Which Cal State is best?

There's no single "best" Cal State; it depends on your major and goals, but Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, San Diego State (SDSU), Long Beach State (CSULB), and San Jose State (SJSU) are consistently top-ranked, with Cal Poly excelling in "learn by doing" (engineering/architecture), SDSU in business/research, CSULB offering strong overall programs, and SJSU dominating in tech (STEM) in Silicon Valley. Cal State LA and Sacramento State also rank highly for value and opportunity, while Cal Maritime leads in bachelor's-focused colleges.

Which Cal state is hard to get into?

The Cal State school that is the hardest to get into is Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. It has an acceptance rate of 30% and is considered by many to be academically prestigious.

Which Cal state is the best party school?

The University of California — Santa Barbara was crowned the best party school for 2026.

• BUSINESSINSIDER.COM.
• The top 10 party schools in the US, ranked.
• The University of California — Santa Barbara was cr...

Which Cal state is the safest?

Cal State San Marcos is ranked 31st in the nation on Research.com's list of the “50 Safest College Towns in America for 2025.” CSUSM is ranked second in California behind Saint Mary's, which is 29th overall.

What are the big 3 UC schools?

Three University of California (UC) campuses are UC Berkeley, UCLA (Los Angeles), and UC San Diego, with other popular options including UC Davis, UC Irvine, and UC Santa Barbara, forming part of the 10-campus system that offers undergraduate and graduate programs across California. 

CSU Schools Tier List in 60 Seconds

What is the easiest UC to get into in California?

Among UC schools, UC Merced has the highest acceptance rate at 91.7%. Meaning, most applicants get accepted. This makes it the easiest UC to get into.

What is the hardest University to get into in California?

The hardest school to get into in California is consistently the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), known for its extremely low acceptance rate (around 3%) and focus on science/engineering, closely followed by other highly selective private universities like Minerva University, Stanford University, and the liberal arts colleges of the Claremont Consortium (Pomona, Harvey Mudd, Claremont McKenna), plus top public schools like UCLA and UC Berkeley, all with very low acceptance rates. 

What is the most prestigious Cal State?

While "prestige" is subjective, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (SLO), San Diego State University (SDSU), and CSU Long Beach (CSULB) consistently rank as the most prestigious CSUs, often appearing in top national and public college lists for outcomes, value, and strong programs, particularly Cal Poly SLO for hands-on learning and tech/ag/architecture. Other highly-regarded campuses include San José State (SJSU) and Cal Poly Pomona, known for strong outcomes and specific program strengths. 

What is the #1 safest city in California?

While rankings vary by study, Rancho Santa Margarita is frequently cited as California's safest city in recent 2025/2026 reports due to extremely low violent crime, with other consistently safe cities including Irvine, Danville, Aliso Viejo, and Moorpark, often noted for their community programs and proactive policing. Some sources also highlight Santa Rosa for overall safety, including natural disaster and financial factors, and San Jose as America's safest large city in some analyses.
 

What is the most affordable Cal State?

The cheapest CSU (California State University) often comes down to campus and living situation, with CSU Los Angeles (Cal State LA), CSU Dominguez Hills, CSU Fullerton, and CSU Bakersfield frequently cited for low average net prices (after aid), while CSU Fresno offers low sticker prices for on-campus living, but for pure tuition, Cal State LA is noted for the lowest systemwide fees. 

What Cal state should I go to?

Ranking of Cal State Schools

In terms of selectivity and reputation, there isn't much distinction between many of the Cal State schools. San Diego State and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo probably have the best academic reputations of all of the CSUs.

Which is harder to get into, Csulb or SDSU?

Is San Diego State University (SDSU) or California State University-Long Beach (CSULB) Harder to get into? Which school is easier to get into? If you're looking at acceptance rate alone, then California State University-Long Beach (CSULB) is more difficult to get into.

What is the #1 party college?

For 2026, the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), is widely ranked as the #1 party college in the U.S., holding onto its top spot from the previous year in data compiled by Niche, followed closely by Florida State University and Tulane University, based on student surveys about nightlife, bars, Greek life, and campus culture.
 

Is it harder to get into Cal Poly or SDSU?

A Chronicle analysis of admissions rates found that Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is the most competitive school in the California State University system.

Is it better to go to a UC or CAL state?

Despite their shared renown, these two school systems differ in terms of factors like student experience, cost, and admission requirements. For example, whereas the UC system appears often on best colleges rankings lists, the CSU schools are considered far more affordable.

What are the top 3 hardest colleges to get into?

Here is our list of the 26 lowest acceptance rate colleges, as reported by U.S. News.

• Top 26 Hardest Colleges to Get Into.
• 1. California Institute of Technology. ...
• Harvard University. ...
• Columbia University. ...
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology. ...
• Stanford University. ...
• Brown University. ...
• University of Chicago.

What city has the worst crime in California?

Oakland consistently ranks as having the highest crime rate in California, particularly for violent and property crimes, followed closely by cities like Stockton, San Bernardino, and Compton, based on recent 2023-2025 FBI data analyses, with high rates of assaults, robberies, and vehicle thefts contributing to their elevated danger levels. 

What is the nicest city to live in California?

1. Irvine. Irvine, a master-planned city in Orange County, is regularly ranked as the best place to live in California (and one of the best cities in the entire country!). The city is located in the Greater Los Angeles Area and made up of dozens of smaller planned villages.

Where is the cheapest but safest place to live in California?

Sacramento is one of the cheapest and safest places to live in California for young people. It has a diverse demographic with lots of young professionals, travelers, and college students.

What's the easiest Cal state to get into?

The easiest Cal States to get into generally have the highest acceptance rates, with CSU Humboldt (Polytechnic University Humboldt) often cited as the most accessible (nearly 100%), followed closely by CSU Stanislaus, CSU Monterey Bay, CSU Channel Islands, CSU East Bay, CSU Fresno, CSU San Marcos, and Sonoma State, all with rates above 90% in recent years, offering great options for students seeking broader admission chances within the system. 

What are the top 3 colleges in California?

The top 3 universities in California consistently include Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), often alongside the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), depending on the ranking system (U.S. News, QS, Forbes) and whether public or private institutions are prioritized, with Stanford and Caltech usually leading private, and UC Berkeley and UCLA leading public rankings. 

Which CSU campus is best?

*Acceptance rates on our list of the Best CSU Schools Ranked are from the Class of 2028, unless otherwise noted.

• 1) Cal Poly SLO.
• 2) San Diego State University.
• 3) Cal State Long Beach.
• 4) Cal Poly Pomona.
• 5) San Jose State University.
• 6) Cal State Fullerton.
• 7) CSU Fresno.
• 8) CSU Chico.

What is the prettiest college campus in California?

Stanford University ranked No. 1 as the most beautiful college campus in the country. The magazine cited its grand entryway, the Memorial Church, and collection of over 170 bronze statues as reasons for the 8,180-acre campus' addition to the list.

What are the top 3 UC's?

The top 3 UC campuses consistently ranked are UC Berkeley, UCLA, and UC San Diego, often trading the top spots depending on the ranking system (like U.S. News or Forbes), with Berkeley and UCLA frequently leading as the top public universities in the nation, followed closely by UCSD.
 

What is the least educated city in California?

Visalia, California, is the least-educated city in the nation this year.