California State University, Dominguez Hills

Classes at California State University, Dominguez Hills began in 1965, but the Watts riots later that year inspired a campus move inland to serve a diverse student body reflective of South Los Angeles. The school was successful in that endeavor, as the undergraduate population is still primarily made up of minority students, nearly 74% of whom receive income-based federal Pell grants. The university is also a catalyst for economic mobility, with the second-highest score on thinktank Third Way's new index measuring how well colleges help lower-income students advance. With just over 15,300 undergraduate students, the school boasts a tight-knit community and smaller class sizes than are typical at public universities. The university offers around 45 majors across six colleges: arts and humanities; business administration and public policy; education; extended and international education; natural and behavioral sciences; and health, human services and nursing. The most popular programs include nursing, business management and marketing, homeland security and law enforcement, psychology, and sociology. The vast majority of students live off campus, but the school boasts over 100 student organizations, including 14 sororities and fraternities, plus 10 Division II sports teams cheered on by the school's mascot, the Toro. Students can attend professional sports games, too, right in their backyard: The campus houses a 27,000-seat stadium where two Major League Soccer teams play. The 346-acre campus, which the university calls "park-like," is just a half-hour drive away from both downtown Los Angeles (to the north) and the beach (to the west).