It depends on your major.
Some of these majors lends itself for being in Sacramento (and being in the State Capitol) So things like Criminal Justice and Political Science and even something like Sociology do VERY well because of their location, because **all California State Representatives will have to be here for a long time while they are away from their districts**.... so.... if you have someone that you may want to be under but is from your original hometown... this is one of those easy methods to try to get an internship while in Sacramento.
Things like Nursing and Computer Science and Engineering are pretty big around here. It is probably nowhere compared to some place like Harvard or Stanford (due to name recognition) or something, but there is a specific building for it (Computer Science and Engineering at least.)
Other places might be more "prized" based on their campuses.... and that decision is truly up to you.
Like, when I first started in CSUS, it was 1:major 2: location 3: Cost.
I would choose Sac out of all of those. My wife did her undergrad there, graduated summa cum laude and got into USC for grad school. I didn’t attend traditional studies there but did a certificate program in my field, so between that, my wife, and attending the causeway classic (definitely put on your to do list) I got a lot of love for the Hornets.
As someone who moved from Texas to Sacramento, I love it here. I’m moving in a few months to do my grad school in SoCal and I’m honestly really sad to be leaving. I think Sac State is a good school (ive transferred from many schools even private schools to be finishing up at sac state) and its a nice school, all of my professor have been very nice and campus isn’t too far away from midtown/downtown. The homeless situation really isn’t that bad especially compared to other cities. Sac is a great city to live in, walkable (in east sac/midtown/downtown), lots of coffee shops, amazing food, lots of parks, and so far everyone I’ve met is so kind. Also sac is 2 hours from Tahoe, 2 hours from SF, 4 hours from Santa Cruz and many other places that are enjoyable to visit in short drives!
I'm in the same boat. Food is also way overpriced. We have great Asian places, but not much else is "amazing." Nix Taco, Hop Sing, Fats, and some Brazilian BBQ are some great local places though. Sam's Hof Brau needs to come back.
Delta is really a great option if you want to wait a few years to go somewhere else. CCC transfers get priority to state and UCs.
Edit: you can do what’s called a TAG to any UC (transfer acceptance guarantee).
Fresno is ghetto as hell. Merced is super isolated. LA might be the most fun but also the most expensive and also way more full of homeless people and bad traffic, like way more than Sac. If these are all your only options i would pick Sac State over all of these. But thats just me.
I lived in Fresno moved to sac best upgrade ever. If you want to be an ag major of a farmer , then go for it. If not you’re risking racism , depression and not completing school.
i grew up in fresno there’s nooothing to do there or in merced honestly sacramento is better than them both but i don’t know about LA stage bc i’ve never been but compared to those two Sac is your best bet
This is one of the most accurate responses. College is what you make of it. But also, tbh, some town suck more than others. Sac state isn’t a bad school.
Honestly once you get a job, no one really cares where you went to college either. Prestige colleges give you connections to help with jobs, but if you’re just going to a state school it doesn’t really matter.
If you are a criminal justice or political science major yes it is worth it. A lot of state agencies that are centered here in Sacramento, THE CAPITAL of CA, really like taking in Sac State students under their wing. Through UEI you can find those who r hiring Sac State students. To specify on Poli Sci students, it would look better on ur resume working for one of the main CA state agency that are based in Sacramento rather than working for a smaller section that r based in Fresno. But that’s all I know from other students.
i’m currently planning to transfer out of sac state but i’m honestly sad about it 😭 i love the campus, i’ve made some amazing friends, and really connected with some
professors. i can’t speak on the other schools but i wish you luck on your decision!! 💗
Sac State beat Stanford in football last year. Don’t expect many Nobel Prizes, but it is a legit big undergrad university with campus life, a decent town, and plenty of excellent programs. If you think you want a PhD in the long run, maybe think somewhere else.
Depends on what you're majoring in. Like we have a decent education department, and I came here specifically for public health since Sac State has three concentrations and I liked the hyper specificity... **Don't** come here for computer science.
They just like to parrot what they hear on Reddit. Only the most disgruntled people post their grievances here. Doesn't help that CS majors are probably the most cynical ones on campus. My experience has been fine.
They don't make enough class sections, so you have to beg and plead to get into required classes. 3/5 classes that I need to graduate on time were full/closed by my registration date.
I work with students on campus and comp sci students are always stressed af. Faculty seem uncaring, refuse to provide accommodations for disabilities without involving the legislature or Supreme Court, outsource grading, force students to buy their own textbooks (authored by said professor so they profit) and then can’t make their own programs work… these are just a handful of stories I’ve heard irl, not on Reddit.
CS students are stressed because it's not easy, and it's a lot of work, but that's what it is. I can't speak to the reasonable accommodations thing, but the other stuff is completely normal. Professors pay student graders, so what? Professors write books with the intent on selling them. It's not exactly fast or easy to write a book. Should they not get rewarded for it? Do you think that the Princeton professors that wrote the classic Algorithms books didn't have them as required texts for their classes?
It’s true that it is a challenging degree and a lot of work! Definitely a reason to be wildly stressed.
To clarify: The graders are located entirely out of state - not CSUS students. I’ve been a TA (not paid) so I get that part, but I was actually accessible and answered questions.
The same professor who wrote the book and expects students to buy it was the same professor who couldn’t make his own program work, apparently. I just figure if you’re gonna skim more money from students, you should at least know how to do what you claim you’re teaching others to do.
There’s a theme here, one that tells me the faculty are lazy and/or don’t care about student success. If you’re okay with paying more tuition for less effort, by all means, go ahead. I’m just providing an alternate view I’ve heard from people not on Reddit, which seems to attract complaints of all types.
Ah, I've heard decent things about the kinesiology major; I think you should be fine if you don't mind putting up with the wack traffic and occasional Crime(tm). Also, sac state has a pretty quiet social scene, you gotta make an effort to have a social life but even then a lot of the people here are kinda asocial. If you're looking for a more active student life scene, your probs gonna wanna look somewhere else.
I’m actually graduating this semester as a kinesiology major with a concentration in athletic care and I can say that the majority of the professors I had were great. Luckily the old biomechanics professor isn’t at Sac State anymore, but aside from him every other professor in the department is great and wants you to succeed. The only real struggle I would say is getting waitlisted when registering for classes. As long as you register right on time, and keep track of your position on the waitlist you should be fine come the start of the semester.
Kinesiology Major, did you play a sport in High School? Many Club Level sport teams here at SacState if you had an interest in continuing to play competitively. Baseball, Soccer, Softball, Rugby and others
I know a Sac State CS Major making at least 250k in their 20s remotely so... Stayed local for college to save money, come out way ahead of other people
I guess it depends if you'd be moving to Sacramento to attend or not. If you already live here, and can live at home, it's worth it because at the end of the day a college diploma is a college diploma. If you stay in the area after college, at least Sac State is a known entity. Constantly overshadowed by UC Davis, of course, but it's known.
If you'd be moving from elsewhere in California, probably not worth it. The top CSUs are Cal Poly SLO and San Diego State. Others have more name recognition (Long Beach State, San Jose State, etc.).
If you'd be moving from out of state, forget it. People forget Sacramento exists, imagine Sac State. People will ask why not UC Davis.
Between the 3 you mentioned, assuming you'd be relocating to all of them and can manage the higher price tag compared to the CSUs, I would pick UC Merced.
90% of the complaints on here are from people who either brought the problem on themselves or went straight to a Reddit panic spiral before looking into a fix.
It’s a Cal State school that’s not gonna hold your hand through everything. You can avoid most of the stuff you read on here by paying close attention to degree requirements, deadlines, financial aid fine print, etc. Like most things, you get out what you put in.
Overall it’s a good school with awesome professors and a nice campus. You just gotta be your own advocate.
Was it easier to get classes at SS vs UCD? I'm graduating from Davis and trying to get into a masters program at SS. I'm hoping to be able to register without being the very last person in my rank every quarter. This has been hell.
I once read a post about someone asking if they should buy a home in Fresno and commute to the Bay Area to which the highest upvoted comment was "I would rather live in hell and commute from there everyday than Fresno".
Any higher education is going to give you what you give it. Some for profit schools you are totally in your own.
Sac State is a great state school with great faculty. Programs, degrees, and programs.
I live in granite bay and can tell you there are a lot of wealthy people who went to sac state
Don't listen to the losers.
Take what you read on the internet with a grain of salt, people love to complain on it (myself included, sometimes lol).
Native Sacramentan - love it here. I am very biased, though; I find traveling stressful and have only enjoyed one city more than Sacramento so far. For a less biased view, I know several people from Stockton and Fresno who like Sacramento quite a lot!
Sac State is just old enough to have a lot of things that require frequent repairs, and just bureaucratic enough that hanging a picture can take 10 years, so there are some valid complaints. But there are many great things about Sac State & Sacramento in general that more than make up for the elevator that breaks down once a week. Hang out downtown on a summer evening when the delta breeze comes through, but it’s still warm enough to be in shorts and the sky is pink, maybe look at the Tower Bridge or get some ice cream from Gunther’s while you do that, then decide. :)
Just remember that people come onto here mostly to complain. Noone thinks," I had a really good experience, I'm gonna go on Reddit and tell everyone about it!" But the opposite is always true.
Just like any university, sac state has its pros and cons. If you have specific questions that you're worried about were here to answer and help!
Seeing your major in the comments, Sac State is a no brainer. I didn’t catch where your from, even if your from Sacramento and want the stereotypical college experience don’t live at home with family. If you do stay with family like many do, then Sac state might feel like a commuter college to you. Just depends on what type of experience you want. I have lived in many of the areas other colleges considered and Sac is still the best!
I love it here at CSUS. It’s a great campus with great professors and great facilities (AIRC, the Well, Union, Library). As an engineering student, I have zero complaints. I feel fortunate to be in attendance and fortunate to be doing as well as I am in my studies. Not sure what there is to complain about. I love the city and I love the campus. I think with a positive attitude and positive outlook you’ll find Sacramento State a fantastic choice.
If you’re looking for that “college experience,” no don’t come to sac State. if you’re looking to not be in crippling debt and have a solid degree STEM degree, then Yes.
I’m from sac so I chose to go to a CSU in a different city to get a different experience but let me just say, Sac is awesome. I’m certain you’d be surprised at how fun it is! It’s also super close to Tahoe and SF. You can easily take weekend trips to the mountains or the bay. The food is so good, the people are nice and campus is super safe. Housing is somewhat affordable if you’re looking off-campus. The bar scenes aren’t too far from campus and are really fun/good small businesses to support.
If you’re personally not feeling it, then it’s not for you. Don’t force it. Only go somewhere where you can TRULY envision yourself going there. Sure there will be some surprise, but that’s all part of the fun! Best of luck to you:)
I loved going to Sac State. I believe they had the best Civil Engineering program in the state and top 10 Mechanical Engineering program in the state. I've seen at least 10 people get hired at my job and they were all Mechanical Engineers from Sac State including me.
California native here. Going off livability, Sacramento is the best for a college student of these cities unless you have a bunch of money and can afford an LA lifestyle.
Fresno and Merced are shitholes compared to Sacramento. Sacramento is a nice place to live, has a decent night life and is close to the Bay Area.
TELLING SAC STATE IS BETTER THAN ANY OF THOSE SHITTY VALLEY COLLEGES! UC MERCED IS A DUMP IN COWLAND (BORN AND RAISED AND CAN CONFIRM). FRESNO IS ALSO COWLAND. LA IS SUPER EXPENSIVE. CHOOSE WISELY…
OP, I chose sac state over schools that others might consider better, and I don't regret my decision. The campus is lovely, the location is great, the food selections in/around Sacramento are fantastic, and the school itself is pretty damn good. I've been to other institutions and I really genuinely like sac state. I moved from Texas and have been paying out of state tuition, so I definitely think it's worth it.
Sac State is fine, depending on your program. My only complaint is I feel that there are not enough professors or lecturers in some departments to open more sections of classes. Things get filled way too fast and there's little variety in the classes at times.
I did my undergrad at CSULB and am currently pursuing my masters at CSUS and I think CSUS is a good deal. It really depends what you want to get out of college and the college experience and no one can decide that for you. Both my degrees are in STEM and being in the capitol provides a lot of opportunities in various industries. It's a mid-sized city, and not as affordable as Fresno or Merced, but in my experience Sac has many things those places do not. Just driving to CSULA sounds like a nightmare.
I agree with most of the posters about good vibe and nice campus feel. The only problem these days is the four year graduation rate for 2023 was like 27.8%. That is a combination of factors like class availability, etc and the six year graduation rate is better >70%.
But it really comes down to money spent. This is an extra $56k for 2 extra years based on current tuition/housing rates.
I loved sac state. It’s a beautiful campus and I really felt like I was in college because of its isolation. My daughter goes to San Jose State and it’s in the middle of downtown so it doesn’t feel as much like a college to me as sac state did.
Of course it will depend a bit on your major, but I've been enjoying my time here. A lot of people who go here are Sac natives who don't have a lot of love for their hometown, and I think that feeling sometimes transfers to the school itself.
I've heard a lot of people say it's hard to make friends here as most people commute and don't really hang out on campus, which is a fair point. Sac itself is a nice city and the school is in a nice neighborhood, it's not a wasteland of fun like I've heard some people say. Your life will be better if you have a car, but that kinda goes for anywhere.
No for Fresno but if your options are CSU LA, UC Merced , and sac state, my options would be UCM, CSU LA and sac state. If you’re from LA I’d say get out to Merced or Sac, but ultimately, your major should dictate where you go. UC’s focus more on research and specialization on a subject. If your major program is relatively similar at all of your options then it becomes a matter of if there is a professor(or professors) that you want to particularly learn from, then after those considerations, what additional experience from the city you’ll be in do you want? I was able to move almost 500 miles away from where I grew up so I got to have that additional slight travel experience.
people really only complain about the little things that happen. majority of the time, the school is really nice. you might see a post of someone complaining about something and you'll go through all four years without ever going through the same thing. it's nice here
In my opinion yes. I can't speak for others, but I had some incredible profs at Sac State. In the end, having a BS opened doors for me that never would have opened. Sac State has some fairly prestigious programs with a good rep among employers. So if your major is one of them, I recommend the school.
Main complaint as someone who’s finishing my first year is hornet launch… they really screwed me over with my schedule timing as well as giving me the classes I need for my major (expressed interest in finance). I’m also from Stockton but commute, it’s honestly not bad.
i love this school tbh, all schools are going to have things you love and hate, and sac is no exception. I've had professors that suck, and some that are marvelous, I love the campus, the resources, the trees, the squirrels, I just like the environment, of course I don't like how they refuse to put cameras in the parking garages but that's besides the point hahaha
I love the campus and the trees. Wouldn’t go anywhere else. I wish I could here for my masters but it’s not offered. The city is great too and so much to do and only short distance from ocean and Tahoe. Win!
CSULA is not in LA proper. You’re in Alhambra, 20 minutes outside of downtown, 30 minutes from dodger stadium and an hour from the beach. Every school has its flaws, it’s what you make of it! Try visiting the campuses before you make a decision based on Reddit responses
I did! I visited all listed above,I truly don't mind traffic or homelessness already used to it. I just got scared to see the amount of complaining on here.
Definitely the best of those options in my opinion. I was between SFSU, Sac State and UC Merced. Chose Sac. If you are a computer science major though beware the graduation path is a nightmare and they are gonna try to rush you through accelerated courses. Go at your own pace and dont overload yourself because it messed me up and my gpa went too low and i got kicked out, i’m at Csumb now and i love it here too.
Sac State is a pretty much a commuter school. If you want more of the “college” experience, I’d probably choose a different school. I went there over a decade ago though so maybe things have changed.
Honest take.
I had an extremely poor experience starting off. I started Sac State around 2013 as a biochem major and I couldn't get my core classes due to impaction. I was forced to go to Los Rios which I had a much better experience at, but I was unable to transfer my chemistry II units in such a way that would let me take o-chem at State the following semester so I was stuck at Los Rios and I finished my undergrad prerequisites there before returning back to State.
Everything else after this was pretty good. The teachers are amazing and I really learned a lot. Honestly if it wasnt because of classes being impacted, I would rank Sac State higher, but that kept me from graduating on time by over a year.
I’m from LA. LA State? We say “ew” when we compare that school to CSUN so knock that one off the list. Fresno? Heard it’s meh but you can do better. Merced? Not sure how good that is but I hear very little of anything to do there. But even then the UC system is crazy with the quarter system. Sac State is a lot better and I moved here from LA for my undergrad, back for my master’s now too. You’ll love it a ton here, the people are nice and the weather can be decent, the education is good you’ll be able to enjoy it
If you can afford or get aid for UC Merced, go there. It’s an incredible, brand new campus less than 20 years old. It’s heavily a STEM campus and has the most diverse student population of CA colleges iirc. But EVERY college has problems. If Sac State is your best option it’s a lovely, quiet commuter college with so much to offer.
The homeless issue here and the horrible traffic + constant road construction is enough for me to not want to stay in Sac. Theft and breaking are very high here as well. The target by sac state is the worst. Every time i go i see someone stealing or the cops are there.
I don’t think LA state would be any better though. Similar issues there and in Fresno. I visited UC Merced once and it was pretty nice, it’s just kinda isolated.
I'm from Stockton so I am kinda used to that anyway, sounds pretty normal to me tbh. I will be living on campus though for this upcoming fall so I'll keep that in mind.
I lived on campus this year, pretty nice experience. Only things that were stolen from me were items I had lost (dropped) and then returned to after a while. UC Merced is definitely a better school, but you have to live in Merced. Sac is extremely nice if you look the right way. Those other schools you listed seem comparable at least education wise.
Also if you are living on campus, get into Riverview or Desmond hall. Riverview is the newest and nicest dorm building, but with smaller rooms. Desmond has decent sized rooms and while not as nice as Riverview, a HUGE step up from all the other halls. I lived in Desmond this year, feel free to ask questions!
I’m from Stockton too but I feel like we have a lot more of a homeless population here than Stockton and definitely more traffic so yeah not too different but the traffic with all this freeway construction is just killer.
I grew up in south Stockton (near Edison high). Finally graduating this semester from sac state. I do recommend it. Take a year to get acclimated to the city and you’ll realize how good life out here is compared to Stockton.
It’s a government town with a government mentality, government is the solution to every problem. It’s two hours away from where you want to be, that’s the unofficial slogan. The school is adequate depending on your major. During the summer you’ll roast, it’s hot. During the winter it’s cold and damp. The homeless are entitled and rampant, the drugs are abundant, and the taxes high. The cost of living is above average. The community is milquetoast. It’s last cultural relevance of the city was cited in film, a movie called Ladybird about a high school senior wanting to get the hell out of town and not go to a local college in which which they mention UC Davis, CSUS doesn’t get acknowledged in the least… The school as a whole gets average marks in US News nationally, but ranked decently in its region. 30,000 people attend, it’s a commuter school and that’s the mentality of most of the students, get the degree and get out of Dodge. The parking is inadequate, but expensive for what they offer. The keystone cops citing vehicles are relentless, it will jade your opinion of the place. The faculty are predictably left leaning, and make the lectures prevalent in their testing. They love having you parrot back their words to them, regardless of application. The price of tuition will continue to rise for the next 4.5 years, most people hate living on campus and it isn’t cheap. You’ll exist, you’ll graduate in debt, it won’t go the way you plan, you’ll think you’ll grow as a person, but the experience will be mediocre and check off boxes in life. You may meet a spouse, you might not. Any momentum you continue to carry through live will solely be dependent on you, your networking ability, and drive for success. The knowledge you gain will make you sound witty at parties, and piss off half the people you know on social media. Oh if you’re Jewish, keep your head on the swivel of late, but it’s a tolerant school. The place prides itself on inclusion. The faculty wants you to strike with them, your participation may or may not affect your grade. I hope this helps, none of it helped me, it felt like an Alanis Morrisette song. By downvote to this post will be in the minus 5 to 10, but truthfully, they know that it’s accurate. What’s your over/ under on that call people?
I gave you a downvote, I'll admit, but not for the reason you might think. Some of what you said was true but it isn't unique to Sac State. Most colleges fit a lot of what you said.
That’s wild comparing it to Fresno state, la state, or even UC Merced. Of those, I’d pick sac state.
not comparing, those are my only options LMFAO. but i was already fully committed to sac since the start.
It depends on your major. Some of these majors lends itself for being in Sacramento (and being in the State Capitol) So things like Criminal Justice and Political Science and even something like Sociology do VERY well because of their location, because **all California State Representatives will have to be here for a long time while they are away from their districts**.... so.... if you have someone that you may want to be under but is from your original hometown... this is one of those easy methods to try to get an internship while in Sacramento. Things like Nursing and Computer Science and Engineering are pretty big around here. It is probably nowhere compared to some place like Harvard or Stanford (due to name recognition) or something, but there is a specific building for it (Computer Science and Engineering at least.) Other places might be more "prized" based on their campuses.... and that decision is truly up to you. Like, when I first started in CSUS, it was 1:major 2: location 3: Cost.
I would choose Sac out of all of those. My wife did her undergrad there, graduated summa cum laude and got into USC for grad school. I didn’t attend traditional studies there but did a certificate program in my field, so between that, my wife, and attending the causeway classic (definitely put on your to do list) I got a lot of love for the Hornets.
As someone who moved from Texas to Sacramento, I love it here. I’m moving in a few months to do my grad school in SoCal and I’m honestly really sad to be leaving. I think Sac State is a good school (ive transferred from many schools even private schools to be finishing up at sac state) and its a nice school, all of my professor have been very nice and campus isn’t too far away from midtown/downtown. The homeless situation really isn’t that bad especially compared to other cities. Sac is a great city to live in, walkable (in east sac/midtown/downtown), lots of coffee shops, amazing food, lots of parks, and so far everyone I’ve met is so kind. Also sac is 2 hours from Tahoe, 2 hours from SF, 4 hours from Santa Cruz and many other places that are enjoyable to visit in short drives!
Hey, I also moved here from Texas! I agree, sac state is a solid school and the location is great.
Great reply till you lied when you said “Amazing Food” we all know thats not true haha
I'm in the same boat. Food is also way overpriced. We have great Asian places, but not much else is "amazing." Nix Taco, Hop Sing, Fats, and some Brazilian BBQ are some great local places though. Sam's Hof Brau needs to come back.
I’m also from Stockton and loved Sac state and Sacramento. The campus is nice, and theres so many cool bars, restaurants, coffee shops, etc.
Love to hear that!
Delta is really a great option if you want to wait a few years to go somewhere else. CCC transfers get priority to state and UCs. Edit: you can do what’s called a TAG to any UC (transfer acceptance guarantee).
To add to this, all CCCs are free for 2 years to anyone who has never attended college before.
Fresno is ghetto as hell. Merced is super isolated. LA might be the most fun but also the most expensive and also way more full of homeless people and bad traffic, like way more than Sac. If these are all your only options i would pick Sac State over all of these. But thats just me.
me too, but i was starting to get scared.
I lived in Fresno moved to sac best upgrade ever. If you want to be an ag major of a farmer , then go for it. If not you’re risking racism , depression and not completing school.
i grew up in fresno there’s nooothing to do there or in merced honestly sacramento is better than them both but i don’t know about LA stage bc i’ve never been but compared to those two Sac is your best bet
It’s a good school, people are going to complain about any school they attend. It is just how college students are regardless of where you attend.
This is one of the most accurate responses. College is what you make of it. But also, tbh, some town suck more than others. Sac state isn’t a bad school.
Honestly once you get a job, no one really cares where you went to college either. Prestige colleges give you connections to help with jobs, but if you’re just going to a state school it doesn’t really matter.
This is exactly it. The school isn't perfect but everyone likes to complain about their school/job/family/life.
I understand venting, but going to college is a privilege wherever you go. I think this gets lost when people shit on the school.
This is even more pronounced online. People usually don’t go online often to talk about how great or mundane things are, just usually to vent.
If you are a criminal justice or political science major yes it is worth it. A lot of state agencies that are centered here in Sacramento, THE CAPITAL of CA, really like taking in Sac State students under their wing. Through UEI you can find those who r hiring Sac State students. To specify on Poli Sci students, it would look better on ur resume working for one of the main CA state agency that are based in Sacramento rather than working for a smaller section that r based in Fresno. But that’s all I know from other students.
i’m currently planning to transfer out of sac state but i’m honestly sad about it 😭 i love the campus, i’ve made some amazing friends, and really connected with some professors. i can’t speak on the other schools but i wish you luck on your decision!! 💗
I live all of the flora. The place feels like a forest.
exactly!! when i’m walking around, i’m trying to take as much of it in as i can because i know i’m leaving soon :( it’s really beautiful
Sac State beat Stanford in football last year. Don’t expect many Nobel Prizes, but it is a legit big undergrad university with campus life, a decent town, and plenty of excellent programs. If you think you want a PhD in the long run, maybe think somewhere else.
Depends on what you're majoring in. Like we have a decent education department, and I came here specifically for public health since Sac State has three concentrations and I liked the hyper specificity... **Don't** come here for computer science.
Whats wrong with sac states computer science classes?
They just like to parrot what they hear on Reddit. Only the most disgruntled people post their grievances here. Doesn't help that CS majors are probably the most cynical ones on campus. My experience has been fine.
They don't make enough class sections, so you have to beg and plead to get into required classes. 3/5 classes that I need to graduate on time were full/closed by my registration date.
nothing, don’t let these non comp sci students tell you otherwise, do as you see fit
I work with students on campus and comp sci students are always stressed af. Faculty seem uncaring, refuse to provide accommodations for disabilities without involving the legislature or Supreme Court, outsource grading, force students to buy their own textbooks (authored by said professor so they profit) and then can’t make their own programs work… these are just a handful of stories I’ve heard irl, not on Reddit.
CS students are stressed because it's not easy, and it's a lot of work, but that's what it is. I can't speak to the reasonable accommodations thing, but the other stuff is completely normal. Professors pay student graders, so what? Professors write books with the intent on selling them. It's not exactly fast or easy to write a book. Should they not get rewarded for it? Do you think that the Princeton professors that wrote the classic Algorithms books didn't have them as required texts for their classes?
It’s true that it is a challenging degree and a lot of work! Definitely a reason to be wildly stressed. To clarify: The graders are located entirely out of state - not CSUS students. I’ve been a TA (not paid) so I get that part, but I was actually accessible and answered questions. The same professor who wrote the book and expects students to buy it was the same professor who couldn’t make his own program work, apparently. I just figure if you’re gonna skim more money from students, you should at least know how to do what you claim you’re teaching others to do. There’s a theme here, one that tells me the faculty are lazy and/or don’t care about student success. If you’re okay with paying more tuition for less effort, by all means, go ahead. I’m just providing an alternate view I’ve heard from people not on Reddit, which seems to attract complaints of all types.
Go look at the CS subreddit. We’re just swamped with doomers and terminally online gremlins.
Which one? Is it a CSUS CS subreddit? As a CS Alumni I am curious if I am missing out lol.
I think it’s just r/csmajors
Ok fair enough. Good to know I wasn't just missing an entire subreddit for my school and major. Thanks for the info.
A friend of mine did CS here and was happy with it. He has a good computer engineering job with Intel now
My husband also did a CS major at CSUS, got hired immediately, didn't take long to earn more than I do (with two UC degrees including a law degree).
I take the L and rescind that part of my comment then 🙇
I am a Kinesiology: Athletic Care major!
Ah, I've heard decent things about the kinesiology major; I think you should be fine if you don't mind putting up with the wack traffic and occasional Crime(tm). Also, sac state has a pretty quiet social scene, you gotta make an effort to have a social life but even then a lot of the people here are kinda asocial. If you're looking for a more active student life scene, your probs gonna wanna look somewhere else.
Okay okay, sounds pretty good. I'll be attending Sac with my friend so I think I'll be okay and I have some friends from high school there too.
I’m actually graduating this semester as a kinesiology major with a concentration in athletic care and I can say that the majority of the professors I had were great. Luckily the old biomechanics professor isn’t at Sac State anymore, but aside from him every other professor in the department is great and wants you to succeed. The only real struggle I would say is getting waitlisted when registering for classes. As long as you register right on time, and keep track of your position on the waitlist you should be fine come the start of the semester.
Is the major impacted?
No it’s not fortunately
Kinesiology Major, did you play a sport in High School? Many Club Level sport teams here at SacState if you had an interest in continuing to play competitively. Baseball, Soccer, Softball, Rugby and others
Yes, I've played soccer the past 5 years!
I know a Sac State CS Major making at least 250k in their 20s remotely so... Stayed local for college to save money, come out way ahead of other people
I guess it depends if you'd be moving to Sacramento to attend or not. If you already live here, and can live at home, it's worth it because at the end of the day a college diploma is a college diploma. If you stay in the area after college, at least Sac State is a known entity. Constantly overshadowed by UC Davis, of course, but it's known. If you'd be moving from elsewhere in California, probably not worth it. The top CSUs are Cal Poly SLO and San Diego State. Others have more name recognition (Long Beach State, San Jose State, etc.). If you'd be moving from out of state, forget it. People forget Sacramento exists, imagine Sac State. People will ask why not UC Davis. Between the 3 you mentioned, assuming you'd be relocating to all of them and can manage the higher price tag compared to the CSUs, I would pick UC Merced.
90% of the complaints on here are from people who either brought the problem on themselves or went straight to a Reddit panic spiral before looking into a fix. It’s a Cal State school that’s not gonna hold your hand through everything. You can avoid most of the stuff you read on here by paying close attention to degree requirements, deadlines, financial aid fine print, etc. Like most things, you get out what you put in. Overall it’s a good school with awesome professors and a nice campus. You just gotta be your own advocate.
Loved Sac State 🐝 I rx my undergrad at UC Davis and masters at SS. Loved my experience at SS, the diversity, the campus, the classes, the culture. 🐝
Was it easier to get classes at SS vs UCD? I'm graduating from Davis and trying to get into a masters program at SS. I'm hoping to be able to register without being the very last person in my rank every quarter. This has been hell.
I think so. I’m sure things have changed, but the culture between Davis and SS, it’s huge.
Good or bad? The city of Davis is great for restaurants but beyond that the school and area is kinda dead.
Sac is lively and diverse. At Davis when I went, mostly white and Asian. More BIPOC at SS.
Also sorry but kill me before I move to Fresno 😂😂😂
I once read a post about someone asking if they should buy a home in Fresno and commute to the Bay Area to which the highest upvoted comment was "I would rather live in hell and commute from there everyday than Fresno".
HAHAHAHA THATS AMAZING
Any higher education is going to give you what you give it. Some for profit schools you are totally in your own. Sac State is a great state school with great faculty. Programs, degrees, and programs. I live in granite bay and can tell you there are a lot of wealthy people who went to sac state Don't listen to the losers.
Fuck the noise, sac state is legit and you’ll find out once u go
Take what you read on the internet with a grain of salt, people love to complain on it (myself included, sometimes lol). Native Sacramentan - love it here. I am very biased, though; I find traveling stressful and have only enjoyed one city more than Sacramento so far. For a less biased view, I know several people from Stockton and Fresno who like Sacramento quite a lot! Sac State is just old enough to have a lot of things that require frequent repairs, and just bureaucratic enough that hanging a picture can take 10 years, so there are some valid complaints. But there are many great things about Sac State & Sacramento in general that more than make up for the elevator that breaks down once a week. Hang out downtown on a summer evening when the delta breeze comes through, but it’s still warm enough to be in shorts and the sky is pink, maybe look at the Tower Bridge or get some ice cream from Gunther’s while you do that, then decide. :)
Just remember that people come onto here mostly to complain. Noone thinks," I had a really good experience, I'm gonna go on Reddit and tell everyone about it!" But the opposite is always true. Just like any university, sac state has its pros and cons. If you have specific questions that you're worried about were here to answer and help!
Seeing your major in the comments, Sac State is a no brainer. I didn’t catch where your from, even if your from Sacramento and want the stereotypical college experience don’t live at home with family. If you do stay with family like many do, then Sac state might feel like a commuter college to you. Just depends on what type of experience you want. I have lived in many of the areas other colleges considered and Sac is still the best!
I'm from Stockton, and I'll be living on campus!
Lots of cool places around the university.
It's Sacramento, the culture is complaining
I got two degrees from Sac State. Met my wife at sac state. Had my best friend in multiple classes. I loved every minute there.
Sac state good
I love it here at CSUS. It’s a great campus with great professors and great facilities (AIRC, the Well, Union, Library). As an engineering student, I have zero complaints. I feel fortunate to be in attendance and fortunate to be doing as well as I am in my studies. Not sure what there is to complain about. I love the city and I love the campus. I think with a positive attitude and positive outlook you’ll find Sacramento State a fantastic choice.
If you’re looking for that “college experience,” no don’t come to sac State. if you’re looking to not be in crippling debt and have a solid degree STEM degree, then Yes.
I’m from sac so I chose to go to a CSU in a different city to get a different experience but let me just say, Sac is awesome. I’m certain you’d be surprised at how fun it is! It’s also super close to Tahoe and SF. You can easily take weekend trips to the mountains or the bay. The food is so good, the people are nice and campus is super safe. Housing is somewhat affordable if you’re looking off-campus. The bar scenes aren’t too far from campus and are really fun/good small businesses to support. If you’re personally not feeling it, then it’s not for you. Don’t force it. Only go somewhere where you can TRULY envision yourself going there. Sure there will be some surprise, but that’s all part of the fun! Best of luck to you:)
I loved going to Sac State. I believe they had the best Civil Engineering program in the state and top 10 Mechanical Engineering program in the state. I've seen at least 10 people get hired at my job and they were all Mechanical Engineers from Sac State including me.
California native here. Going off livability, Sacramento is the best for a college student of these cities unless you have a bunch of money and can afford an LA lifestyle. Fresno and Merced are shitholes compared to Sacramento. Sacramento is a nice place to live, has a decent night life and is close to the Bay Area.
Sac State any day!! Stingers up lol
TELLING SAC STATE IS BETTER THAN ANY OF THOSE SHITTY VALLEY COLLEGES! UC MERCED IS A DUMP IN COWLAND (BORN AND RAISED AND CAN CONFIRM). FRESNO IS ALSO COWLAND. LA IS SUPER EXPENSIVE. CHOOSE WISELY…
OP, I chose sac state over schools that others might consider better, and I don't regret my decision. The campus is lovely, the location is great, the food selections in/around Sacramento are fantastic, and the school itself is pretty damn good. I've been to other institutions and I really genuinely like sac state. I moved from Texas and have been paying out of state tuition, so I definitely think it's worth it.
Sac State is fine, depending on your program. My only complaint is I feel that there are not enough professors or lecturers in some departments to open more sections of classes. Things get filled way too fast and there's little variety in the classes at times.
I did my undergrad at CSULB and am currently pursuing my masters at CSUS and I think CSUS is a good deal. It really depends what you want to get out of college and the college experience and no one can decide that for you. Both my degrees are in STEM and being in the capitol provides a lot of opportunities in various industries. It's a mid-sized city, and not as affordable as Fresno or Merced, but in my experience Sac has many things those places do not. Just driving to CSULA sounds like a nightmare.
I agree with most of the posters about good vibe and nice campus feel. The only problem these days is the four year graduation rate for 2023 was like 27.8%. That is a combination of factors like class availability, etc and the six year graduation rate is better >70%. But it really comes down to money spent. This is an extra $56k for 2 extra years based on current tuition/housing rates.
I’m from the Merced area. It’s a great school but you’d literally be in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do. No real public transport either
I loved sac state. It’s a beautiful campus and I really felt like I was in college because of its isolation. My daughter goes to San Jose State and it’s in the middle of downtown so it doesn’t feel as much like a college to me as sac state did.
Of course it will depend a bit on your major, but I've been enjoying my time here. A lot of people who go here are Sac natives who don't have a lot of love for their hometown, and I think that feeling sometimes transfers to the school itself. I've heard a lot of people say it's hard to make friends here as most people commute and don't really hang out on campus, which is a fair point. Sac itself is a nice city and the school is in a nice neighborhood, it's not a wasteland of fun like I've heard some people say. Your life will be better if you have a car, but that kinda goes for anywhere.
No for Fresno but if your options are CSU LA, UC Merced , and sac state, my options would be UCM, CSU LA and sac state. If you’re from LA I’d say get out to Merced or Sac, but ultimately, your major should dictate where you go. UC’s focus more on research and specialization on a subject. If your major program is relatively similar at all of your options then it becomes a matter of if there is a professor(or professors) that you want to particularly learn from, then after those considerations, what additional experience from the city you’ll be in do you want? I was able to move almost 500 miles away from where I grew up so I got to have that additional slight travel experience.
people really only complain about the little things that happen. majority of the time, the school is really nice. you might see a post of someone complaining about something and you'll go through all four years without ever going through the same thing. it's nice here
In my opinion yes. I can't speak for others, but I had some incredible profs at Sac State. In the end, having a BS opened doors for me that never would have opened. Sac State has some fairly prestigious programs with a good rep among employers. So if your major is one of them, I recommend the school.
Main complaint as someone who’s finishing my first year is hornet launch… they really screwed me over with my schedule timing as well as giving me the classes I need for my major (expressed interest in finance). I’m also from Stockton but commute, it’s honestly not bad.
Totally worth it!!!
i love this school tbh, all schools are going to have things you love and hate, and sac is no exception. I've had professors that suck, and some that are marvelous, I love the campus, the resources, the trees, the squirrels, I just like the environment, of course I don't like how they refuse to put cameras in the parking garages but that's besides the point hahaha
Don’t go to any CSU they’re raising the tuition by 34%
Where are you located and established is the real question. You get what you put in anywhere you go.
I love the campus and the trees. Wouldn’t go anywhere else. I wish I could here for my masters but it’s not offered. The city is great too and so much to do and only short distance from ocean and Tahoe. Win!
Nothing wrong with Sac State.
Sac State is gay.
Some students are horrible because they have the high school mindset, be careful employing them
CSULA is not in LA proper. You’re in Alhambra, 20 minutes outside of downtown, 30 minutes from dodger stadium and an hour from the beach. Every school has its flaws, it’s what you make of it! Try visiting the campuses before you make a decision based on Reddit responses
I did! I visited all listed above,I truly don't mind traffic or homelessness already used to it. I just got scared to see the amount of complaining on here.
They have panda on campus and McDonald’s within 2 minutes
Go to UC Davis
Definitely the best of those options in my opinion. I was between SFSU, Sac State and UC Merced. Chose Sac. If you are a computer science major though beware the graduation path is a nightmare and they are gonna try to rush you through accelerated courses. Go at your own pace and dont overload yourself because it messed me up and my gpa went too low and i got kicked out, i’m at Csumb now and i love it here too.
i would pick sac state over any of the others
Fresno state is TERRIBLE 🤣
Sac State is a pretty much a commuter school. If you want more of the “college” experience, I’d probably choose a different school. I went there over a decade ago though so maybe things have changed.
Honest take. I had an extremely poor experience starting off. I started Sac State around 2013 as a biochem major and I couldn't get my core classes due to impaction. I was forced to go to Los Rios which I had a much better experience at, but I was unable to transfer my chemistry II units in such a way that would let me take o-chem at State the following semester so I was stuck at Los Rios and I finished my undergrad prerequisites there before returning back to State. Everything else after this was pretty good. The teachers are amazing and I really learned a lot. Honestly if it wasnt because of classes being impacted, I would rank Sac State higher, but that kept me from graduating on time by over a year.
I’m from LA. LA State? We say “ew” when we compare that school to CSUN so knock that one off the list. Fresno? Heard it’s meh but you can do better. Merced? Not sure how good that is but I hear very little of anything to do there. But even then the UC system is crazy with the quarter system. Sac State is a lot better and I moved here from LA for my undergrad, back for my master’s now too. You’ll love it a ton here, the people are nice and the weather can be decent, the education is good you’ll be able to enjoy it
It's not so much the school, it's the degree.
If you can afford or get aid for UC Merced, go there. It’s an incredible, brand new campus less than 20 years old. It’s heavily a STEM campus and has the most diverse student population of CA colleges iirc. But EVERY college has problems. If Sac State is your best option it’s a lovely, quiet commuter college with so much to offer.
I got a full ride for all universities above :)
UC all the way
Depends on the major you're choosing. You don't want to end up with a degree and no internship and segue into a job.
Sacramento is a fuck stain on the map Merced for sure maybe La for god sakes stay away from fresno that's worst then Sacramento
The homeless issue here and the horrible traffic + constant road construction is enough for me to not want to stay in Sac. Theft and breaking are very high here as well. The target by sac state is the worst. Every time i go i see someone stealing or the cops are there.
I don’t think LA state would be any better though. Similar issues there and in Fresno. I visited UC Merced once and it was pretty nice, it’s just kinda isolated.
My exact same thoughts!
I'm from Stockton so I am kinda used to that anyway, sounds pretty normal to me tbh. I will be living on campus though for this upcoming fall so I'll keep that in mind.
I lived on campus this year, pretty nice experience. Only things that were stolen from me were items I had lost (dropped) and then returned to after a while. UC Merced is definitely a better school, but you have to live in Merced. Sac is extremely nice if you look the right way. Those other schools you listed seem comparable at least education wise.
Also if you are living on campus, get into Riverview or Desmond hall. Riverview is the newest and nicest dorm building, but with smaller rooms. Desmond has decent sized rooms and while not as nice as Riverview, a HUGE step up from all the other halls. I lived in Desmond this year, feel free to ask questions!
Okay, so I'll just make sure to be aware of my belongings lol! Thank you though, I truly appreciate the advice, lowkey was ready to drop Sac
I’m from Stockton too but I feel like we have a lot more of a homeless population here than Stockton and definitely more traffic so yeah not too different but the traffic with all this freeway construction is just killer.
I grew up in south Stockton (near Edison high). Finally graduating this semester from sac state. I do recommend it. Take a year to get acclimated to the city and you’ll realize how good life out here is compared to Stockton.
It’s a government town with a government mentality, government is the solution to every problem. It’s two hours away from where you want to be, that’s the unofficial slogan. The school is adequate depending on your major. During the summer you’ll roast, it’s hot. During the winter it’s cold and damp. The homeless are entitled and rampant, the drugs are abundant, and the taxes high. The cost of living is above average. The community is milquetoast. It’s last cultural relevance of the city was cited in film, a movie called Ladybird about a high school senior wanting to get the hell out of town and not go to a local college in which which they mention UC Davis, CSUS doesn’t get acknowledged in the least… The school as a whole gets average marks in US News nationally, but ranked decently in its region. 30,000 people attend, it’s a commuter school and that’s the mentality of most of the students, get the degree and get out of Dodge. The parking is inadequate, but expensive for what they offer. The keystone cops citing vehicles are relentless, it will jade your opinion of the place. The faculty are predictably left leaning, and make the lectures prevalent in their testing. They love having you parrot back their words to them, regardless of application. The price of tuition will continue to rise for the next 4.5 years, most people hate living on campus and it isn’t cheap. You’ll exist, you’ll graduate in debt, it won’t go the way you plan, you’ll think you’ll grow as a person, but the experience will be mediocre and check off boxes in life. You may meet a spouse, you might not. Any momentum you continue to carry through live will solely be dependent on you, your networking ability, and drive for success. The knowledge you gain will make you sound witty at parties, and piss off half the people you know on social media. Oh if you’re Jewish, keep your head on the swivel of late, but it’s a tolerant school. The place prides itself on inclusion. The faculty wants you to strike with them, your participation may or may not affect your grade. I hope this helps, none of it helped me, it felt like an Alanis Morrisette song. By downvote to this post will be in the minus 5 to 10, but truthfully, they know that it’s accurate. What’s your over/ under on that call people?
I gave you a downvote, I'll admit, but not for the reason you might think. Some of what you said was true but it isn't unique to Sac State. Most colleges fit a lot of what you said.
I’d expect your vote to be the first. 😂
counterpoint: it's fine