College Links

College Board Online has information on SAT tests and registration, information for students and parents, test preparation, info the new SAT/PSAT tests, and lots more.  Use their College Search to find information on specific colleges and universities (search the 3,200 two- and four-year college database by name, location, type of school, financial aid, etc.).  Once you have the reference for a particular institution, click on the college name or "Just the Facts" for a quick overview, "Tests" for information on  middle-50% SAT I score ranges and AP credits, "Admissions" for application fees and dates, etc.  Information on financial aid, costs, academics, student life, and much more is also available, along with links to college websites. 

The college links below are based on U.S. News College Rankings, which classifies colleges into categories (in order to compare schools with similar goals) and then ranks them into four tiers.  We present here the top-ranked California colleges and universities from the four major categories:  

• Liberal Arts Colleges - Bachelor's emphasize undergraduate education and award at least 50% of their degrees in liberal arts disciplines such as life sciences, literature, history, foreign languages 
  
• National Universities - Doctoral offer a full range of majors as well as master's and doctoral degrees, and often place a strong emphasis on research
  
• Universities - Master's also offer a full range of undergraduate programs and provide graduate education at the master's level, but they offer few, if any, doctoral programs
  
• Comprehensive Colleges - Bachelor's focus primarily on undergraduate education just as the liberal arts colleges do but grant few than 50% of their degrees in liberal arts disciplines.
  
• For more information, please see U.S. News College Rankings

Please remember that rankings are only one tool to help you select and compare schools.  They are, by their very nature, somewhat subjective, and excellent schools will be found in all four "tiers" of the rankings.  We hope that this list will encourage you to investigate some fine California colleges you may not have been aware of.  Students should gather information on colleges in many ways:  talking to parents, high school teachers, and counselors; reading college catalogs, viewbooks, and Web sites; scheduling appointments with college representatives; and visiting campuses to form first-hand impressions.  And remember, a private liberal arts college may be far cheaper than a public university once financial assistance and merit scholarships are factored in!
 
 

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