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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]California dominates because they have a long history of building out the multitiered network with purpose and scale. Each tier has strengths and weaknesses.

1 The UC tier is research and postgraduate focused. The UCs are there to train future researchers, doctors, lawyers and academics. Courses will focus on higher order thinking, critical thinking and problem solving the unknown. You are expected to be inspired by the faculty and your peers, self motivated to avail yourself of the reading and materials and seek out your own assistance.

Good -unmatched opportunities for research, fosters resilience, stretches your mind and strong faculty networks. Best for independent learners passionate about their field and competitive kids. They aren’t watered down the way many state are trying to offer a wider range of both higher level academic programs and career readiness programs.

Bad-really bad place for kids that are unprepared, bad place for kids expecting to be taught everything or stressed by competition. Disaster for kids seeking the leniency available at some privates. The only retake at a UC is retaking the entire course after you fail. Deadlines are hard, miss it and it’s a zero without a legitimate doctor’s note.

2. The Cal States tier is designated as professional career readiness. It is generally barred from pursuing research or offering graduate or doctoral degrees in anything beyond education, nursing etc. There are a few small exceptions and SDSU has been able to pursue research to hit R1 but just barely. Cal states are split between polytechnic and regular universities. Polytechnic schools provide applied training for engineering.

Good -better teaching, smaller classes, good regional career placement cheaper., mix of traditional and non traditional students
Bad-many feel like commuter schools, mix of traditional and non traditional students, historically the engineering programs were focused on creating the worker bees not the higher level engineers, there’s some snootiness against the Cal states that their engineers hit a wall later in their careers but I don’t think that’s as true today.

3. Community colleges- originally designated for those who weren’t ready for college or were financially unable to afford it. Unique in that the courses and curriculum required to transfer into UCs and Cal states are consistent and very good. Has changed to attract more top students looking for better admissions results or UMC students looking to save money for graduate school.

Good- free in many areas, excellent teaching, big money saver
Bad - this pathway is getting too popular and 4.0 transfer applicants from wealthy areas are getting rejected at Cal and UCLA. You really need to go to a CC that has TAP to one of these schools, do the honors level, etc. TAG to the [b]mid tier and third tier UCs[/b] is still available but not for impacted majors. There is no TAG into most engineering and several other STEM programs. If you do well, you should still get in somewhere.

[/quote]

So....there's a ranking / list of upper tier, mid tier and third tier within the UCs? Or is upper tier any of the 8 UCs for undergrad, mid = Cal states, and the CCs = third tier?[/quote]

Yes and no. CaL/UCLA are viewed as the upper tier UCs. UCSD, UCD, UCI, UCSB are the mid tier UCs, UCSC, UC Riverside and UC Merced are third tier. The polytechnic Cal States are SLO, Pomona and Humboldt. The other Cal State universities that are popular in CA are SDSU, SJSU, Long Beach, Fullerton and maybe Sonoma, Monterey, Northridge, San Francisco..there are a ton all over the state.

It really depends on what you want to do after undergraduate. Cal Poly SLO is really good for engineering and architecture. They have great placement into FAANG. However, if you know you want to go straight to grad school and your area of interest aligns with a faculty member at Merced or Riverside, you go there. If you want to work a few years go to Cal Poly over the mid tiers (exception being biomedical engineering UCSD, aero/civil Davis, CS/ Irvine etc where these UCs have niche advantages.)[/quote]

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