<p>Hi, guys! Would you guys choose UC Merced over Cal State Long Beach?</p>
<p>Personally, I would pick UC Merced over any Cal State. However, in all honesty, some people love UCM and some people hate it. It’s a gorgeous school with a lot of potential, but it’s in the middle of nowhere.</p>
<p>The main benefit of UCM over Cal states is that it has small class sizes, and you don’t have to compete to get classes. Pretty much all Cal states are impacted, which means that you have to go through quite a bit of difficulty to get the classes you need. However, UCM is more expensive.</p>
<p>I would highly recommend visiting both schools to see which one you prefer. Most people change their opinions about UCM when they visit it. It’s actually a great school.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Although UCM is a UC, many of CSULB academic programs have higher rankings. Also as stated above, UCM is in the middle of nowhere versus CSULB, where you would better access to internships and connections. I would compare the different courses for your major between the two Universities and also visit before making a final decision.</p>
<p>It depends on what you want to study and what kind of college experience you are looking for. I need to correct @icomputer on one thing. Not all CSUs are overcrowded and many don’t even have really large lecture halls like most UCs use for GE courses.</p>
<p>CSULB is a huge commuter school in LA with pretty good weather most of the time. UCM is much smaller, in a rural setting and largely residential. It gets HOT in the Summer and can stay overcast for a week or more in the winter. You can get a quality education at both but will have a very different experience. Tour both and see which feels more like home. It is really unlikely you won’t have a favorite.</p>