Butte College — Local services in Paradise

I went to UC Davis thinking I was making a smart investment in my future. I thought I was stepping into a community of excellence, mentorship, and career opportunity. What I got instead was an expensive, overrated institution that delivered little beyond stress, debt, and disillusionment.

Let me be clear: UC Davis cost over $35,000 a year, and it gave me nothing I couldn’t have gotten for a fraction of the price elsewhere. Professors were more focused on research and clout than on students. Advising was laughable—I was lucky if I could get 20 rushed minutes with someone who didn’t even know my name. The campus culture? Toxic, competitive, ego-driven, and absolutely riddled with cliques. If you weren’t already part of the “in” crowd or willing to play politics, you were on your own.

It wasn’t education—it was survival. And for what? A degree with a name that doesn’t guarantee a job, doesn’t build you a network, and certainly doesn’t teach you how to succeed.

Then there’s Butte College—a place that actually taught me, supported me, and helped me grow. I paid less than $2,000 a year and got more than I ever did at Davis: real professors who actually wanted to see students succeed, hands-on classes that taught practical skills, and advisors who remembered my name, my goals, and actually gave a damn.

At Butte, I wasn’t a number. I was a person. I didn’t have to jump through hoops or kiss anyone’s ass to get help. I got it because they believed in what they were doing—helping people build a future.

People worship the UC system like it’s the only path forward. But here’s the truth: UC Davis gave me stress, debt, and disillusionment. Butte College gave me clarity, skills, and a path that actually worked.

If I had the chance to do it again? I’d skip UC Davis entirely. I’d start—and stay—with Butte College. It was the smartest part of my education. The...

I love this campus. The campus is beautiful and there is not a bad teacher that I've met. I went to Yuba College for a few semesters and it was a disappointment compared to Butte. I am now 4 classes away from transferring and would really recommend this college to new students. It has many opportunities and more support that other community colleges don`t offer. My son went to the daycare there for the past 2 years cost free and he loves his friends and teachers. Even the security at the college is great. My phone got left and locked in the student bookstore. I spoke to a janitor who called a campus officer and he came right away to unlock the store so I could grab my phone. He was a very nice older gentleman and I was so relieved they were able to help me find my phone. There really is support for anything...

Their paramedic program is severly lacking. The instructors are puppy milling these poor students through the shortest of any program I've seen. Then they pass them illegitamately just so they can keep their graduate scores elevated in order to keep their current funding. Almost all that get to the field are failed by the FTO paramedics for their lack of knowledge and training due to Butte colleges scam of a paramedic program. The didactic hours don't even come close to what the other schools are offering. Its really sad to see such corruption within the local community college just so that a few ppl can collect an...