College of San Mateo has (had?) an arch program that was kinda geared towards UCB admissions as I recall.

Along the lines of what el jeffe said, it depends on what type of program you want to go to. Most people don't go to a community college for their architecture program but more for the good relationship with an architecture school, or classes that "help" for admission. If you want to go to Cal Poly or Berkeley take the core you have to, it doesn't matter where, as well as classes for your portfolio like drawing, perspective drawing, etc. Don't waste your time at a j.c. taking a lot of classes because most prefer that you take it at their institution.

I took an architecture history class at Laney College in Oakland this spring; I also took an arch history course at Cal (Berkeley) through the extension program.

The student-teacher ratio (about 20:1) and interaction level in the CC class was great (dialogue while the teacher [a full time architect] talked his way through a powerpoint presentation), but the class seemed to creep forward in fits and starts.

I've heard some good things about the environmental design/arch program at Merritt College in the Oakland Hills. It's got an eco-focus, I think. Another eco-focused arch school, but one that's in SF and is a cheap private (non-CC) school: SFIA (www.sfia.net)...it gives a similar experience for a price between that of CC and a state/private program.

I've had a good experience with the Peralta (East Bay) CC system in arts classes (photography (Vista College), ceramics (Laney College)). Go talk to the teachers who run these programs if you're wondering about them. They're usually very friendly and approachable.

Diablo Valley College is decent.
Max Jacobson is still teaching there I believe (he co-wrote "A Pattern Language" with Christopher Alexander) He's great.

Thanks for the replies so far.

JdesP, I'm basically looking to beef up my portfolio and my mediocre GPA for admission into California College of the Arts (CCA), or RISD next fall, so I'll probably be just taking the second-year design sequence, and maybe another arch history course.

CCC, mn, thank you for the other colleges.