>

<p>I’m not sure about Econ degree in UCSD, business degree in UCR, or even UCI. But I will give a little edge over to the UC system. </p>

<p>Compare mid tier-low tier UC degree to CSU degree = Not so far from each other. ( the only UCs that stand out the most are UCB and UCLA + Cal CIT)
In another case, A grad degree from any UCs would beat any CSU degree for sure. 100%. :D</p>

5

<p>Simply said, CSU’s…excluding Pomona are just schools for people not good enough for UCs.</p>

6

<p>The problem with these type of comparisons is that they are mostly based on anecdotes and speculation, because only a few UCs and CSUs make detailed career survey information available.</p>

<p>Only Berkeley and Cal Poly SLO seem to have detailed career survey information by major available:
<a href=“https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/Major.stm[/url]”>https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/Major.stm&lt;/a&gt;
[Graduate</a> Status Report - Career Services - Cal Poly](<a href=“http://www.careerservices.calpoly.edu/content/student/gsr_report]Graduate”>http://www.careerservices.calpoly.edu/content/student/gsr_report)</p>

<p>There is some limited information available from UCLA and SJSU:
[UCLA</a> Career Center](<a href=“http://career.ucla.edu/Students/FirstDestinationSurvey.aspx]UCLA”>http://career.ucla.edu/Students/FirstDestinationSurvey.aspx)
<a href=“http://careercenter.sjsu.edu/Downloads/Salary_Info/SJSU_CareerCenter_Salary_Survey.pdf[/url]”>http://careercenter.sjsu.edu/Downloads/Salary_Info/SJSU_CareerCenter_Salary_Survey.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>But the other UCs and CSUs did not seem to have anything specific to their graduates and majors the last time I looked.</p>

7

<p>Really put yourself in the employer’s position. They have two resumes and they both have same stats. Same age, same gpa, same degree, etc. One came from a UC and one came from a CSU, as an employer which person just “looks” more impressive? </p>

<p>Whether it is true or not, people generally believe that it takes more from a student to make it into one of the better UCs as opposed to one of the better CSUs(Even though it may not be true 100% of the time). Before calling the potential employee for an interview, just the words on a resume and the GENERAL stereotypes are going to win out, especially when you have employers that are big corporations and don’t know every little detail about schools. I personally think it’s school, internships, then major that gets consideration from employers.</p>

<p>Theory based school or major doesn’t have much to do with it IMO. People like to convince themselves that names don’t play that much of a role(I admit it plays a greater/lesser role depending on the job) but it does. Employers aren’t school counselors, they have things they have to do too. Their understanding of how good a school is is based on general opinion, not based in the faculty, alum, endowment, curriculum, etc. at least not directly.</p>

<p>I’ve heard other students try to downplay other students who try to apply to more prestigious schools by saying, “who are you trying to impress?” “You know you’re just applying there to impress your friends and strangers right?” I agree, but guess who employers are? They’re strangers, they can also be friends or through friends whatever whatever yadda yadda </p>

<p>Just my 2 cents XD</p>

8

<p>This all depends , what if that employer went to a CSU . This is not a good place to ask that question , since this is a UC transfer forum. I know CSULB is considered better then many Lower UC’s , in fact if you look at the stats, more students are picking the better CSU’s from mid-income families due to the insane cost of a UC degree .</p>

9

<p>^ don’t listen to the people say that CSUs and UCs are the same. They just don’t want to break the rules of life. Everybody knows that getting into a UC is tougher than a CSU. It’s harder for a reason. If both degrees are worth the same, I would just go to a CSU save money instead of spending thousand of dollar to get a UC degree that is = CSU.</p>

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<p>Ferrari, what UC. I’m pretty sure a degree from CSULB looks better then UC Merced</p>

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<p>UCM still has a long way to prove. You are comparing a brand new baby UC to a somewhat mid-high tier csu.
All UCs + CIT , except UCM.
Overall, both CSU and UC can land u a job, but with a UC degree, you have a better chance of landing a GREAT JOB.</p>

12

<p>@OP
You are essentially asking the eternal question of “Is UC definitively better than CSU in every way, especially in employment future?”</p>

<p>In the broadest and most over-simplified sense, UCs is substantially better funded than the CSUs, so on the average, students attending a UC will probably get a better education than a CSU, (again on the average).</p>

<p>However, when comes to getting the first job out of college, personal motivation, interview skills, professional connection, grades, determination, economic conditions in combination play a much greater role than just the name of your alma mater. This is not to say where you went to school does not matter, but it is not going to land you a job simply because you went to a UC isntead of a CSU.</p>

<p>I have known several examples of friends of my family that attended CSUs (Cal State East Bay to SJ state) to study accounting and gaining employment at auditing firms shortly after graduation. I have known various examples of people graduating from UCLA, UCM, UCSC, UCSB that ended up having very challenging time getting their first job for over 1 year. </p>

<p>So is CSU graduates doomed to a life of burger flipping? Of course not. Are UC graduates (including the low tier UCs) destined for greatness or at least an easier life? Not in this economic climate. So your career really depends on your personal efforts, not just the name on your degree. </p>

<p>With that said, I also think CSU, like UC, is not monolithic. There are many gradations of CSUs, just like the UCs. For instance, the difference between Cal Poly SLO to the other CSU is substantial, just like Cal vs UC Merced. Therefore, if you compare Cal Poly SLO professional placement and earning track record to a lot of the UCs, Cal Poly will comfortably win out. </p>

<p>So is UC better than CSU? Yes and No. It all depends on the graduate.</p>

<p>Afterall, Steven Spielberg went to CSULB, it said a lot about Spielberg not CSULB.</p>

13

<p>@thisislife, Again, even in your hypothetical situation you pointed out with the employer coming from a CSU, which person “looks” better? I would still say a UC looks better(remember, the rest of the resumes are identical).</p>

<p>We as students have a small range of things to concern ourselves over. That is why we can say this particular program is better than this particular program, but put yourself in the position of an employer. </p>

<p>You’re an employer in New York, Houston, Seattle, London, Paris, Sao Paulo, etc. When you get out from a small region where CSUs are most known in, you can see how the rest of the world will be operating on a general basis when it comes to how much of a school plays a role. You mentioned UC Merced is considered less than CSULB, nationally they may not know where Long Beach is or Merced, but they most likely know that UCs are generally considered harder to get into than CSUs. That right there has to play a big role.</p>

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<p>@Ferrari</p>

<p>I am an old hand since I graduated from college a while ago and I know a thing or two about landing great jobs. And if the name of my alma mater determines what kind of job I can get, then in theory I wouldn’t have to lift a finger (I went to Harvard). But the contrary is true, I have to work like a mad man to land a great job. Of course, “great” is all relative, but nonetheless, I have to work at it A LOT, no matter what. </p>

<p>With regards to your “baby” UC theory:</p>

<p>I remember when I just graduated HS (this is more than 10+ years ago) and the recruiter from UC Riverside was telling me UCR is a up and coming UC and it will catch up to UCD in probably 10 years. This was their major selling point of joining a relatively new UC before it becomes famous. Well, it has been more than 10 years and UCR seems to be still largely viewed as a lower tier UC and nowhere near UCD’s level. </p>

<p>I believe UCM will suffer the same fate and be relegated to the lower rung of the academic ladder because: 1) No money whatsoever from the state, 2) excessive competition in higher education, and 3) lousy location.</p>

<p>@ OP right before mine,</p>

<p>if you find yourself in Sao Paulo/Shanghai/Dublin, the people you are speaking with will have heard of UC Berkeley, and may be UCLA (depends). They definitely will not have heard of any other UCs or CSUs (save Cal Poly engineering, and this is a VERY VERY long shot) and they won’t even know UC is actually a system consisting of 10 universities. Trust me on this one.</p>

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<p>@ ick, true, may take more than 10 years.</p>

<p>@mestudy
Pretty much simple. CSUs for in state. UCs for world wide. :D</p>

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<p>There is no right or wrong answer to this arguement. This is the drama of life- it takes a mixture of ability and luck. However, the more ability you have, the more successful you should be long-term. And the college you go to is certainly not the most important factor of success. -You- are the most important factor. </p>

<p>Sent from my HTC Glacier using CC App</p>

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<p>Well said.</p>

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<p>^ Agree…</p>

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<p>@mikey23s</p>

<p>Yep. Being successful is more than just going to a good school.</p>

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<p>

</p>

<p>For new graduate candidates, you would likely only have the resumes if your company thought it was worth recruiting at their schools’ career centers. (That said, many companies are more likely to visit the career center of UCLA than CSULA. On the other hand, a small startup in Silicon Valley may not bother traveling to UCM when it can conveniently recruit at SJSU.)</p>

<p>For experienced candidates, work experience increases in importance relative to school graduated from the further away in time that the candidate is from graduation.</p>