Sonoma State University

Located about 50 miles north of San Francisco, Sonoma State is part of the 23-campus California State university system. Set in the heart of California’s wine country, it makes good use of its location. Through its Wine Business Institute it offers one of the only wine business programs in the country; it markets its own wine, Sonoma State Cellars; and campus residences are named for varietals -- Cabernet, Zinfandel, and Sauvignon. But there’s more to SSU than viticulture. It offers its over 8,000 undergraduate students about 40 majors in six different schools. Its top majors include business, psychology, sociology, and early childhood development. Campus housing is known for it suite-style living and comfortable accommodation. Over 90% of freshmen live on campus; over all, about a third of students use undergrad residences. Outdoor research opportunities are possible at two college-owned preserves, including the 3,200-acre Galbreath Wildland Preserve in Mendocino County. Notable on-campus facilities include the Cerent Engineering Science Complex, which houses eight different state-of-the-art laboratories, and the Environmental Technology Center, that serves as a working lab on green building techniques. SSU’s library is housed in the Jean and Charles Schulz Information Center, named for the “Peanuts” cartoonist who lived in nearby Santa Rosa.