California State University, East Bay's more than 12,000 students have options: They can take their pick of three IRL campuses, take classes online or set up a hybrid schedule.

Cal State East Bay has been recognized as one of the most ethnically diverse schools in the country, with large Hispanic and Asian student populations. Located minutes away from San Francisco, the campus gives students access to the arts and culture available in the East Bay and the city, as well as to the surrounding northern California outdoors.

Cal State East Bay stands out in our ratings for its affordability — the estimated net price of a degree, without factoring in federal or state aid, is a below-average $126,305. The school offers nearly 50 majors; the most popular ones include business administration, psychology and health science.

New students might want to explore Cal State East Bay's full roster of clubs, which has over 120 groups centered around urban dance, anime, medieval combat and more.

Greek life plays a significant role in campus culture, as students can choose from more than two dozen fraternities and sororities. If that's not your scene, you might want to check out the Center for Community Engagement, where the mission is to "enhance learning, inspire engagement, and improve community well-being." That's one way to give back to the East Bay region — and graduate.