How many Californians do you know who went away to college in some cold, midwestern state? For the few natives who do venture past the Golden State to get some higher ed', the transition can be tough, as they find themselves longing for the sunshine and vast opportunities available to them out West. Why suffer? Join the countless others crying "Eureka!" (I have found it), and get your degree at a
California college. Once you've found it, you'll never want to leave.

At  

California colleges and universities

 , you won't have to worry about spending four years staring at carbon copies of yourself the way you do in your hometown, either. As the most populous state, California colleges are demographically diverse. In fact, student bodies there lack a majority ethnic group due to high levels of immigration. Hispanics make up almost one-third of the population; other groups represented include Asian Americans, African Americans, and Native Americans.

With this diversity come myriad opportunities at California colleges, as the Land of Milk and Honey is also a world center of engineering businesses, the film and television industry, and American agricultural production.

Scientists of the world, look out with California universities as your playground, you'll have the best specimens around. The state's diverse geography, geology, soils, and climate have generated a huge diversity of plant and animal life, including some of the most endangered ecological communities. While studying at a university in California, be sure to visit Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge, which contains the largest winter population of bald eagles in the continental United States.

For future farmers and culinary experts of America, California colleges are the right place. The predominant industry in the Grape State, more than twice as large as the next largest, is agriculture, which includes fruit, vegetables, dairy, and wine. This is followed by aerospace, entertainment, and light manufacturing, including computer hardware and software all prominent field of study at California universities.

Beyond study, California universities provide the perfect landscape for play. And with the states varied geography, there's something to suit all moods. Want to go mountain climbing? Check out the Sierra Nevada, which contains the highest peak in the continental United States - Mount Whitney, 14,505 feet. Or, at the other extreme, California colleges are near Death Valley, containing the lowest, hottest, driest point in North America - summer temperatures there can reach more than 115 degrees. If you'd rather stay cool and closer to sea level, plan a break from the books and visit Yosemite National Park and Lake Tahoe.

Whichever part of the El Dorado State you choose to call your college home, your experience at California colleges and universities is sure to be a good one.

Number of California Colleges and Universities: 399

Cool Events Abound at Universities in California

Free and public concert choirs perform at California universities.

California colleges and universities host and sponsor technology competitions.

Speakers, performers, bands, and comics are invited to attend universities in California to speak and entertain.

Homecoming events bring back alums young and old to reminisce and support the athletes of California universities.

Students and communities come together at universities in California to participate in fundraisers and awareness campaigns for things like Breast Cancer and AIDS.

Financial Aid for Students at California Colleges
State Aid Agency: California Student Aid Commission
College Prepaid/Savings Program: California 529 Savings Program

Popular College Majors - Health and Allied Services, Visual and Performing Arts, Engineering, and Social Sciences and History.
Source: College Bound Seniors 2005, The College Board

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