Side-by-side
Every dimension across all five colleges, with the best value highlighted where one stands out clearly. Sectioned by cluster. Scroll horizontally on mobile.
Highlight rule: a value is bolded only when it materially leads the row (e.g. cheapest rent, fewest sunny-day deficit). Many rows have no clear winner.
| Dimension | Cabrillo College Aptos, CA | Cuesta College San Luis Obispo, CA | CSU Chico Chico, CA | Oregon State Corvallis, OR | Colorado State Fort Collins, CO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Climate | |||||
| Sunny days/year | 262 | ~287 | 249 | 157 | 237 |
| Annual sunshine hours | ~3,287 | ~3,400 | ~3,100 | ~2,500 | ~3,012 |
| Climate type | Coastal Mediterranean | Coastal Mediterranean (SLO) / inland (Paso) | Mediterranean (hot dry summer) | Mediterranean (wet winter) | Semi-arid steppe |
| January high / low | 61°F / 42°F | 60s°F / 41°F | 55°F / 38°F | 47°F / 36°F | 44°F / 17°F |
| July/August high | 77°F (Aug) | 78°F (Aug) | 96°F | 83°F | 85°F |
| Heat waves | Rare (marine cooling) | Rare on coast; Paso 95–105°F summer | 100–105°F mid-Jul to mid-Aug | Rare | Rare |
| Summer afternoon humidity | ~70% (marine layer) | ~65% | 32% | 50–65% | 30–45% |
| Winter humidity | ~75% | ~75% | 72% | 85–89% | 60–67% |
| Annual avg humidity | ~70% | ~70% | ~65% | 79% | 54% |
| Annual rainfall | ~29 in | ~17 in | ~26 in | ~42 in | ~16 in |
| Wildfire smoke risk | Moderate (CA fire season) | Moderate (CA fire season) | High (Aug–Oct) | Low | Moderate |
| Elevation | ~75 ft | ~230 ft (SLO) | ~200 ft | ~235 ft | 5,003 ft |
| Housing — Off-Campus | |||||
| 1BR rent | ~$2,400/mo (Aptos) | ~$2,200/mo (SLO) | $1,200/mo | $1,545+/mo | $1,631/mo |
| 2BR rent | ~$3,000/mo (Aptos) | ~$2,800/mo (SLO) | $1,495/mo | $1,595+/mo | ~$1,950/mo |
| 3BR rent | ~$4,000/mo (Aptos) | ~$3,500/mo (SLO) | $1,895/mo | $1,875+/mo | ~$2,400/mo |
| Median rent (all units) | ~$3,000/mo (SC County) | ~$3,150/mo (SLO, Zumper) | $1,595/mo | ~$1,800/mo | ~$2,000/mo |
| Per-bed shared house | ~$900–$1,400 (SC County) | ~$900–$1,300 (SLO) | $600–$900 | $600–$900 | $700–$1,000 |
| For Aoife specifically | $0 — already lives in Aptos | Would need to rent SLO/Paso | — | — | — |
| Walking distance to campus | Yes from many Aptos addresses | Limited — Cuesta SLO is on Hwy 1, drive needed | Yes — south blocks | College Hill yes | Old Town yes |
| Housing — On-Campus | |||||
| On-campus housing exists? | NO (commuter) | NO (commuter) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cheapest hall configuration | — | — | Konkow Double $13,058/yr | Cauthorn Economy Triple $7,809/yr | Comm Double $3,900/sem |
| Live-on requirement | — | — | Encouraged (lottery) | First-Year Live-On policy | First 2 terms (under 21, not w/ parents) |
| Capacity | — | — | Several halls | 14+ halls | 6,600+ |
| Food — On-Campus | |||||
| Meal plan? | No (pay-as-you-go) | No (pay-as-you-go) | Required in Trad halls + Éstom Jámani | Required for residents | Required for residents |
| Lowest-tier meal plan | — | — | Mini Meal $1,144/sem | Plan 4 ~$3,000/yr | Any 14: $3,845/sem |
| Mid-tier meal plan | — | — | 5-Day All Access $2,932/sem | Plan 3 ~$3,750/yr | Any 17: $4,115/sem |
| Highest-tier meal plan | — | — | 7-Day All Access $3,088/sem | (Plans 1–2 above $3,750) | Any 21: $4,745/sem |
| Primary dining venues | WM Café · KJ's Drip · Pino Alto | Rotating food trucks · Drip Coffee · Snack Shack · Cougar Food Pantry | Sutter Marketplace, Éstom Jámani, BMU retail | Marketplace West, McNary, Arnold + MU | Multiple residential dining centers + Grubhub |
| Food — Off-Campus | |||||
| Estimated monthly food spend | ~$500+ (SC County premium) | ~$500+ (SLO tourist premium) | ~$443 | ~$390 (PNW avg) | ~$402 |
| Cheapest grocery store | Trader Joe's Capitola | Smart & Final / Vons (SLO) | WinCo Foods | WinCo (NW Kings) | King Soopers / Trader Joe's |
| Specialty / co-op | Aptos Farmers Market on campus | Thursday Night Farmers Market downtown SLO | S&S Produce | First Alternative Co-op | Mountain Avenue Market (Old Town Co-Op) |
| Restaurant scene | Capitola + Santa Cruz | Downtown SLO (tourist-priced) | Walkable downtown | Monroe Ave + downtown | Old Town — densest |
| Employment & Work-Study | |||||
| State minimum wage 2026 | $16.50/hr (CA) | $16.50/hr (CA) | $16.50/hr (CA) | $14.70/hr (OR) | $14.81/hr (CO) |
| Job board | Seahawk Job Board (Handshake) | Cuesta Career Connections + Handshake | Handshake (portal login) | Handshake (200k+ employers) | Handshake (NetID) |
| FWS eligibility floor | 6+ units | 6+ units | Half-time + financial need | Half-time + financial need | Half-time in degree program |
| Special programs | CalWORKs Work-Study + Cabrillo Promise (2 yrs free!) | CA College Promise + CalWORKs + College Corps ($10k stipend) | Spring Internship Fair Mar 25 | Job Shadows program | Auto-enrolled in Handshake |
| Top local employers | UCSC, Dignity Health, Driscoll's, Watsonville Hospital | PG&E Diablo Canyon, French Hospital, Cal Poly food svc, Madonna Inn, ag/wineries | Sierra Nevada Brewing, Enloe Health, Butte County | HP Corvallis, Samaritan Health, OSU departments | HP, Otterbox HQ, Woodward, vet hospitals |
| Industry pipeline strength | Tourism/healthcare/CSUMB | Cal Poly transfer (eng/arch/ag), tourism | Agriculture/healthcare | Forestry/oceanography/agriculture | Vet med/ag/natural resources |
| Travel from Aptos | |||||
| Distance | 0–5 mi · campus IS in Aptos | 155 mi | 250 mi | 700 mi | 1,250 mi |
| Drive time | 5–10 min | 2.5 hr | 4–5 hr | 11–13 hr | 18–22 hr |
| Drive overnight required | No | No | No | Optional | Yes (Reno or SLC) |
| Best fly route | — | No SJC→SBP direct (all connect) | — (drive) | SJC ↔ EUG | SJC ↔ DEN |
| Round-trip flight cost | — | — | — | $200–$400 | $150–$400 |
| Annual travel cost (4 trips) | $0 | ~$240 gas ($58–$70 RT) | ~$200 gas | ~$1,200 | ~$1,500–$2,000 |
| Realistic break frequency | Daily — she lives here | Most weekends — 2.5 hr drive | Any 3-day weekend | Thanksgiving + Win + Spr | Win + Spr (skip Thx) |
Data sources for every row are cited on /sources and on each cluster page (Cabrillo, Cuesta, Chico, OSU, CSU).