Originally Posted by Jassy-50

ALL these places are expensive to live in, although Davis is the least so.

As to which is best, they are all nice (with the exception, IMO, of USC). What are you looking for in a living environment -- big city, small town, the seashore (and do you want warm (relatively speaking) water or cold), etc.? If you could provide more details, perhaps we could give more useful advice.

I think Davis is the best, but then I have a personal bias since I did my undergrad at UCD. However, it has a small-town feel, which not everyone likes (although it's within 1.5 hr or so to the Big City (SF)). I also like Santa Cruz, although I only know UCSC by reputation -- another smaller town and on the Pacific Ocean, but it can be cold and foggy much of the year there (which, again, I like but many others would not).

Re crime, Davis has low crime as well as (I believe) Santa Cruz; Berkeley has some problems. I am unfamiliar with the others.

Also, if you are deciding where to go to university, I would think an equally important question would be which campus has a good department and reputation in the field of your planned major.