Davis grad (1985) checking in. Look, I think there are two key considerations. What you want to study or areas you want to study, and where you want to live. There were plenty of students and UCD that majored in skiing. It just depends on what you like.
As someone pointed out, you can get lost in UCLA or in the people’s republic. I wouldn’t have cut the UC Berkeley program but thrived at UC Davis.
UC San Diego grad – highly recommend it for the sciences. I think you can get a better humanities education at Berk.
Depends on the major.
UCSB has the College of Creative Studies, and their Religious Studies program is one of the best in the country.
twicks, BA in Religious Studies, UCSB, 1976
Here’s a little health tip from your Uncle Gaffer…don’t ever go to Santa Cruz and sit out on the cliffs overlooking Steamer Lane, 30th Street, or The Hook and make this proclamation.
LOL.
I may look it, but I’m not that stupid! (I’ll make that pronouncement only at Rincon or Blacks. Hey, it’s a CLOSE 3rd!)
Berkeley grad here. I also agree that your choice depends on what your major is. I also want to add that many students have a problem adjusting from being head of the class at high school with the best SATs to being nobody special at Berkeley. It can be frustrating. I sometimes feel that if I had gone to another school I would have had a much higher GPA.
Actually, after further consideration, I’ll move SB into 3rd, and Santa Cruz into 2nd. Way more surfing days in Santa Cruz. But the weather’s much better in SB.
Tis true. Plus, there aren’t many places (besides the Steamer Lane, Indicators, and Cowell’s triumvirate) where you can catch a double overhead wave, ride the shoulder all the way onto a sandy beach, jump out of the water, climb some stairs, and jog back out to the line-up.
Well, most pre-season polls have seen put Cal anywhere from #8 to #15, and UCLA unranked (having lost Maurice Drew to the NFL).
Oh…*academic * ranking.
Just want to add that my daughter’s application was dropped from Berkeley to Davis to Santa Cruz, which she hadn’t even considered – she wound up at UCSC and absolutely loved every minute of it, and probably got a better undergraduate education than I did at Berkeley.
U.C. Riverside is #1! Especially if you’re looking to go to med school (do they still have the program where 4 years as a BioMed major at UCR will knock a year off UCLA med school?). Or photography, or art history. I really should go poke around their website and see what’s changed.
Plus it’s a gorgeous campus with many hills to give you calves of steal.
I just graduated from UCR and the BioMed program is still happening and making Freshmen cry on a daily basis!
I thought “calf stealing” was only offered at UCDavis? 
UCR also has an excellent entomology department, and the Citrus Labs are the world’s authority on citrus diseases. Disclosure: I have done grad work at both UCR and UCLA, and put students into every UC campus save Merced. They are all excellent, and they are all lousy. Just like any other college you could name.
UCSC wins the hill contest.
At least UCR’s campus itself is flat (well, except over by the greenhouses).
UC Davis is NOT just an ag school!
We have an excellent engineering program (and not all missed out at Berkeley), as well as fine arts and liberal arts programs. Our professors are top-notch and constantly bringing in awards and accolades. Plus it is a great place to live. Very low crime and safe. I had no problems walking home alone from work at the theater at 2 am. And its a fun college town, and tries to be different and cool.