What colleges in New York that are good and not expensive?

What are some good colleges/universities in California and New York?

• I would like to apply to college in either Los Angeles or New York for spring. So I need a school that has programs starting in January, is not too expensive. And I want the college to be a good one, good reviews, good student life, etc. No Community college either. I am from Sweden and I really want to get some idea of the better colleges in LA and NY. Thank you

• Answer:

  I attended USC and currently live in LA; I have also lived in NYC. You have tagged some high quality institutions for your question.  All but Pepperdine are currently ranked in the top 25 by USNews. http://bre.ad/02sfw1 On price: UCLA is about average price for a top school, the others are all quite expensive.  Depending on your financial situation and available financial aid, you will want to research this area very carefully. You can expect notably different lifestyles and locations at each of these schools: In NYC:  NYU is in the beautiful and always happening (and perhaps distracting) Greenwich Village, while Columbia is all the way up in the historic, but much different, Morningside Heights.  The cultures of the areas and the schools themselves will also differ - I only lived in NYC for a year, so I'll let someone else elaborate there. Around LA: you will find a huge difference between Malibu, Westwood, and South Central/Downtown.  While Pepperdine will give you the feel of a smaller, private, exclusive school, UCLA will feel much more academics-oriented, with a large percentage of undergraduates working toward graduate school.  USC falls between the two, with a large student body, private school demographics, and with a good portion of the students who are more career-oriented. Depending on what you plan to study, your school choices may narrow or broaden. Good luck!  If you like cities, living in LA and NYC are both great experiences.