Serving 1,389,874 full time students, the 331 colleges and universities of California offer choices for all types of student. Explore them below to get your college search started. Our college listings and rankings are objective and data focused. Whether you're searching for a public or private school, traditional or online campus, our guide to colleges in California offers a comprehensive guide to the state's higher education options.
UC - THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SYSTEM
The University of California opened its doors in 1869 with just 10 faculty members and 38 students. Today, the UC system includes more than 238,000 students and more than 190,000 faculty and staff, with more than 1.7 million alumni living and working around the world. For almost 150 years, UC has expanded the horizons of what we know about ourselves and our world. Our campuses are routinely ranked among the best in the world, but our reach extends beyond campus borders. Our students, faculty, staff and alumni exchange ideas, make advancements and unlock the secrets and mysteries of the universe every day. They engage with their local governments, serve California schools, protect the environment and push the boundaries of space. Education and research as pioneering as California itselfFrom all backgrounds, ethnicities and incomes, UC attracts the best and brightest. UC undergraduates come from all over California, and they work hard to make it to college. In fact, over 40 percent of UC students come from low-income families. UC's faculty are the drivers behind innovations in biotechnology, computer science, art and architecture — and they bring that knowledge, that greatness, directly to the classroom. Thousands of California jobs, billions of dollars in revenues, and countless everyday household items — from more plentiful fruits and vegetables to compact fluorescent light bulbs — can be traced back to UC discoveries. Similarly, many of the state’s leading businesses are based on UC technology, founded by our faculty or led by UC graduates. UC is a part of your life, every dayBesides world-class classrooms and labs, UC has dozens of museums, concert halls, art galleries, botanical gardens, observatories and marine centers — academic resources, but also exciting gathering places for the community.
Admission Requirements Our admission guidelines are designed to ensure you are well-prepared to succeed at UC. If you're interested in entering the University of California as a freshman, you'll have to satisfy these requirements: 1. Complete a minimum of 15 college-preparatory courses (a-g courses) with a letter grade of C or better, with at least 11 courses finished prior to the beginning of your last year of high school. The 15 courses are: a. History 2 years b. English 4 years c. Mathematics 3 years d. Laboratory science 2 years e. Language other than English *or equivalent to the 2nd level of high school instruction 2 years* f. Visual and performing arts 1 year g. College-preparatory elective (chosen from the subjects listed above or another course approved by the university) 1 year 1. Earn a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better (3.4 if you're a nonresident) in these courses with no grade lower than a C. Learn how to calculate the UC freshman GPA » 2. Meet the examination requirement by taking the ACT Plus Writing, the SAT (taken prior to March 2016) or SAT with Essay (taken March 2016 or later) by December of your senior year. We don't require SAT Subject Tests, but certain programs on some campuses recommend them, and you can use subject tests to satisfy the "a-g" requirements listed above. California students If you're a state resident who has met the minimum requirements and aren't admitted to any UC campus to which you apply, you'll be offered a spot at another campus if space is available, provided:
You rank in the top 9 percent of California high school students, according to our admissions index, or
You rank in the top 9 percent of your graduating class at a participating high school. We refer to this as "Eligible in the Local Context" (ELC).
CAL STATE - THE CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM
CSU GENERAL EDUCATION - BREADTH REQUIREMENTS As part of the general education requirements for a bachelor's degree, all CSU students must meet the minimum of 48 semester units of general education breadth requirement. The general education requirement includes 39 semester units of lower-division (GE-Breadth) and at least nine units of upper-division courses, completed after transferring to the CSU. The CSU GE-Breadth Requirements is a lower division 39 semester/58.5 quarter unit pattern with specified courses in the areas of:
Area A — English Language Communication and Critical Thinking
Area B — Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning
Area C — Arts and Humanities
Area D — Social Sciences
Area E — Lifelong Learning and Self-Development
Each California Community College (CCC) has a list of courses that can be used in each of the areas. The list is also available at www.assist.org. Each of the areas has a minimum number of units or courses. See the Transfer Student Planner for more information about each of the areas. Each California Community College (CCC) has a list of courses that can be used in each of the areas. The list is also available at www.assist.org. Each of the areas has a minimum number of units or courses. See the Transfer Student Planner for more information about each of the areas. California Community Colleges or other approved institutions can certify up to 39 lower-division GE-Breadth semester (58.5 quarter) units.Certification means that CSU will accept these courses to meet the CSU GE-Breadth areas designated by your CCC. Students who are certified with 39 semester units of lower-division GE-Breadth units will only be required to complete a minimum of nine semester (13.5 quarter) units of upper division general education work after transfer just like other students attending your CSU campus. It is important that you request that your community college certify completion of all coursework completed that meets CSU general education requirements.
WELCOME TO ASSIST - FOR TRANSFERING CALIFORNIA STUDENTS
ASSIST is an online student-transfer information system that shows how course credits earned at one public California college or university can be applied when transferred to another. ASSIST is the official repository of articulation for California’s public colleges and universities and provides the most accurate and up-to-date information about student transfer in California.