Forty-two miles of magnificent coastline span the western border of Orange County in southern California, located 36 miles south of Los Angeles and 82 miles north of San Diego. With just over three million residents, the state's second-most populated county saw a 25% population increase between 1990 and 2004, due in part to what many consider a perfect climate. Temperatures average right around 73 degrees and the county boasts a staggering 328 days of sunshine each year. Orange County has become a pop culture icon in recent years through depictions in the feature film, “Orange County,” as well as Fox's series, “The OC,” and MTV's reality show, “Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County.”

Though famous for theme parks such as Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure, Orange County goes beyond the world's most famous mouse and offers a wealth of recreational opportunities. The county is home to nine beaches (Sea Grant's Guide to Orange County Beaches), more than 38,000 acres of parks (County of Orange: Harbors, Beaches & Parks), and 382 miles of hiking trails (Orange County Trails) and bike paths (BikeTrails.com).

Thirty-four cities sprinkled throughout the county each offer opportunities for residents and visitors to take in the county's unique culture, wildlife, and leisure activities. Huntington Beach is known as Surf City USA and has been home to the US Open of Surfing since 1959. Dana Point hosts the annual Festival of the Whales, while Costa Mesa is home to the Orange County Fair, and Buena Park boasts the famed Knott's Berry Farm. One can visit the Crystal Cove State Park in Laguna Beach, or venture to Newport Beach to hang out on Newport Pier. For sports fans, Major League Baseball's Anaheim Angels, as well as the National Hockey League's Mighty Ducks are favorites.

A fairly wealthy county with a median income of $77,421, Orange County is home to headquarters of some of the nation's top businesses, including surfing outfitters Pacific Sunwear, Quiksilver, and Billabong; Extron Electronics; Archway Systems; In-N-Out Burgers, Taco Bell; and Blizzard Entertainment.

Orange County is an attractive location for students with its proximity to major urban areas as well as its plethora of recreational opportunities. Susie Forbath, marketing and communications manager at the University of California – Irvine, says a suburban setting with convenience to everything is great for students. “We're minutes from beaches, parks, shopping, entertainment,” she added. “And if you like the mountains or desert, we're only an hour or so away.”

Within Orange County, there are 79 post-secondary institutions available to choose from, including 11 public colleges and universities, 15 private institutions, and 53 professional schools:

Public

• California State University - Fullerton
• Coastline Community College
• Cypress College
• Fullerton College
• Golden West College
• Irvine Valley College
• Orange Coast College
• Saddleback College
• Santa Ana College
• Santiago Canyon College
• University of California - Irvine

Private

• Alliant International University – Irvine Campus
• Azusa Pacific University
• Biola University
• Bethesda Christian University
• Chapman University
• Coastland Christian Bible College and University
• Concordia University
• Fuller Theological Seminary
• Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary
• Hope International University
• Soka University of America
• South Baylo University
• University of LaVerne
• University of Southern California-Orange County Center
• Vanguard University of Southern California

Professional

• American Academy of Law
• American Behavioral Studies Institute
• American College of Law
• Argosy University - Orange County
• The Art Institute of California - Orange County
• Benjamin University
• Brooks College
• Brown Mackie College – Orange County
• California Coast University
• California Graduate Institute - Irvine
• California Graduate School of Theology
• California New Hope University
• California University of Management and Sciences
• CEI College
• College for Appraisers
• Columbia College of Missouri
• DeVry University - Irvine University Center
• E-Gate College
• Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising – Orange County Campus
• Grace Mission University
• Interior Designers Institute
• ITT Technical Institute - Anaheim Campus
• Kyung San University USA
• Laguna College of Art & Design
• Learning Tree University - Orange County
• MTI College
• National University
• New Horizons Computer Learning Center
• Newport Asia Pacific University
• Newport Psychoanalytic Institute
• Newport University
• Pacific West College of Law
• Phil Rulloda Schools of Floral Design
• Platt College - Huntington Beach
• Royce University of Business and Finance
• Soft-Train, Inc.
• South Coast College
• Southern California College of Optometry
• Southern California Institute of Technology
• Southern California University for Professional Studies
• Southern California University of Health Sciences
• Touro University International
• Trinity Graduate School
• Trinity Law School
• Union College of California
• United Education Institute
• University of Phoenix - Southern California Campus
• Webster University
• Western State University College of Law
• West Haven University
• Westwood College
• Whittier Law School
• William Howard Taft University

At California State University – Fullerton, residents pay fees of $2,990 yearly for full-time enrollment, while students at the University of California pay fees of $7,474.50 annually for full-time enrollment. The cost for an out-of-state resident increases by $13,160 per year at California State University – Fullerton, and by $17,820 at the University of California at Irvine. At Irvine Valley College, a community college, in-state residents pay just a $26 per credit fee, while out-of-state residents pay an additional $151 per credit in tuition.

At private institutions, tuition is the same for both in-state and out-of-state residents, but, like the public schools, costs vary. At Bethesda Christian University, students pay $210 per credit, which equals $6,300 for a full-time course load of 15 credits over two semesters. At Chapman University, full time freshmen can expect to pay $14,025 per year, while continuing students are charged $13,515 annually. Concordia University charges full-time students $19,930 per year in base tuition.

The Governor's Scholars Awards provide 1,000 scholarships to high school students with high achievement on standardized tests, while the California Scholarship Federation awards academic, service, and citizenship scholarships to high-achieving high school students throughout the state.

In Orange County, the Hispanic Education Endowment Fund provides scholarships to Hispanic students, while the Orange County Community Foundation has scholarship programs for county residents.

In addition to local and state aid, students can apply for federal aid through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. Federal aid includes Stafford, Perkins, and PLUS Loans; Pell and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, and work study awards. The FAFSA is also the form used by colleges and universities to award their own private loans and grants, as well as by the California Student Aid Commission to award the Cal Grant.

Orange County has several exciting opportunities for students seeking an internship. Disney offers paid internships in finance, information technology, human resources, communications, TV/film, marketing, art and creative services, engineering, interior design, and construction management. The County of Orange has opportunities in administration, finance, environment, government, health care, human resources, information technology, legal, and marketing/public relations. For those interested in journalism, the Orange County Register offers interns positions in news reporting, copyediting, photography, and graphics and design. The artistic might enjoy positions in curating, development, finance, public relations and marketing, and education at the Orange County Museum of Art. The Orange County Pacific Symphony offers internships to students in concert productions and operations, development, finance, special events, education, and marketing and public relations.

Internships are also available with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County, Children's Hospital of Orange County, Orange County Convention Center, Alcohol and Drug Education and Prevention Team (ADEPT), and with the Offices of the Orange County Public Defender.

The employment outlook for Orange County through 2012 looks bright. The entire county boasts a low unemployment rate of just 3.8%, and through the next several years, jobs in areas of management, nursing, accounting, automotive service, and elementary and secondary education will see the most openings.

A school's career services department can prove to be a valuable resource when a student is seeking an internship or full-time work to start after graduation. Many of Orange County's institutions have comprehensive career placement offices offering services such as career counseling, resume writing, interview coaching, job fairs, and seminars and workshops.