( CNN ) -- Universities nationwide were recovering Friday , a day after protests over education budget cuts hit campuses from coast to coast . Though many of the demonstrations were peaceful , some turned chaotic . On the West Coast , the University of California , Santa Cruz , was scheduled to reopen Friday . The crush of demonstrators on Thursday caused administrators to close the northern California campus . `` Please check back for information on the campus 's planned return to service on Friday , '' the university Web site said . The protest , dubbed the March 4 National Day of Action , sent thousands of students , educators and supporters to the streets to challenge budget cuts and tuition increases . In Oakland , California , police arrested 160 protesters who shut down a freeway , authorities said . Police stopped students from shutting down a freeway near the University of California , Davis , in northern California . Demonstrations occurred in other states including Colorado , New York and Wisconsin . A blog called Student Activism , which compiled a list of the protests , said 122 events were slated in 33 states , most on campuses and some at state capitols . Many of Thursday 's demonstrations focused on cuts in state funding for colleges and universities , which supporters say drive up tuition , limit classes and make higher education unobtainable to many . State funding for the California State University system was reduced by nearly $ 1 billion for the academic years between 2008 and 2010 . Schools have responded by increasing fees , canceling classes , cutting student support programs and furloughing professors . Fees have increased 182 percent since 2002 . Class waiting lists have doubled or tripled . `` The less affordable education becomes , the less likely low-income students will be able to get a college education , '' said Lillian Taiz , president of the California Faculty Association and a professor of history at California State University , Los Angeles .
Demonstrations on Thursday caused administrators to close the northern campus campus . Students , educators , supporters hit the streets to challenge cuts , fee hikes . This would spur tuition and fee hikes , program cuts , bigger classes .