All-American College Consulting College Terms for Types of Colleges
California State University (CSU) Colleges – There are 23 state funded public CSU schools within California. The tuition is fairly reasonable, less than U.C.’s, and students must take either the ACT or SAT and have met GPA and test scores eligibility to enroll. These campuses offer bachelors and master’s degrees and do not issue doctoral degrees. To learn more about these colleges you may go to www.csumentor.edu
Community Colleges - There are 109 community colleges within California and they have the easiest admission requirements and are the easiest to enroll in of the colleges. Students who have a high school diploma or have reached eighteen may apply to a community college. The costs are much less than a State college and student may choose to earn a two year Associates of Art degree or certifications depending on the college programs. Transfer programs are available at many community colleges so that students can go on to attend a four year college. To search for locations of California community colleges go to www.cccco.org
Four year Colleges - include private or independent colleges as well as State University colleges and private and state funded universities. All colleges are unique and vary with the degrees issued.
Historical Black Colleges - HBCU’s are important to know about for the African American student. The Higher Education Act of 1965 defines HBCU as” any historically black college or university that was established before 1964 whose principal mission was and is the education of black Americans and that is accredited by a nationally recognized agency…” To search for these colleges go to website: www.hbcu.com
Independent Colleges – There are over seventy independent colleges in California and hundreds around the nation. The costs are much higher as many do not receive funding from the government. Smaller class sizes and smaller campuses can sometimes be the attraction. These colleges may award bachelors, masters and doctorate degrees. To search and gain more information, go to www.aiccu.edu
IVY League Schools – Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Pennsylvania State, Princeton, and Yale. “Little Ivies” are Amherst, Wesleyan and Williams
University of California – There are 10 UC campuses within California. The tuition is higher than C.S.U.’s and the eligibility criteria is higher as well as the application process is more selective to strive to serve the top 12% of the state’s top student.
Vocational Colleges – There are many local colleges that can be considered vocational colleges: Western college, HEALD, FIDM and others.
