California Colleges

California State University

The California State University offers instruction to undergraduate and graduate students in the liberal arts and sciences, applied fields, and professions, including teaching. Nearly 1,500 degree programs in 240 subject areas are offered. CSU assigns high priority to California community college transfer students who have completed the first two years of their baccalaureate program, including those applying for impacted programs.

The California State University has twenty three campuses: Bakersfield, California Maritime Academy, Channel Islands, Chico, Dominguez Hills, Fresno, Fullerton, East Bay (Hayward), Humboldt, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Monterey Bay, Northridge, Pomona, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, San Luis Obispo, San Marcos, Sonoma and Stanislaus.

University of California

The University of California offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs in a broad array of subject areas. Almost one third of UC students are transfer students, with nearly all (92%) transferring from a California Community College.

The University of California has a long-established relationship with Skyline College and has developed several special programs to help community college students with the transfer process. The University’s articulation agreements with Skyline College make it possible for prospective transfer students to select appropriate courses. The Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum allows prospective transfer students to satisfy the lower division breadth/general education requirements of any UC campus before transferring.

While all of the campuses have similar requirements for undergraduate admission, they differ in size, enrollment, and in academic programs offered. In addition, the campuses vary in styles of campus life, with student populations reflecting a variety of cultures from the United States and abroad. The University of California includes nine general campuses: Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz. A tenth campus in San Francisco offers graduate and professional programs in the health sciences.

California Independent Colleges and Universities

There are more than 300 privately supported (or independent) degree-granting colleges and universities in California. Independent institutions enroll about one-quarter of all students attending four-year colleges and universities in California. The most distinctive feature of California’s accredited independent colleges and universities is their diversity of character, academic emphasis, and programs.