<p>What about California appeals to you? There are 49 other states, and almost all have flagships much cheaper than the UCs. If you like UC Santa Cruz, you might want to check out UNC Ashville, Western Washington University, or Evergreen State (which actually follows the hollistic evaluations that once defined UCSC)</p>
<p>If Santa Barbara sounds appealing, why not consider Cal Poly San Louis Obisbo (many UCSB/SLO cross applicants end up choosing SLO), Eckerd (not a big school, but has an enormous beach culture), or University of Colorado Boulder</p>
<p>If you want to go to a UCLA type school, University of Washington or Ohio State University might be just what you’re looking for. </p>
<p>For UC Davis like schools consider Iowa State, Colorado State University, or even some of the SUNYs</p>
<p>I’m not sure if UCI really has a state flagship equivalent, but then again, I never really understood why UCI was so appealing, and I used to work there.</p>