For context, I am a Central California resident, who’s been applying to schools all around California. I have narrowed down my top choices:
UC Santa Barbara (pre statistics and data science)
San Jose State (computer science and linguistics)
UC Merced (undeclared engineering)
Heard that UCSB has a great quality of life socially and academically, though San Jose State has close proximity to the Silicon Valley. UC Merced has an intimate campus, and it would be the most cost effective option for me. I do projects on the side as an indie game developer, and earned a couple thousand on the side. After college, I plan on becoming a data scientist, or to continue pursuing game development, with hopes of pursuing it full-time. I value a campus that is social, with a good work/life balance, but also want the best ROI for my money & education.
I don’t think San Jose State’s proximity to Silicon Valley is a difference maker, unless that’s specifically where you want to settle after graduation. Even then, I’m not sure it adds that much.
How much is the cost difference for Merced? Would you live at home to save money?
Congrats! Those are great options. I’ve heard that CS at SJSU is extremely competitive.
Having grown up in San Jose, I’d personally prefer UCSB for the overall experience. It offers a much more traditional college experience, the location is fantastic, and it’s just a fun school. (I used to visit friends in Isla Vista.) SJSU, on the other hand, may at times feel a little like a commuter school. And San Jose, while offering a huge number of internship and employment opportunities, is on the dull side for someone in their young 20’s. That said, SJSU CS and animation grads do extremely well in the Silicon Valley job market. I don’t know much about UCM, but money is important.
I’d personally lean towards the UCs for the more “traditional” college experience/vibe.
If it’s possible, I’d suggest a visit to each campus to get a “feel” for it.
If you want to become a data scientist, pick between SJSU and UCSB. I personally think it’s easier to break into DS with a CS degree, over a Stats degree. If you really value the traditional college experience, it’s hard to say no to UCSB. It’s also a much higher ranked university than the other two. I don’t think it’s impossible to start at UCSB with Stats and try to switch into CS-- it’s been done before.
Most data scientists either go the Data Analyst → Data Scientist route, or they pursue graduate school FYI.