I’d add that the CSUs vary a lot more in size, surrounds and student experience than they do in the quality of instruction. I’d also discourage you from thinking of colleges in terms of absolute best and worst. All 23 CSUs provide credible degrees to their students. Some like CPSLO are really hard to get into so they aren’t accessible to the average student. Some are residential - like Sonoma, Chico SDSU and CPSLO with a high density of students living on and around campus - and provide what many seem to want as the ‘college experience’ While others like Sac SF and CSLUB are surrounded by large metro areas and students who are distributed over a larger geography - often living in their family home - but, perhaps provide better access to internships and such… Some schools like Humboldt have really unique locations that make them perfect for a forestry major (and Sac for Poli Sci)
Rather than thinking about this process as a quest for the best, look at is as a search for a fit - financially, academically and socially. Even at your busiest times, you’ll spend 20 hours in a classroom each week. That leaves another 150ish hours for other stuff. How do you want to spend that time? What are your qualifications, budget and what’s important to you?