Can people provide their thoughts about the pros and cons of Cal Poly SLO vs UCI vs UCD undergrad business program with a focus on accounting? And even compare these public schools with smaller private colleges like LMU, USD, Chapman, etc. Academics, environment, job placement, and social scene for an introverted Asian daughter? Sorry if this is not the right forum, but wanting to offer her some advice and options on which programs would suit her best. We will hopefully visit SLO and Davis. From SoCal.
You should start a new thread for this. You’ll get a lot more input from people who have done these comparisons.
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This post was moved on OP’s request.
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This report is more than 2 years old, but you may find it of interest as a datapoint with respect to SLO’s hiring into the accounting firms.
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I think accounting is a great field. Even my nephew at UNLV, they had lots of recruiting. I think with all the regulations today, it’s why.
I always like to find career outcomes. When looking at UC Davis, I noticed they don’t have accounting - just a minor. Come to think of it, I thought, they don’t even have an undergrad b school. So what would the major be?
Here’s a career report from SLO. It doesn’t show by major but you can see some of the top companies are likely accounting firms.
UCIs career board is empty.
I’d say this - you’re likely ok for accountancy at any school but many choose to pursue a further year.
I would reach out to all schools of interest and ask for a formal career outcome report. They should all have it, down to the major, specific roles people ended up in, salaries, locations, etc.
Good luck.
Cal Poly Career Services 2022-23 Annual Report (content-calpoly-edu.s3.amazonaws.com)
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Thank you for the information. You are right, UC Davis does not have a business school/undergraduate business school, per se. They have a managerial economics degree if I recall. The one thing I like about Davis versus Irvine is that apparently Davis is more collaborative and less stressful of an environment. I like that for my daughter.
Looking at it, my very limited understanding about the programs is that Cal poly SLO has a very good business program with accounting minor. UCI has a relatively new accounting minor and undergraduate business school. However, I am a little bit concerned about the party environment at SLO knowing my daughter. I saw photos of the huge St. Patrick’s Day party there and although I don’t have too much of an issue with my daughter participating, I know that this is not normally her thing. She would probably feel more comfortable going to eat Ramen, or drink Boba in Irvine near UCI. Furthermore, I have read on Reddit that SLO the town does not have much in the way of minorities. That’s normally not that big an issue but, it will be a big adjustment for my daughter. While in Irvine, I do think she will feel more at home Since Irvine, the city is probably 50% Asian.
I guess when it comes down to it, I could see my daughter fitting in at Irvine, but the business program and accounting emphasis at SLO is better overall for job placement, and overall experience. As for Davis, who knows.
OK - so you only seek a minor, not major - make sense.
Have you been to both Davis and SLO?
Each school can give you a career outcome report but I would add this - while high placement #s sound great on paper, in reality, you can only accept one job - and I’m sure grads of all three schools are landing jobs.
I’d want my student where they’d be comfortable - but I wouldn’t make that determination with out a full investigation (visit, discussions with other like kids on campus).
In the end, especially with the internet and in today’s world, kids often find jobs on indeed or linkedin…on their own…so if your kid really wants it, they’ll make it work!!
Best of luck.
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Just an FYI, UC Davis will be offering a Business major starting Fall 2025 which could be an option to change into from Managerial Economics after the 1st year. Details to come.
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Yes, I saw that about Davis. Thanks!
One other question, does anyone know the class sizes at Cal Poly? I know it is smaller than the UCs but I presume classes are still in the 100-200 student range for intro lower decision business classes and up to 50 for the upper division classes?
What do you think about the accounting programs with the smaller mid tier private colleges like Chapman, LMU, or USD specifically for accounting? I understand that kids can get internships through LinkedIn and Handshake, as did my son from University of Portland in OTM, but how prevalent is it in accounting? I love the more hands on and intimate learning experience at the small privates, but don’t know as much about job opportunities other than in Operations…
If this is important to your daughter, Davis has a relatively high Asian student population (in the 30s.) SLO and Chapman do not. (I can’t comment on USD or LMU.)
Very true, with lots of smart students! The students I know have all made close friends in the dorms Freshman year.
Davis and Irvine are very different in terms of the college community. Irvine is what some call a “suitcase” school. A lot of their students go home on the weekends. On the weekends in Davis, students are playing intramural sports and walking/biking to downtown Davis for boba or a good variety of food restaurants.
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College Navigator - National Center for Education Statistics says:
31% UCD
38% UCI
14% CPSLO
16% Chapman
8% USD
10% LMU
For comparison, high school seniors in California are about 13% Asian.
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https://cmsweb.pscs.calpoly.edu/psc/CSLOPRD/EMPLOYEE/SA/c/COMMUNITY_ACCESS.CLASS_SEARCH.GBL?& can help you see class sizes at CPSLO.
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You can look at the common data set for any school to see all ethnicities - section B2 - for example 34% of LMUs first year class was caucasion.
At USD, 42%.
Chapman, 49%.
CP SLO 47%
So all the schools seem to be very diverse - although perhaps different levels of Asian diversity.
In regards to careers = definitely ask each for a detailed career report. They have them.
USD is not showing salaries but it’s got a comprehensive - where have they ended up below. I’d surmise most accounting firms, like others, pay by the role/location and not school attended.
LMU has a “business” report - and lists the accounting firms - but again, ask for detail…they all have it - $, jobs, locations, etc. I put UCI too - you can toggle through majors in business (undergrad accounting isn’t there).
After all, they need to sell you on spending your money there!!!
Collective Surveys (lightcast.io)
LMU Outcomes | Loyola Marymount University
| EMPLOYERS BY INDUSTRY | LOCATION |
|---|---|
| Deloitte | New York, NY |
| KPMG | San Francisco, CA |
| EY | San Diego, CA |
| PwC | San Diego, CA |
| PricewaterhouseCoopers | San Jose, CA |
| Ernst & Young | San Diego, CA |
| Frank, Rimerman + Co. | San Francisco, CA |
| BDO | San Diego, CA |
| CohnReznick | San Diego, CA |
| RSM US LLP | Irvine, CA |
| RSM | San Diego, CA |
| BPM LLP | San Francisco, CA |
| BPM | San Francisco, CA |
| Considine & Considine | San Diego, CA |
| Grant Thornton | San Francisco, CA |
| CBIZ | San Diego, CA |
| Ernst & Young LLP | Boston, MA |
| Frank Rimerman + Co. | Palo Alto, CA |
| Lindsay & Brownell | La Jolla, CA |
| Lindsay and Brownell | San Diego, CA |
| KPMG LLP | Irvine, CA |
| McGladrey | San Diego, CA |
| Moss Adams | San Francisco, CA |
| Aldrich | San Diego, CA |
| Baker Tilly | San Diego, CA |
| RSM LLP | San Diego, CA |
| Frank, Rimerman + Co. LLP | San Francisco, CA |
| BDO USA LLP | San Diego, CA |
| Moss Adams LLP | San Diego, CA |
| Signature Analytics | San Diego , CA |
| AKT | San Diego, CA |
| Apercen Partners | Pasadena, CA |
| Arcadia Management | Phoenix, AZ |
| Axos Bank | San Diego, CA |
| CBIZ Accounting | San Diego, CA |
| CBIZ MHM | San Diego, CA |
| Considine&Considine | San Diego, CA |
| Duffy Kruspodin | La Jolla, CA |
| Duffy Kruspodin, LLP | La Jolla, CA |
| ECORP Consulting, Inc. | San Diego, CA |
| Frank, Rimerman +Co | San Jose, CA |
| Frank, Rimmerman | Palo Alto, CA |
| Golden Years Assisted Living | Yorba Linda, CA |
| HCVT | Encino, CA |
| HMWC | Tustin, CA |
| Kieckhafer Schiffer LLP | Orange County, CA |
| KSJG | Irvine, CA |
| Lavine, Lofgren, Morris & Engelberg | San Diego, CA |
| Lavine, Lofgren, Morris and Engelberg, LLP | San Diego, CA |
| Leaf & Cole LLP | San Diego, CA |
| LGC | San Diego, CA |
| Lindsay & Brownell, LLP | La Jolla, CA |
| Moss Adams, LLP | La Jolla, CA |
| N&K CPAs Firm | Honolulu, HI |
| Raven Bookkeeping | Upland, CA |
| RBTK LLP | San Diego, CA |
| Squar Milner LLP | San Diego, CA |
| SquarMilner | San Diego, CA |
| Windes | Long Beach, CA |
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Daughter just got into USC for Accounting. What are people’s thoughts? Where would you go, SLO, UCD, UCI, or USC?
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Wow! Big congratulations. Leventhal has a nationally top 10 accounting program, and Marshall is a top 10 undergrad business school as well.
With that said, for an accounting degree, the prestige probably does not matter so much. On the other hand, the COA of USC would be much higher than those of your other public alternatives.
I would consider cost and cultural fit in this situation.
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It’s very personal - you had all the other privates too.
USC is much bigger than the other privates and I’ll surmise, much more expensive.
Is that a concern to you, especially if the job outcome might be similar? And what if she needs a 5th year?
Public schools are - well - public - they tend to be more bureaucratic but perhaps it’s similar at a large private.
Can you revisit each - see if one of them says to her - I belong here.
I would use that - and budget - as factors.
USC is nearly $400K on four years - it may be by the time you’re done. I’m assuming no aid - perhaps I’m wrong.
If another i$ 150K or $250K, that’s a lot of jack. Make sure YOU are comfortable with that.
It’s nice to have choices - until - you have to make a choice - then it stinks…unless one sings to you - that you belong here.
Best of luck to your daughter.
You can compare colleges here. They show the average income by major (at 10 years past college start date, so 6 or so years post-grad) as well as other data points
Thank you all for the info. It will be a very difficult decision for my daughter and for us. The thought of USC and the opportunities it opens seems exciting, however in all actuality, the $200K difference does not, could be used for other purposes , and the experiences at other colleges may be on par. We will need to do more research and soul searching.
In a field that is vastly undersupplied, what opportunities or doors will USC open that others don’t?
I would, again, get the career outcomes for each - and go from there.
You might find the roles being placed in are similar.
I would also check the schools - just the environments are different - from location, size, and even sports and greek culture.
No school can offer any guarantees - but yes, only you all can decide if the monetary value is worth it to your family.
There is likely no bad answer here - no matter which option is chosen.
But if she wants to be an accountant, look deeper - as she might need a 5th year - what are the options and costs and can UCD even provide this?
Best of luck.
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No school, for any major creates enough of an advantage to make up for that price difference.
As for the party scene at Cal Poly, every school has that. Students will or won’t participate based on their individual interests and fortitude.
Lastly, class sizes at Cal Poly are generally small. The largest lecture hall is in the B school though. The Silo holds 200.
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