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May 18, 2025
Two of the largest and most well-known university systems in the United States, the University of California system (UC) and the California State University system (CSU), offer some of the best educational programs in the country. The UC system has nine campuses, with the closest campus to MBHS being UC Santa Barbara and the newest campus in Merced. The CSU system is much larger at 23 total campuses, with the closest and most famous campus being Cal Poly SLO.
Students often believe that the only difference between the two systems is that the CSU schools are cheaper, and while this is, on average, true, there are so many more intricate details that differ between the two. “UCs are research based,” said MBHS counselor Elena Smith, “and CSUs are known to be more hands-on.”
Senior Lucas Huss on senior destination day, showing off his UC Irvine shirt (Photo Credit: Sammy Nishihama)
Some students at MBHS also feel as if the level of prestige associated with the UC system had an impact on their decisions. When asked if the level of prestige associated with each system affected their applications, senior Lucas Huss, who will be attending UC Irvine in the fall said, “Definitely … what I want to do needs a little more prestige and reputation, as medical schools are really competitive, and I worry that unless I go to a prestigious school, they won’t believe as much in me.” Senior Eli Waldman, who will be attending UC Berkeley in the fall added to this, saying, “Maybe a little bit. I think there’s kind of a range of prestige in CSUs and UCs.”
On the other hand, some MBHS counselors feel as if the prestige associated with UCs shouldn’t affect students’ decisions when applying, and that if anything, the generalization that UCs are better than CSUs is untrue. MBHS’ college and career counselor, Julia MacIntosh, said, “I think it’s a misconception … I think students should go to the school that has the best program for what they want to go into.” Smith added onto this, saying, “You just have to think about what schools are the best fit for you as a student, not just major but everything else that comes with it.”
Both systems have their pros, cons, and their quirks. Seniors who applied to these schools shared their best advice for next year’s round of applicants to CSUs. Huss, who went through Cal Poly SLO’s application process, said, “CSUs are so much easier to apply to. The day the application came out for CSUs, I was able to complete it all. All you need to do is upload your classes, GPA, and answer the question of if you did extracurriculars at all,” commenting on the stress-free process for applying to CSU schools that he experienced.
Waldman said, “It helps to do a lot of research about your major, and there might be a CSU with a major that you like a lot more than the UCs.” Additionally, senior Bridget Molina Avila, who will be attending CSU Los Angeles said, “Make sure you get help if you don’t understand something, because it can have a huge impact on your application.”
For UC schools, Huss said, “UCs are a lot more complicated [than CSUs], needing all that as well as answering four essays and asking about awards and other accomplishments.” Molina Avila also emphasized the importance of the essays, saying, “Have someone else read your essays, it always helps having different people read and give advice on how to better it.”
The difference between UC and CSU schools all comes down to the programs they offer and specialize in. While the UCs are great for research-based education, the CSU system has more unique and specialized degrees. Although the level of prestige associated with UCs impacts many students’ application and decisions, ultimately, the strength of the education offered at each school is simply dependent on what major students are choosing to admit into.
Cal Poly SLO's campus (Photo Credit: Cal Poly SLO website)
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