Lol no....just no...Riverside is a way better pleace to live in than Merced...Merced smells like cows jk
dude, Riverside smells like cows waaay more than Merced, I don't know what you're talking about. Merced is pretty awesome for people who are into outdoorsy stuff. You got Yosemite right there and pretty close to Mammoth or Tahoe.
OP, I'll break it down right here for you.
1. Elite Academics in no particular order
-Cal
>Original UC
>most prestige, basically a West Coast Ivy
>rigorous academics
>mixture of affluent and very poor/high crime surrounding areas
>urban environment, tons to do for fun
-UCLA
>surrounded by most affluent areas of LA
>large school with rigorous academics
>urban environment, tons to do for fun
-UCSD
>rigorous academics
>located in most affluent area of San Diego
>some of the most pristine beaches and reefs in California are a walk away
-San Diego is a fun city, way more conservative than LA, but cleaner and easier to get around
***-UCI
>I wouldn't consider UCI to be an elite academic UC, just that they are one of the more gunnery/academic/boring UCs
>in the middle of extremely conservative Orange County, nothing but plastic surgery and real housewives as far as the eye can see
>surrounded by suburbia, although very fun Newport Beach and luxurious Laguna Beach very close by
>tons of stuff to do for fun nearby, tons of beaches, but Irvine as a whole is kind of a boring area and UCI has a more boring vibe
***-UCD
>I also wouldn't consider UCD to be an elite academic school, but they are on the rise
>surrounded by agricultural areas
>tons of outdoor recreation
>the town of Davis itself has a very warm college town vibe
2. Lifestyle Schools
-UCSB
>Ultimate combination of academics, location, and recreation
>highly ranked science departments, tons of research and brand new facilities
>campus and housing are on bluffs directly over beach
>Santa Barbara is small, but a very affluent city with beautiful surroundings and beaches, similar to San Diego, but much more isolated
-UCSC
>solid science programs
>close to Big Sur, Monterrey, and probably one of the most beautiful areas of the California coast
>surrounded by forests and beaches, with San Francisco a close drive away
3. Newer upcoming UCs
-UCR
>probably the least ideal location for a UC
>has the benefit of a brand new medical school
>close to LA and Orange county, but you have to commute
-UCM
>geographically isolated area
>close to Yosemite, also Mammoth, and Tahoe are within driving distance
>tons of outdoorsy stuff to do
>no city life