UC vs CSU: they might have similar letters, but they're definitely not the same thing! The University of California and the California State University are two highly regarded public university systems based throughout California. But what is the difference between UC and CSU? How are the UC and CSU schools different and how are they alike?
In this UC vs CSU guide, we give you a comprehensive comparison of Cal State vs UC and go over what these differences and similarities mean for you and your college choices. First, though, let's take a look at what the UC schools and CSU schools actually are, starting with the UC system.
The University of California system is a group of highly prestigious public research universities in California. Established in 1869, UC has grown to include over 280,000 students and 227,000 staff and faculty members.
There are 10 campuses, nine of which offer both undergraduate and graduate education:
The UC schools are large schools, typically with 20,000 or more undergrads. UCLA has the biggest undergrad enrollment of the UC schools at 32,119, while UC Merced has the smallest enrollment at around 8,000 (it's also the newest of the UC schools, having opened its doors in 2005).
As a whole, the UC system offers 160 academic disciplines and 800 degree programs.
UC schools are highly regarded and top-ranked. They are extremely competitive to get into and are considered some of the best public universities in the nation.
The California State University system is a group of public universities based in California. It is the largest public four-year university system in the US.
Even though the CSU schools aren't nearly as competitive as the UC schools, they're still pretty popular because they offer quality academics at an affordable price for California residents.
Officially established in 1972, the CSU system comprises 23 schools, which all have undergraduate programs available:
In total, approximately 477,000 students attend CSU, where 56,000 faculty and staff are employed.
Undergrad enrollment varies tremendously at the CSU schools. CSU Fullerton has the largest enrollment at about 35,401 undergrads, while Cal Maritime has the smallest enrollment at just over 900 undergrads.
Additionally, CSU has an incredibly diverse student body, with a high percentage of non-traditional and commuter students, and is known for catering to minority and low-income students.
Unlike the UC schools, which focus more on research and academic publishing, CSU focuses more on helping students develop professional, practical skills that will lead them to great jobs right out of college.
UCLA campus (Alton/Wikimedia Commons)
Here's a side-by-side Cal State vs UC comparison so you can see how the two university systems are both different and alike:
The University of California system is often shortened to "UC," which is why you'll typically see the UC schools referred to as UC Berkeley or UC Irvine, for example, instead of the University of California, Berkeley or the University of California, Irvine (both of which are definitely a mouthful!).
That being said, "UC" can also refer to the University of Cincinnati, so be sure to specify which University of California school you're talking about.
The California State University system is usually called "CSU" or "Cal State." So the California State University, Fullerton could be called either CSU Fullerton or Cal State Fullerton, for instance.
Be aware that "CSU" can refer to several other colleges, too, such as Colorado State University, Chicago State University, and Cleveland State University.
There are 10 UC schools (including one graduate-only school in San Francisco) and 23 CSU schools.
The UC schools are mostly located in larger cities in either northern or southern California:
CSU is a little different. Since there are more CSU schools than there are UC schools, the system is more spread out across the state and has campuses in smaller cities as well as larger cities. This element of convenience makes CSU easier to access for many people throughout California.
Both the University of California and the California State University are public state university systems, meaning that they're both funded by the California State government. For more information on how public universities differ from private ones, check out our in-depth guide.
CSU is by far the larger of the two systems, both in terms of number of schools and student enrollment. While UC is home to nine undergraduate schools and 290,000+ students, CSU has 23 schools and a whopping 475,000+ students.
Regarding undergraduate enrollment specifically, UC currently has 294,662 undergrads while CSU has 477,466 undergrads. However, the individual campuses in the UC and CSU systems vary quite significantly in enrollment.
The following chart shows total undergraduate enrollment at UC and CSU schools, from largest undergraduate student body to smallest. All UC schools have been highlighted in green .
