What are you looking to do? Getting an amateur radio license is pretty easy and the equipment is head and shoulders above CB.

Technician (tech) license offers all privileges above 30 Mhz and a few below it, with no morse code requirement. Since most of the short range communication is happening on the FM bands, with 2m (144 - 148 Mhz) and 70cm (430 to 440 Mhz) being the most popular, most people don't go beyond Tech (including me.)

My biggest complaint about ham radio is that in making the equipment extremely versatile, they also make it extremely complex (IMO overly complex) and not "user-friendly" at all.

In my experience, CB is crap except for very short range (as in, <1 mile.) The only "advantage" of CB is that it's easy to find and easy to use so if, for example, you just need communications on a 4x4 trail or something, CB is often the 'default' choice. FRS/GMRS is a better quality of sound but limited by the small amount of power in the cheap hand-held radios. Technically, GMRS requires a license but I think the FCC has bigger fish to fry than chasing after unlicensed GMRS users.

In theory, a well-tuned CB and antenna setup should offer good range, but for most people, spending big $$ on CB is like putting a $40 saddle on a $10 horse.