Basic Information

Type Public
Geographical Reach Regional
Location Chico, CA
Population 200,000
Map of the United States

Weather

Comfortable Days 115 (84%)
Sunshine Hours 3,604 (99% ☀️)
Days Without Precipitation 307 (94% 🏖️)

Demographics

Total Undergraduates 13,118
Men / Women 44% / 56%
From State 98%
From Region 0%
Athletes 2.7%

Racial/Ethnic

White 41%
Hispanic 39%
Mixed 6%
Asian 5%
Black 3%
Native American 1%
International 1%

Schools & Majors

Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl Earnings ROI Employment
California State University, Chico 3,358 41% / 59% 1% $62,749 77 94%
Civil Engineering 52 69% / 31% 0% $94,893 97 96%
Computer Engineering 10 +1 80% / 20% 0% $100,450 98 94%
Electrical Engineering 18 94% / 6% 22% $95,767 98
Engineering 32 +3 78% / 22% 0% $89,156 96 90%
Mechanical Engineering 45 +4 91% / 9% 7% $95,896 98 95%
Computer Science 76 88% / 12% 1% $116,811 99 97%
Game and Interactive Media Design 70 73% / 27% 0% $43,710 33 95%
Information Technology 69 +8 88% / 12% 6% $84,674 94 99%
Chemistry 8 +1 88% / 12% 0% $60,921 74
Geosciences 9 33% / 67% 0% $59,691 72
Mathematics 24 +1 46% / 54% 4% $58,405 70 89%
Physics 5 +1 100% / 0% 20% $64,174 79
Biochemistry 10 60% / 40% 0% $55,239 64 100%
Biology 66 +3 35% / 65% 2% $57,406 68 92%
Microbiology 22 +3 50% / 50% 5% $60,067 73 94%
Agribusiness/Agricultural Business Operations 50 +2 56% / 44% 0% $63,457 78 98%
Agriculture 27 19% / 81% 0% $59,887 73 88%
Agronomy and Crop Science 36 +2 53% / 47% 0% $65,872 81 98%
Animal Sciences 78 17% / 83% 0% $52,927 59 95%
Environmental Science 19 +1 58% / 42% 0% $54,548 63 91%
Natural Sciences 3 33% / 67% 0% $50,421 53 100%
Nutrition Sciences 26 19% / 81% 4% $54,121 62 100%
Communication Sciences and Disorders 47 4% / 96% 0% $57,830 69 95%
Exercise Science and Kinesiology 77 +1 44% / 56% 0% $43,590 33 96%
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences 1 0% / 100% 0% $52,639 58 94%
Nursing 107 21% / 79% 0% $112,606 99 99%
Public Health 84 +2 17% / 83% 1% $61,385 75 100%
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness 57 +1 53% / 47% 0% $43,590 33 96%
Business Management and Administration 537 +12 55% / 45% 1% $74,047 87 95%
Economics 20 80% / 20% 0% $68,240 83 94%
Engineering Management 4 75% / 25% 0% $86,426 95 97%
Health Services Administration 11 27% / 73% 0% $61,385 75 100%
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies 28 +8 43% / 57% 0% $53,151 60 91%
Anthropology 23 35% / 65% 0% $45,466 39 83%
Asian Studies/Civilization 2 +2 50% / 50% 0% $43,566 33 86%
English 52 +2 35% / 65% 2% $46,644 42 90%
Ethnic Studies 10 +1 30% / 70% 0% $44,127 35
French $52,188 57
Geography 11 +1 55% / 45% 0% $67,421 82 89%
German 2 +1 50% / 50% 0% $51,883 57
Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies $44,313 35
History 36 +1 69% / 31% 0% $43,157 32 91%
Humanities/Humanistic Studies 12 17% / 83% 0% $51,484 56 92%
International Affairs 7 +1 71% / 29% 14% $48,307 47 83%
Journalism 25 +1 24% / 76% 0% $52,519 58 93%
Latin American Studies 2 +11 0% / 100% 0% $43,566 33 86%
Philosophy 4 +2 50% / 50% 0% $48,189 47
Political Science 39 +5 44% / 56% 0% $58,418 70 93%
Psychology 264 +12 28% / 72% 0% $49,003 49 91%
Public Administration 7 +2 43% / 57% 0% $50,066 52 100%
Radio and Television 33 58% / 42% 3% $53,909 61
Religion/Religious Studies 13 38% / 62% 0% $50,976 54
Social Sciences 84 +1 23% / 77% 0% $47,195 44 85%
Social Work 92 +1 13% / 87% 1% $51,439 56 93%
Sociology 198 +3 19% / 81% 0% $43,884 34 91%
Spanish 13 +5 15% / 85% 0% $52,188 57 85%
Speech Communication and Rhetoric 71 37% / 63% 1% $55,566 65 93%
Early Childhood Education 56 +3 7% / 93% 2% $49,896 52
General Education 244 7% / 93% 0% $51,484 56 92%
Animation 5 60% / 40% 0%
Design and Visual Communications 22 27% / 73% 5% $43,710 33 95%
Fine Arts 37 +4 11% / 89% 0% $41,788 28 92%
Fine/Studio Arts 22 27% / 73% 0% $41,788 28 92%
Music 11 +2 91% / 9% 0%
Music 25 +3 60% / 40% 0% $36,916 15 93%
Musical Theatre 8 38% / 62% 0% $33,733 10
Theater 10 40% / 60% 0% $37,578 17
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician 83 89% / 11% 1% $120,020 99 96%
Criminal Justice 101 +5 41% / 59% 1% $54,731 63 94%
Engineering Technology $86,426 95
Manufacturing Engineering Technology/Technician 6 100% / 0% 0% $90,812 96

Financial

In-State Tuition & Fees $8,901
Out-of-State Tuition & Fees $22,418
Est. In-State Cost $11,514
Est. Out-of-State Cost $29,000
ROI Percentile 77th

Retention & Graduation

Full-Time Retention 82%
4-Year Graduation Rate 36%
6-Year Graduation Rate 63%
Transfer-Out Rate 4%

Earnings by Major Category

Each major category's degree-weighted estimated median 5-year earnings at this college, expressed as a z-score against the national degree-weighted distribution for that category. 0 is the national average. The shaded band between +1.28 and −1.28 marks the central 80% of the national distribution (10th–90th percentile).

Academics

% Degrees Male/Female Intl Earnings ROI Employment
Humanities & Social Sciences 29.8% 1,000 29% / 71% 0% $48,964 49 91%
Business & Economics 17.9% 600 55% / 45% 0% $72,729 87 95%
Health Sciences 11.1% 373 28% / 72% 0% $69,214 84 98%
Education 8.9% 300 7% / 93% 0% $51,188 55 92%
Agriculture & Food Science 7.1% 239 34% / 66% 0% $58,093 70 96%
Computer Science 6.4% 215 83% / 17% 2% $82,697 93 97%
Professional 5.7% 190 64% / 36% 1% $84,391 94 95%
Engineering 4.7% 157 81% / 19% 4% $94,465 97 94%
Arts 4.2% 140 36% / 64% 1% $40,288 24 93%
Life & Natural Sciences 2.9% 98 41% / 59% 2% $57,782 69 93%
Physical Sciences & Math 1.4% 46 57% / 43% 4% $59,721 73 89%

Research R3

Research $ Rank Federal Industry $ PhDs Rank PhD students Postdocs
Agriculture & Food Science $3.1M #108 17% $0.0M
Engineering $1.4M #264 31% $0.2M
Humanities & Social Sciences $1.2M #300 37% $0
Education $0.8M #255 99% $0
Physical Sciences & Math $0.6M #416 90% $0
Life & Natural Sciences $0.6M #386 24% $0
Health Sciences $0.5M #285 0% $0
Computer Science $0.2M #359 42% $0.1M
Business & Economics $0.1M #380 0% $0
Total $8.5M #319 35% $0.2M

Expenditure and funding source: NSF HERD, FY2024. Degrees: IPEDS completions, 2023–24. Students and postdocs: NSF Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates, fall 2024, which covers science, engineering and selected health fields only. An em dash means the source does not report the figure, which is not the same as zero.

Admissions

Uses Common App No
Acceptance Rate 78%
Yield (Unbound) 10%
Regular Decision Jan 1

Acceptance Rates

In-State Out-of-State International
Regular Decision 78% 78% 78%

Standardized Tests

Test Policy blind