EDUCATIONAL PLANNING
(Don’t Take Anything You Don’t Need)
Part V: Interesting Transfer Options to Consider
(Public vs. Private, UC vs. CSU)
Be sure to read Mini-Lecture III: Structure of a College Degree before reading this mini-lecture.
When deciding where to transfer, here are several factors to consider:
Public vs. Private Schools
One concept to know when considering bachelor’s degree programs is the difference between a public and private school. Do you know the difference? The main difference is funding—where does the school get the money needed to run the school?
Public schools fund their students’ educations mostly by the state government—your tax dollars. That’s why a state school education is often significantly less than a private school education. The state government is paying for a large part of your education, and you are only paying a small amount.
And, that’s why an out-of-state student at a state school pays so much more. They haven’t contributed tax dollars, so they don’t “deserve” the state funding—they are responsible for much more of their tuition and fees.
The two public school systems in California are the University of California (UC) and the California State University (CSU).
Private schools are mostly funded through student tuition. That’s why it costs so much to attend! Therefore, if you think a public school wasn’t as good as a private one because it costs less, you are wrong! Case in point: you attend SMC, a state-funded public school where the student’s share is only $46 a unit for California residents. Yet, obviously, the cost of your education costs a lot more. However, you are receiving a VERY high level of education at SMC due to public state funding.
IMPORTANT: Keep in mind though that the final cost of YOUR education will depend on the cost of tuition and fees at the transfer schools, PLUS the financial assistance that the schools will award you. At times, a private school education COULD COST EQUAL TO OR EVEN LESS THAN a UC education, for example. You will learn about this important point when we talk about Finances.
Otherwise, you cannot generalize about public and private schools. They will vary greatly regarding admission requirements, size of student body, emphasis of the school (Art? Science? Religious or not?), etc.
The Differences Between the UC and CSU
Here are some interesting differences between the UC and CSU. As you can see, one system is not better or worse than the other. They are simply different.
Mission/Emphasis
UC: Academic theory, research, preparation for grad school; graduate studies
CSU: Discipline/major knowledge and application; preparation for the world of work
Attendance
UC: Full-time day students only; no part-time (or RARELY); no enrollment at other school at the same time (e.g., SMC) except during summer
CSU: Full time and part time; evening classes; enrollment at another school at the same time usually okay
Quarter vs. Semester
UC: All on quarter system except Berkeley and Merced
CSU: All on semester except Bakersfield, East Bay, Los Angeles (changing in 2016), Pomona, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo.
Cost
For 2015-2016, for “tuition” and miscellaneous other fees (this does NOT include books, housing, food, transportation, and other miscellaneous personal costs):
UC: $13400 for in-state residents (average)*
CSU: $6348 for in-state residents (average)**.
*Source: http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/paying-for-uc/tuition-and-cost/index.html
**Source: http://www.calstate.edu/budget/student-fees/mandatory-fees/1516-feeschedules.shtml
Now, determine if you will be completing your ed plan for a UC/CSU or a Private School.
Then go to either:
· Mini-Lecture VI: Bachelor’s Degree-Transferring to a UC/CSU
OR
· Mini-Lecture VII: Bachelor’s Degree-Transferring to a Private/Out-of-State School
NOTE: If you are undecided or preparing to do both, it typically will be easier to do your ed plan for a UC or CSU.