Located in a region with a Mediterranean-esque climate, breezes coming off of the ocean give Los Angeles cooler summers and warmer winters than most Southern California cities. At times, summer temperatures of up to 90 F can contribute to smog; however, L.A.'s status for smog was acquired in the 1970's. Today, as a result of pollution awareness, its air is the cleanest it's been in decades. Ideal temperatures, clean air, and 325 days of sunshine each year support numerous outdoor activities including swimming, surfing, wind sailing, and jogging at places including Venice Beach and Athens Park.
Besides outdoor activities, L.A. offers a wide variety of arts and entertainment recreation. Sometimes called "The Entertainment Capitol of the World", it is known as a cultural capitol of the U.S. along with New York City, its east coast counterpart. It has over 2,000 galleries, theaters, and museums. As well, Los Angeles is known for the mural art that decorates the city by artists such as Diego Rivera and Jose Clemente Orozco. Complement the arts with an exciting nightlife and numerous restaurants including the famous All American Burger and entertainer Kenny Rogers Roasters Restaurants, and L.A. entices up and coming young professionals. For the sports-minded, L.A. is home of MLB's Los Angeles Dodgers and the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers.
As the United States' largest manufacturing center, Los Angeles' economy is fueled by entertainment, tourism, aerospace, petroleum, agriculture, and international trade. Several of the world's largest companies within the entertainment industry call L.A. their home including Twentieth Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, and Fox Sports Net. It's also a home to Fortune 500 companies including Northrop Grumman, KB Home, and Occidental Petroleum Corporation. Other business sectors include finance, law, telecommunications, healthcare, and transportation. Within the greater metropolitan region of Los Angeles County are businesses including Warner Brothers Records, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and The Walt Disney Company.
Los Angeles has about 2.4 million people over the age of 25 (2004 census); of these, 70.1% have a high school diploma or equivilant, and 28.5% earned a bachelor's degree or higher. As a testament to L.A.'s diversity, an estimated 61.4% speak a language other than English at home - compared to 18.7% nationwide.
Going to School in Los Angeles
Los Angeles has several colleges and universities, both public and private, along with several professional/technical schools. Examples of some of these institutions are as follows:
While choosing an area of study can be a perplexing decision, students in L.A. are presented with a wide assortment of programs to choose from. Some programs offered are as follows, but are not limited to:
Aerospace , Anesthesiology, Statistics, Design, Urban Studies, Women's Studies, Film, Management, Theater, Television, Bioengineering, Communications, Dentistry, and Speech.
When presented with so many areas of study, how does a student choose? A student should consider personal interests and strengths. It is necessary for students to understand themselves and the area of study they are considering before making such a major decision. Students are encouraged to speak with a career counselor or an academic advisor if they need professional guidance.
As well, a student will want to examine the types of industry in the area. "L.A.'s economy is humongous," says David Rattray, Vice President of Education and Workforce Development at the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. "We're large and diverse," he continues, "we had a large aerospace industry driving the economy twenty years ago, but now it's not just a single business sector driving everything."
Rattray states that several business sectors are expanding rapidly in Los Angeles, and some of those warrant a higher demand for employees. "The Biomedical industry is growing. A lot of this is stem cell research. Health-related careers are a high growth sector as well. We need more people in all areas of health… from administrative workers to nurses to doctors, all the way to brain surgeons," he says. "The service sector is growing rapidly too. The service sector is slightly misunderstood by the public. It has immense upward mobility, with a high skill-high wage continuum."
Costs
Tuition in Los Angeles fluctuates depending on which institution a student attends. Tuition at private institutions and technical/professional schools are generally more expensive than that of a public institution. A few examples of annual tuition costs are as follows:
Private Universities
- University of Southern California - $32,008
Public Universities
- University of California - Los Angeles - $24,882 (full-time non-resident); $7,062 (full-time resident)
Technical/Professional Schools
- The Art Institute of California - Los Angeles - $44,166.00 (for an Associate of Arts degree, two-year program)
Not all tuition examples provided include other costs including lab fees, housing fees, book fees, meal plan fees, and various fees that institutions may apply. It's highly recommended that students research these costs as well.
Financial Aid
Despite the perception of an insurmountable task, there are ways to make education affordable. Nearly all institutions of higher education offer traditional tuition assistance and financial aid programs. Program information may generally be acquired through the schools' admissions departments or websites.
Other options available to students are grants and loans. With no obligation for repayment, grants are normally awarded based on financial need. The school, the state, or the federal government may make these awards. Loans are available thru the state and federal governments. They must be paid back; beginning 6 months after the student completes his/her studies. A few examples of these are the Perkins Loan, the Federal Stafford, and the Federal Plus loans. Annually, 10 million students apply for these loans while 9 million will receive them.
Finally, students can obtain scholarships for school. Some scholarships are available to all students, while others are of special interest, awarded to students based upon gender, ethnicity, financial need, area of residence, age, and major.
Samplings of scholarships available to students in Los Angeles are:
- Gates Millennium Scholarship Program - For African-American, American Indian/Alaska Natives, Asian Pacific Islander Americans, and Hispanic-American students, with a 3.3 GPA or higher
- Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship Program - Up to $1500 for California high school seniors entering their freshman year of college
- Telacu Education Foundation - $500 to $3000 for Los Angeles residents with a 2.5 GPA or higher
- State of California, Governor's Scholarship Programs:
- The Governor's Scholars Award: $1,000 for high academic achievement available to high school students
- The Governor's Distinguished Mathematics and Science Scholars Award: $2500 based on related exam scores
- National Merit Scholarship Program - Up to $2500 available to high school students that have taken PSAT's
- Los Angeles Music Scholarships - For CSU - Los Angeles students with a 3.0 GPA, majoring in music, and enrolled full time
- Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce Foundation Scholarship Programs:
- LAJCC Scholarship Program for high school seniors: $2,000 for graduating high school seniors in Orange, Ventura, and Los Angeles Counties
- LAJCC Community/Junior College Scholarship Program: $2,000 for residents of Los Angeles County who are attending community or junior college
Internships
When reviewing a resume, an employer is looking for more than a degree. They want to see practical experience that's relevant to the job. A student can gain that experience through an internship. Internships are more than jobs; they are a great way to get a closer look at an industry, a particular occupation, or a company. An internship helps a student learn if the career they are considering is right for him or her. As well, an internship may turn into a job offer. Some are paid or give college credits. Others may simply provide an opportunity to learn and gain valuable experience.
The Los Angeles Chamber of commerce provides a good example of industry working with education to provide opportunities such as internships for students. David Rattray again comments, "We work to try and influence and shape programs that universities have for the demands of the marketplace. For example, we're doing a program with Cal-State called the CSU advantage", he continues. "It works to build a bridge between the work world and the students. We call it co-op, or cooperative, education."
What does this co-op education do? "It's credits for work experience," says Rattray. "We're trying to emphasize the power & promise that a college education has by providing industry experience via internships and job shadowing. Students that do this tend to earn more and advance quicker."
Employment in Los Angeles
Institutions of higher education in Los Angeles work with industry as a means to make job opportunities available to students. While several institutions work with industry to develop and update training programs for students, many host on-campus recruiting via career fairs and seminars. At these events, students can network with others and see, firsthand, which companies are hiring. On the spot interviewing and hiring can take place as well.
The University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA) provides an excellent example of career centers at work for students with career fairs. "We had an 11 percent increase over last year in on-campus recruiting activities including career fairs, on-campus interviews, and career information sessions by employers," said Kathy Sims, Director of the UCLA Career Center. "Some of our traditional employers have contributed to the increase with added hiring this year," she said. "We're also seeing some employers who weren't hiring last year coming back into the market."
"We're encouraging our students to make use of the resources at the career center," Sims further stated. "We also encourage students having difficulty finding jobs to expand their geographic targets, to be more mobile and willing to relocate."
See Career Wise for further information.
Summary
Los Angeles is a city, rich in a diverse culture and a flourishing economy. Integrated with a vast array of educational resources and exciting entertainment scene, it's easy to see why L.A. is a great place to pursue higher education.
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