In the past few years, there has been a growing trend among Cal High seniors  attending certain California universities in greater numbers with each year.

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, University of California, Santa Cruz, and San Jose State University are all major destinations for students graduating from Cal.

Compared to last year, Cal increased the number of students it will send to San Jose State from 20 to 23. Cal Poly maintained approximately the same high number of Grizzlies from 26 to 25 , while UCSC doubled from 8 to 16.

So why the popularity of these California colleges?

California has always been the envy of the other states universities around the country. California high school students have the option of choosing between 33 public universities,.

These three colleges have an advantage in distance. They are far enough away to give students the chance to escape their parents, but are close enough for students to come home easily on weekends and holidays.

Many students leaving home for the first time in their lives want the ultimate college experience and these colleges offer enough distance away from home while not taking them too far from home.

Students want to go through the “dorm room” experience and live like a typical college student- away from their parents.

Because it is their first year on their own, students choose their college not only based on academics, but also factors such as student life, intramural activities, and weather.

“I chose SJSU because I visited it and the atmosphere was great and the campus was beautiful. I’m studying business and Silicon Valley is a great place to find jobs later on,” said senior Ryan Mai.

Financial costs are another major issue with college.

The cost of attending out-of-state colleges is rapidly increasing. Students attending college in California pay a much cheaper in-state tuition.

The average total cost of attending a university in the California State University (CSU) system was $6,695 per year, while colleges in the University of California (UC) system averaged $13,200 per year, according to calstate.edu and universityofcalifornia.edu.

“I chose to go to a state school because of the cheaper in-state tuition, and I specifically chose SJSU because it is a great local school and the campus is beautiful,” said senior Francisco Nunez.

The significant price difference between CSUs and UCs may be another factor for the increase in Cal graduate enrollment at Cal Poly and SJSU, both of which belong to the CSU system.

Weather was another important factor in the decisions of many students who could not find themselves leaving sunny California for colder weather in the East Coast or less consistent weather in other parts of the United States.

“I chose UCSC because of the laid back lifestyle, good education, and year-round good weather,” said senior Omid Golchehreh.

The prestige of these three colleges was another factor for many students. These public institutions, especially the UCs, are known for their  research, while the CSUs are known for  preparing students for entry into the workforce directly after college.

Specifically, Cal Poly prides itself on their “Learn by Doing” philosophy.

“I chose Cal Poly because its a hands-on school and is great for my animal science major,” said senior Natalí Feyzbakhsh.

Another reason that these colleges are popular is small class sizes.

Many colleges are increasing their class sizes, which makes contact with professors nearly impossible. Cal Poly, SJSU, and UCSC all have an average class size of 29, according to csumentor.edu and ucsc.edu.

With every year, more graduates from Cal attend these universities and major changes in climate or increases in tution it is likely to stay like this for years to come.