Ok then, being a Cal athlete has a status of its own and the perks including tutoring, good athlete meals and other support - and with the difference being 25k between the two schools, I would go Cal and try to find ways to reduce that debt over the four years - summer jobs or whatever he can do. As an athlete he will get priority scheduling as well, which is a big help at the big UCs. Is the Cal coach solid? That relationship can be very important to your son. I would think the confidence and pride he would feel being a Cal student and athlete would be great for him…depending on how you answer the next question…
Is he up to the challenge? Cal is more of a pressure cooker and they have very different demographics than CSF - does he want to be at Cal?