If popularity is based on the number of applications a college receives each year, then UCLA is not only the most popular school in California, but in the entire United States. Ranked 25 in US News and World Report's 2010 college ranking, the school received more than 55,000 applications for enrollment in Fall 2009.
UCLA has an average enrollment of 25,000 undergraduates, and is popular for its large city location, based in Westwood, Los Angeles. The school is also known for its excellent programs in the social sciences.
Receiving more than 48,000 application each year, the University of California, Berkeley is one of the most popular colleges in California, and the third most popular in the United States. Located in California's Bay Area, the school is just a few miles from San Francisco.
Berkeley students are known for their political and social involvement, and social sciences is a popular area of study here. While close to the big city of San Francisco, Berkeley itself has a small-town feel, which many students prefer.
Long hailed as one of the United States most elite colleges, Stanford continues to see thousands of applications each year. With fewer than 7,000 undergraduates, admission to Stanford is extremely competitive, thus it does not see the vast number of application as California's UC schools. A private institution, tuition at Stanford is also one of the highest in the state of California.
Located in Palo Alto, Stanford is central to the technology scene of Silicone Valley as well as just an hour away from San Francisco.
Going to college may seem like more a vacation if the school is in sunny San Diego. That, along with its ranking of 35th in the nation (according to the 2011 US News and World Report college rating system), drive more than 47,000 potential students to apply to UCSD each year. With an undergraduate enrollment of less than 25,000, application to UCSD is highly competitive.
Located in the La Jolla community of San Diego, the school is just a few miles west of the Pacific Ocean, perfect for surfers, sun-seekers and outdoor enthusiasts.