Compare by cluster
All five colleges, one cluster at a time. Click any infographic to zoom.
Climate
262 comfortable days/yr; 77°F summer high; 61°F winter; 29" rain; coastal Mediterranean with marine layer mornings.
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~287 sunny days; Aug 78°F / Jan 60s°F; 17" rain (Nov–Mar); June Gloom marine layer (locals: "May Gray, No-Sky July, Fogust"); Paso campus inland hotter.
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249 sunny days; hot dry summer; wildfire smoke Aug–Oct.
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157 sunny days; glorious summer; long damp winter; Pacific Coast 1 hr west.
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237 sunny days; bright dry winters; UV strong from elevation.
view spec ↗Activities & Culture
Seacliff Beach 0.5 mi walk, Capitola 5 min, Santa Cruz 15 min. Cabrillo Stage, Festival of Contemporary Music, surf + redwoods.
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Bishop Peak (3.5 mi RT), Cerro San Luis, Avila Beach, Montaña de Oro. Mission Plaza, Thursday Night Farmers Market. SLO is #1 PeopleForBikes 2020.
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Bidwell, Sycamore Pool, Adventure Outings, CAVE, Sierra Nevada Brewing.
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ALI (Mt. Everest lineage), McDonald Forest, D-I football, 40 sport clubs.
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Hiking the A, Horsetooth, Poudre, Rocky Mtn NP 50 mi, Old Town breweries, Platinum bike.
view spec ↗Predominant Academic Programs
70+ fields · MESA (CA's first CC) · Honors → UCLA 78% admit · marine bio (UCSC Long Marine Lab) · culinary (Pino Alto) · Cabrillo Festival (GRAMMY conductor).
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Most-comprehensive Cal Poly articulation in CA · Architectural Tech (ACSA affiliate, rare at CC) · Viticulture (Paso) · ADN accelerated · Performing Arts Kennedy Center honors.
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#9 Top Public West (US News 2026) · Mechatronic Eng (1st in CSU) · West's 1st Organic Dairy · 7,835-ac BCCER · The Orion (10× Pacemaker) · AACSB since 1972.
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Forestry #1 nat'l · Oceanography #3 world · Hatfield (6 fed/state agencies) · Online CS #6 nat'l · Carlson Vet Med · Fermentation Science (1st endowed prof, 1996).
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Vet Med #3 nat'l (20+ yrs at #2–#3) · #1 vet research · CIRA-NOAA $308M · Atmos Sci (founded 1961) · Equine ~400 students · Carnegie R1 ($498M).
view spec ↗Transfer Paths
5 paths: UCSC (#1 dest, TAG), CSUMB, SJSU, Cal Poly SLO (~19% admit, no TAG), Cuesta-as-bridge to Cal Poly. Cabrillo Promise = 2 yrs free.
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Cal Poly direct (~19% admit) · ADT-guaranteed CSU · UC pipeline · 2025 Cal Poly liberal-studies eve · direct junior entry. #1 Cal Poly feeder CCC in CA.
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5 paths into OSU/LBCC from KCC. Cleanest is multi-partner DPP — KCC primary year 1, switch to LBCC primary year 2.
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May 2025 MOU = AUTO-ADMIT to OSU for qualified LBCC students (unique). 10-term clock · 135-credit cap · WUE for CA (150% resident tuition, ~30% award) · multi-partner DPP.
view spec ↗DPP Savings
Direct OSU OOS $280k (baseline) · +WUE $195k saves $85k · LBCC+parent-OR-move $146k saves $134k (biggest) · LBCC alone $209k saves $71k. CA gets bordering-state $7,733/yr at LBCC.
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KCC bridge $217k saves $64k vs OOS direct $280k. KCC charges CA full non-resident $8,420/yr + $22,856 housing → Y1 = $33,831. Pick KCC for Hawaiʻi-the-place, not cost.
view spec ↗Housing — Off-Campus
Aptos 1BR ~$2,400; Watsonville cheaper $1,800. Most students live with family. For Aoife: $0 marginal — already lives here.
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SLO 1BR ~$2,200; median (all units) ~$3,150 (Zumper). Paso Robles cheaper. Cuesta competes with Cal Poly for same pool — but SLO < Santa Cruz.
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Cheapest of the three: 1BR $1,200, room in shared house $600–$900.
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1BR $1,545+, per-bed at Yugo $799–$1,199, College Hill vs Witham Hill.
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1BR $1,631; Old Town premium; Prospect at Spring Meadows cheapest at $1,050.
view spec ↗Housing — On-Campus
None — commuter campus. Free parking, Bus Route 71, bike-friendly. 134-acre Aptos campus + Watsonville Center.
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None. Commuter CCC. No access to Cal Poly housing (Cal Poly tightening to 2-yr live-on for Fall 2026 first-years; transfers exempt).
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App opens Feb 17, priority Apr 17. Multiple hall styles, full meal plan in traditional halls.
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First-Year Live-On policy, app opens Feb 17 2026 (2 PM PST), $1,000 dining credit/term.
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6,600+ capacity. First-year live-on (under 21, not w/ parents) for first 2 terms.
view spec ↗Food — On-Campus
No meal plan. WM Café (cafeteria), KJ's Drip Coffee, student-run Pino Alto Restaurant from Culinary Arts.
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No traditional cafeteria (closed). Rotating food trucks Mon–Thu (SLO Dog, Leslie's Taqueria, Bear City Social). Drip Coffee (Bldg 5100). Cougar Food Pantry free.
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Meal plans $1,144–$3,088/sem. Sutter Dining Marketplace + Éstom Jámani + AS retail.
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Plan 3 ~$3,750/yr. 3 dining centers, Dining Dollars 20%/15% discount, Orange Cash retail.
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Any 21/17/14: $3,845–$4,745/sem + $200 RamCash. Annual ~$8k–$10k.
view spec ↗Food — Off-Campus
Trader Joe's + Whole Foods in Capitola; Costco SC; Aptos Farmers Market on campus Saturdays. Bay Area food premium.
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TJ's S Higuera, Whole Foods + Costco at Froom Ranch, Vons Broad St, Smart & Final Johnson. Thursday Night Market. Cost ~46–71% above US avg.
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~$443/mo individual food spend. WinCo cheapest, Trader Joe's mid-tier, downtown walkable.
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WinCo cheapest, Fred Meyer closest. Co-op for local + organic. Free RTA bus to stores.
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~$402/mo individual food spend. King Soopers + Whole Foods + Old Town restaurants.
view spec ↗Employment & Work-Study
CA min wage $16.50/hr. Seahawk Job Board (Handshake), CalWORKs Work-Study. UCSC, Dignity Health, Driscoll's local. Cabrillo Promise = 2 yrs free.
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CA min wage $16.50/hr. Cuesta Career Connections + Handshake. PG&E Diablo Canyon (intern + outage), Madonna Inn, Apple Farm. Min wage doesn't cover rent solo.
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CA min wage $16.50/hr. Career Center + Handshake. Spring Job Fair Mar 25, 2026. Sierra Nevada Brewing, Enloe Health top employers.
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OR min wage $14.70/hr. Career Development Center + Handshake (200k+ employers). HP Corvallis, Samaritan Health, ag/ocean/forestry internships.
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CO min wage $14.81/hr. Auto-enrolled in Handshake. FWS award $3,500–$4,500/yr. HP, Otterbox HQ, Old Town brewery scene.
view spec ↗Travel from Aptos
0–5 mi · campus IS in Aptos. 5–10 min drive, 10–20 min bike, free Bus 71. Annual travel cost: $0.
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155 mi · 2.5 hr drive south on Hwy 101. ~$58–$70 gas RT. Free RTA bus Route 12 (SLO) + Route 9 (Paso) with student ID. No direct SJC→SBP — all flights connect.
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250 mi · 4–5 hr drive. No flying needed. Any-3-day-weekend frequency.
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700 mi. Fly SJC↔EUG 3.5–4 hr door-to-door, $200–$400 RT.
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1,250 mi. Fly SJC↔DEN ~4–5 hr door-to-door, $150–$400 RT.
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