Student Services » Support Resources » Career & Transfer Resource Center (CTRC)

Choosing a University

Font Size: + -
Share & Bookmark, Press Enter to show all options, press Tab go to next option
Print

Choosing a university or college to meet your needs requires some careful thought and planning. There are many different factors to take into consideration, besides just the financial cost. Here, you will find many resources to help guide you in making this decision. Be sure to check out additional resources in the Career & Transfer Center.

College Planning Helpful Websites 
How to Choose a College or University: Important Considerations
Virtual Campus Tours
Minority Serving Institutions


College Planning Helpful Websites 

Transfer and Career Center favorites:

Other helpful websites:

  • MyMajors.com – Get help on finding a major, college, career, and scholarships all on one site.
  • California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office – Search for a major or career prep program of interest at any community college in California! 
  • Salary Surfer – Comparative salary study compiled by the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office from a five year period for students who received a certificate or degree from a CA community college. Salary Surfer also identifies which colleges offer programs in specific disciplines.
  • CollegeXpress.com - A college and graduate program searchable database that includes rankings, relevant articles, and more. Registration is required.
  • College Results Online – Research and compare colleges' graduation rates
  • American Ranking of World Universities

 

How to Choose a College or University: Important Considerations

How to Choose a College– Download printable PDF

Deciding on which schools to apply to transfer to is a big decision. Many students think the best schools are the most prestigious schools, but really, students should choose schools that best fit their needs. To figure that out, reflect on the following:

Location:

Do you want to live on or near the campus, or live at home and commute to school?
Would you prefer to stay in the same area of the country, or move to a new area?
Given that most colleges and universities offer a variety of social and cultural events and activities, is the additional stimulation and variety offered by a city also important to you?
Do you have a particular academic interest, career interest, or hobby that might make easy access to a city desirable?
Do any of your interests suggest that a rural environment might be preferable?
Do factors such as personal medical considerations or other personal matters dictate a particular environment?

Size of School:  

Is it important to you to know most of your classmates?
Would you prefer to be in a situation where you are always seeing and meeting new people?
Do you prefer having mostly small classes? Even if your chosen school is large, most of the classes for your major may be small. Ask a representative from that school to know for what the average class size is for transfer students in your major.
Would you like the intimacy that is associated with smaller colleges?
Do you prefer the relative anonymity possible at a larger college or university?
Do you want to have regular interactions with your professors? Look for schools with a low student to faculty ratio.

Student Body:

Would you like a single sex school? A coed school?
Do you prefer that most students come from your geographic area?
Do you prefer that the students come from all parts of the country and/or world?
Would you prefer a school with a particular religious affiliation and students of that religious belief?
Is it important to you that there be a significant socioeconomic mixture of students? If so, you may want to check the percentage of students receiving financial aid and the average award.
Do you prefer a competitive academic environment where most of the students are at or above your own level of ability and achievement?
Would you feel more comfortable in a less pressured academic environment where you would be at the high end of the admitted students in terms of ability and achievement?
What type of campus culture do you prefer? To know, visit the schools! The Transfer Club hosts campus tours every semester.

Campus Life:

Are fraternities/sororities important to you?
Would you prefer a school with specific extracurricular activities (e.g., publications, athletics, student government, clubs, professional organizations)?
Would you prefer a school with a large and varied extracurricular program?

Educational Philosophy:

Do you prefer a school that is dedicated to the pursuit of one particular field of knowledge?
Do you prefer a school that has a fairly comprehensive selection of courses and majors so that you can interact with other students in many different fields?
Do you want a school that is dedicated solely to undergraduate teaching without graduate, professional or research divisions?
Or, would you prefer a school whose mission includes not only undergraduate education but also graduate education and research?
Do you prefer a faculty whose primary or total interest and responsibility is in undergraduate teaching and who, therefore, may be more easily accessible to you outside the classroom and office hours?
Or, do you prefer a faculty whose responsibilities may include both undergraduate and graduate teaching as well as research, and who may not be quite accessible outside the classroom and office hours, but who bring ongoing research into the classroom?
Do you mind if some of your classes are taught by graduate students instead of full professors?
Are you interested in innovative programs that allow for independent study, study abroad, individualized majors, working experience for academic credit, or the like?
Do you require specific services to better facilitate your learning?
Research the career center, what internships are available? What employers recruit at that campus? What majors are they recruiting for? How many students are employed from your major? Where are they employed? How many go to graduate school?
What does a student in your major study and work on? Are there opportunities to work on special projects in your major’s department as an undergraduate student?

Cost:

Make sure the schools you have chosen to apply to are eligible to provide federal financial aid.
Use the school’s financial aid calculator on their website to get an estimate of the aid you are eligible for. All schools that can offer federal financial aid are required to have these calculators available online. Just google search the school’s name and “financial aid calculator”.
Research institution specific scholarships - right away! Often times the scholarships will be due before or at the same time as the application to the school. Don’t let the deadlines pass you by.
Do not dismiss a school simply because you feel it is too expensive. There is a big difference between the advertised price and the price many students actually pay. You will not know until you receive your financial aid award letter, after you apply. So, apply to 3-5 schools, then choose the one that best fits you and your needs, including financial needs.
Consider these points, and you will find the school that is the right fit for you.

Need more help? Check out the resources in the Career & Transfer Resource Center.

 

Virtual Campus Tours

Everyone always says you should never enroll in a school you haven’t visited, but how do you do that if you live many miles away? Virtual campus tours are a way for you to see the campus without having to fly or drive. While it can never replace an in person tour, as you miss things like getting a feel for the campus culture or energy of potential future classmates, it is still a great tool in helping you find the right university for you. 

Visit Campus Tours Website or check your favorite university's website to explore campuses today.

 

Minority Serving Institutions

 

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)

Historically Black Colleges and Universities were established to serve the higher education needs of the black community, however they are open to students of any ethnicity.  There are 105 historically black colleges and universities in the country, with most located in the South and East Coast.  They all award bachelor’s degrees in many fields. Some also award masters and doctorate degrees.

The California Community Colleges system offers a guaranteed transfer pathway to one of several partner HBCUs! To learn more about how to guarantee your transfer to an HBCU, check out https://www.californiacommunitycollegehbcutransfer.com/

Why Transfer to an HBCU?

California community college transfer students with a GPA of 2.5 or higher are guaranteed admission to HBCU partner schools using either of the following two options: (1) complete a minimum of 30 UC or CSU units (2) complete a transfer level-associate degree (ADT) using the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or the California State University General Education Breadth pattern. Students who qualify for this guarantee can also receive an application fee waiver code for the online Common Black College Application in order to apply to participating partner HBCU (four max).  There may be additional prerequisites or other requirements for certain majors.

Additional program benefits for students under the agreement include priority consideration for housing, consideration for transfer scholarships for students with a 3.2 or higher GPA, and pre-admission advising.

Interested in transferring to an HBCU? 

Meet with a counselor to make your transfer plan a reality! And be sure to sign up to receive the latest information about HBCU related events and activities throughout the state of California. Review helpful information on https://www.californiacommunitycollegehbcutransfer.com/

Find your HBCU match and review which universities offer your major! 

Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU)

The association currently represents more than 400 colleges and universities that are committed to higher education for Hispanic students. HACU is committed to improving access and quality of post-secondary education for Hispanic students. In order to qualify to be an HACU school, the school must have a Hispanic student population of at least 25% enrolled full time. HACU schools enroll 40% of all Hispanic students in higher education.

HACU Website

 

American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC)

Operates over 75 Tribal Colleges and Universities throughout the county committed to serving American Indian students. Their mission is to increase self-determination and service to their respective communities among their students.

American Indian College Fund
National Indian Education Association