Which CSU/UC in SoCal is good for small class sizes and personal environment?

<p>I know this sounds like a joke, but I want to go to a public school with a small feel to it.</p>

<p>Check the on-line class schedules at each school (search for “schedule of classes”). When looking at them, you can use introductory economics, psychology, chemistry, and biology as the gauge, since these are typically the largest classes on any campus. Or if you have a definite major picked out, use the courses for that major.</p>

<p>SoCal CSUs ranked by approximate number of undergraduates:</p>

<p>32,300 CSU Fullerton
31,000 CSU Northridge
27,500 CSU Long Beach
26,600 San Diego State
20,500 CSU Pomona
17,700 Cal Poly SLO
17,300 CSU Los Angeles
15,900 CSU San Bernardino
11,000 CSU Dominguez Hills
9900 CSU San Marcos
7000 CSU Bakersfield
4900 CSU Channel Islands</p>

<p>SoCal UCs ranked by approximate number of undergraduates:</p>

<p>28,000 UC Los Angeles
23,000 UC San Diego
22,200 UC Irvine
18,900 UC Santa Barbara
18,500 UC Riverside</p>

<p>NorCal CSUs ranked by approximate number of undergraduates:</p>

<p>26,000 San Francisco State
25,500 Sacramento State
25,200 San Jose State
19,700 CSU Fresno
15,300 CSU Chico
11,500 CSU East Bay
8100 Sonoma State
7600 CSU Stanislaus
7600 Humboldt State
5200 CSU Monterey Bay</p>

<p>NorCal UCs ranked by approximate number of undergraduates:</p>

<p>25,800 UC Berkeley
25,600 UC Davis
16,000 UC Santa Cruz
4900 UC Merced</p>

<p>CSU Channel Islands. Professors really get to know the students there. I know many students and all love it.</p>

<p>I have also heard good things about Monterey Bay but have less knowledge about that program.</p>

<p>with the possible exception of Channel Islands, you will not find a public, small school feel in SoCal. Over the past generation, SoCal has been booming with population growth, and the CSU’s have not had the budget to keep up with the demand.</p>

<p>If you want a small school feel, with under-sized classrooms, look north to Chico.</p>