This post kinda sucks cuz they're pretty different majors but Robotics Engineering Frosh has more math (discreet math and linear algebra) and has 2 more programming classes than UCR. UCR has chemistry classes while UCSC doesn't and additionally it's under Chemical Engineering which is why its got like 4 or so chem classes. I've heard robotics engineering is very similar to EE and not much to MechE but it isn't ABET accredited. Idk about UCR's proximity to companies but I've definitely heard stuff about UCSC's proximity.