City College of San Francisco — Local services in San Francisco

I've only ever been inside the Multiuse Building and the Rec Center for a swim class at Ocean Campus.

City College multiple sites across San Francisco and classes are offered both in person, hybrid, and online (sync and asynchronous).

Languages like Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin, Cantonese, German, Italian, French, and Tagalog are regularly offered, although sessions are fewer for higher level courses. Except for Spanish and Mandarin, the expectation is that you'll transfer to an institution with more advanced level classes.

The college has a number of defunct certificate programs and cool classes that are no longer offered, eg app and game design in the computer science department.

The Ocean campus is walking distance from Balboa Park Station, a terminus for the K, M, and J trains + the BART trains going toward Daly City/Millbrae/SFO. There's also a ton of parking, although it isn't all free.

The community college is free if you're an SF resident. You pay some or all your tuition upfront, and it's refunded throughout the semester (that's been my experience).

I was able to register and get my account working in very little time.

Taking CS classes that use the Hills computer for submitting homework are hell on earth. Not all professors explain how to access the College's SQL database or how to remote login into the terminal. In those situations, you wonder why you're taking a class in the first place since you need to do 99% of your learning and troubleshooting on your own.

I've only used the counseling services to get my units approved or to schedule my graduation, but the few counselors I've interacted with are very helpful and proactive.

If you want to save money before transferring, you can't go wrong with City College. If you just want to take a class for fun or work on a certificate, there are tons of useless courses on computer networking / frontend development, paralegal stuff, construction management, and basically every Math course you'd want before upper level engineering /...

[from Aug 2006]

WARNING WARNING WARNING Overeducated-snob alert! I've taken three classes at City College. The first -- an intermediate level dance class -- was taught by a very capable and caring instructor, but far too many people selfishly took this class despite (knowingly) not even knowing the basics. "I couldn't fit the beginning class into my schedule, and I wanted an easy 'A'" said one of them. Jerk.

The second was taught by an instructor who was moderately proficient in her subject, but seemed at least a bit burnt out.

The third class was taught by a decently smart and dedicated fellow, but the ambience felt so much like high school, I almost ran screaming out into the parking lot after the first week. Reminders not to chew gum, the taking of attendance... it was clear that a lot of the kids here were just grudgingly fulfilling their language requirement and had no passion for learning another language.

Indeed, that is my biggest gripe about this place. Passion. Walking around campus, sitting in classes... it just feels like folks are going through the promotions. Trying to get into a better school. Taking classes because their parents are forcing them to. Love of learning? I sure didn't see a whole lot of it. And after my mostly-inspiring years in undergrad and grad school... this was all rather bleak and depressing.

So why THREE stars? Well, I feel that affordable education should be available to everyone. The campus is pretty accessible by public transit. And at least a couple of the CCSF instructors I've met are...

City College of San Francisco (CCSF) is a community institution with real integrity. It doesn’t try to sell you prestige—it earns your respect through quality teaching, support systems that actually function, and a diverse student body that’s motivated and resilient. Whether you're transferring to a four-year university or leveling up your career, CCSF gives you real tools, real value, and real progress. It’s a space where hard work pays off and independent thinkers are respected, not suppressed.

By contrast, UC Davis often feels like a polished performance—more focused on reputation management than meaningful education. It wears the UC badge proudly, but that badge doesn’t guarantee depth. Many students find themselves stuck in giant lecture halls, chasing validation in a system that prioritizes image, not inquiry. Creative, sharp, or unconventional minds can feel boxed in—told to fit the brand rather than think freely. It's a place where surface-level achievement is often rewarded more than real intellectual effort.

At CCSF, students are seen. They're supported, challenged, and encouraged to grow on their own terms. UC Davis, by contrast, often seems more invested in looking successful than actually being transformative. The result? An education that feels disconnected from reality—expensive, branded, and not always worth the hype.

If you care more about becoming skilled and capable than just collecting a name-brand diploma, City College of San Francisco is the smarter, more...