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With nearly 1300 miles of coastline and two of the largest metropolitan cities in the nation, California boasts a wide array of popular colleges for just about
any student. Students are drawn to California for its urban diversity, ample outdoor activities and great weather, as well as tremendous opportunities for after-college
job prospects in hotbed areas such as Silicon Valley, Los Angeles or Sacremento. In this article, we'll take a look at some of the the most popular colleges in California,
whether you are looking for career training, a bachelor's degree at one of California's two state systems (CSU or UC),
or a graduate degree at one of the greatest universities in the nation. As the third largest state in the nation California is big, really big and popular areas for college
students are generally centered around the major metropolitan areas. Let's take a look at some of the popular colleges by geographic area:
San Francisco Bay Area Colleges
San Francisco and its suburbs compete with the rest of the state for the largest concentration of premier learning institutions in the nation. Surrounded by Silicon Valley
to the south, and San Francisco to the north you'll find Stanford University in the middle of
Palo Alto as the flagship private university in the area, offering
top-notch academics across the social sciences, engineering and interdisciplinary studies. However, with a 12% acceptance rate
and and a $33,000 yearly price tag,
this ivy-leage of the West only takes the very best. Stanford is also popular due to the immense job opportunities in Silicon Valley; top-notch students
come to Stanford to start new companies or be well-positioned to work at the many tech-giants that line the entire bay area. Heading south from there you'll find San Jose State University
which is a popular, affordable four-year and master's institution filled with an incredibly diverse student body of all ages; classes are often filled with a mix of first-time
college students as well as returning students and adult learners. Heading east and north across the bay you'll find University of California, Berkeley, another
star of the west that rivals Stanford in academics. Berkeley is consistently chosen as the premier public university in the nation, and with a 28% acceptance
rate and slightly cheaper price tag at $26,000 per year, it remains a popular choice. Other popular colleges in the area include Santa Clara University
as well as community colleges such as the College of San Mateo which offer guaranteed transfer programs to UC's such as Berkeley for those lucky
enough to get accepted. The San Francisco bay area offers not only demographic diversity, but a wide range of college choices from inexpensive
community colleges, affordable high-quality state schools, top-notch world-class state schools and nationally ranked private colleges.
Central California Colleges
Are you looking for a slower pace in a smaller town? If so, California offers many choices east and south of the San Francisco Bay Area.
For example, head east across the bay to to a top UC at the University of California at Davis. This UC boasts one of the top
veterinary programs in the nation along with excellent academics in social sciences, biology, psychology and agriculutrual studies. Further,
with a 60% acceptance rate and a $20,000 yearly price tag its hard to beat, especially with Sacramento, Lake Tahoe
and San Francisco a car-ride away. UC Davis is popular for students that want a slower pace but with an option for nearby
big city nightlife. Other popular colleges in the area include California State University, Chico to the north, California State University, Sacramento to
the east, and Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo to the south.
Southern California Colleges
While most of the California coast has accessible beaches, the best beaches in the state are found near University of California, Los Angeles
and University of California, San Diego, two of the most popular colleges in Southern California. UCLA boasts an excellent
 research faculty and
excels in political science, psychology, history, sociology and economics for undergraduates as well as a top-ten law school for graduate students. With a
27% general acceptance rate and a $24,000 price tag, it is far from the most expensive college in the state. UCLA is also very close to the Los Angeles movie scene where
students can catch movie premiers or get a chance to be an extra in a movie. Other popular choices include UCLA's rival, The University of Southern California
and also Univeristy of California, Irvine a little further north. If you head further south towards the border, you'll find the immenseley popular
University of California, San Diego, which boasts a top-notch faculty of world-class professors focusing on social sciences, biology, theatre, dance, engineering, psychology
and communications. It doesn't hurt that San Diego has some of the best year-round weather in the state and a plethora of outdoor activities such as hiking, biking and plenty
of water activities. Other popular colleges in the area include the private University of San Diego and public San Diego State University. San Diego colleges are also
popular due to their proximity to vacation and getaway spots such as Las Vegas, Nevada and Tiajuana, Mexico.
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