California State University - Chico
About
California State University, Chico is a public university in Chico, California, United States. It was founded in 1887 as one of about 180 "normal schools" founded by state governments in the 19th century to train teachers for the rapidly growing public common schools. Some closed but most steadily expanded their role and became state colleges in the early 20th century and state universities in the late 20th century. It is the second oldest campus in the California State University system. As of the fall 2020 semester, the university had a total enrollment of 16,630 students. The university offers 126 bachelor's degree programs, 35 master's degree programs, and four types of teaching credentials. Chico is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 13.5-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 123 Title IV programs, 58 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 65 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing58 · 47.2%
- No Data65 · 52.8%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
WASC Senior College and University Commission
Programmatic accreditations · 12
Action history · 12
- Jan 2024Approved for Distance EducationAcademy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Dietetics (DIETI) - Dietetic Internship
- Jan 2024Approved for Distance EducationAcademy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Didactic Program in Dietetics
- Jul 2023Renewal of AccreditationAcademy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Dietetics (DIETI) - Dietetic Internship
- Jun 2019Renewal of AccreditationWASC Senior College and University Commission
- Mar 2019Renewal of AccreditationAmerican Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology · Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) - Graduate degree programs
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 6,913 students received $41.1M in Pell grants, alongside $36.7M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 3,601 borrowers who entered repayment, 80 (2.2%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at Csuchico
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 8
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus15
- Non-campus7
- Public property2
Includes 7 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
- University Village1 fireMachinery/IndustrialDamage $0-$99
Data quality: 6 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Csuchico vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Csuchico selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectCalifornia State University-Chico | 63% | 92.7% | 15,257 | $14,480 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
| 75% | 90.1% | 21,570 | $16,836 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 59% | 87.2% | 27,198 | $21,610 | R2 Research | |
| 86% | 31.3% | 23,069 | $16,665 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 49% | 98.2% | 6,237 | $13,171 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 72% | 47.5% | 20,081 | $3,033 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 57% | 53.8% | 22,538 | $2,984 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 46% | 79.6% | 12,631 | $15,407 | R2 Research | |
| 55% | 87.9% | 27,423 | $15,267 | R2 Research | |
| 67% | 83.0% | 22,011 | $16,317 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 80% | 71.5% | 22,740 | $23,322 | R2 Research | |
| 58% | 90.5% | 24,360 | $17,613 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 54% | 86.1% | 9,152 | $16,244 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 39% | 94.8% | 10,732 | $13,529 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 50% | 96.4% | 22,563 | $12,278 | R2 Research | |
| 45% | 99.3% | 14,426 | $13,154 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 55% | 89.3% | 40,674 | $16,805 | R2 Research | |
| 53% | 86.8% | 35,770 | $10,836 | R1 Research | |
| 20% | Open admission | 63,012 | $22,063 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 69% | 79.6% | 31,091 | $15,435 | R2 Research | |
| 58% | 93.9% | 16,291 | $10,990 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 65% | 93.2% | 14,710 | $21,193 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| Peer group median | 57% | 87.9% | 22,275 | $15,421 |
Institutions like Csuchico
Explore the federal data for institutions in Csuchico's comparison group.
- Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsNorth Carolina
Appalachian State University
Grad rate75%Admit rate90.1%Enrollment21,570Net price$16,836View data - R2 ResearchIdaho
Boise State University
Grad rate59%Admit rate87.2%Enrollment27,198Net price$21,610View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsCalifornia
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
Grad rate86%Admit rate31.3%Enrollment23,069Net price$16,665View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsCalifornia
California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt
Grad rate49%Admit rate98.2%Enrollment6,237Net price$13,171View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsNew York
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
Grad rate72%Admit rate47.5%Enrollment20,081Net price$3,033View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsNew York
CUNY Hunter College
Grad rate57%Admit rate53.8%Enrollment22,538Net price$2,984View data - R2 ResearchMichigan
Eastern Michigan University
Grad rate46%Admit rate79.6%Enrollment12,631Net price$15,407View data - R2 ResearchGeorgia
Georgia Southern University
Grad rate55%Admit rate87.9%Enrollment27,423Net price$15,267View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalMichigan
Grand Valley State University
Grad rate67%Admit rate83.0%Enrollment22,011Net price$16,317View data - R2 ResearchVirginia
James Madison University
Grad rate80%Admit rate71.5%Enrollment22,740Net price$23,322View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalMissouri
Missouri State University-Springfield
Grad rate58%Admit rate90.5%Enrollment24,360Net price$17,613View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsMissouri
Northwest Missouri State University
Grad rate54%Admit rate86.1%Enrollment9,152Net price$16,244View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsMinnesota
Saint Cloud State University
Grad rate39%Admit rate94.8%Enrollment10,732Net price$13,529View data - R2 ResearchCalifornia
San Francisco State University
Grad rate50%Admit rate96.4%Enrollment22,563Net price$12,278View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsLouisiana
Southeastern Louisiana University
Grad rate45%Admit rate99.3%Enrollment14,426Net price$13,154View data - R2 ResearchTexas
Texas State University
Grad rate55%Admit rate89.3%Enrollment40,674Net price$16,805View data - R1 ResearchTexas
The University of Texas at San Antonio
Grad rate53%Admit rate86.8%Enrollment35,770Net price$10,836View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsMaryland
University of Maryland Global Campus
Grad rate20%Admit rateOpen admissionEnrollment63,012Net price$22,063View data - R2 ResearchNorth Carolina
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Grad rate69%Admit rate79.6%Enrollment31,091Net price$15,435View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalKentucky
Western Kentucky University
Grad rate58%Admit rate93.9%Enrollment16,291Net price$10,990View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsWashington
Western Washington University
Grad rate65%Admit rate93.2%Enrollment14,710Net price$21,193View data
Csuchico Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
We believe that data is only as valuable as the decisions it enables.
Visit IR office pageCommon Data Set
Csuchico's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.
Selectivity & Admissions
Admissions funnel
C123,611 applied → 21,623 admitted (91.6%) → 2,198 enrolled.
Selectivity
C1Accessible — 91.6% acceptance rate.
Admit rate by gender
C1Admit rates are similar across genders (Men 90.9%, Women 92.1%).
SAT range (middle 50%)
C9Middle 50% SAT 990–1293 (median 1090).
ACT range (middle 50%)
C9Middle 50% ACT 23–28 (median 23).
High-school class rank
C10Share of enrolled first-years by HS class-rank band.
What matters in admission
C7Relative importance of each admission factor.
Affordability & Value
Cost of attendance
GTotal sticker cost of attendance is $26,068 (2025-2026).
Sticker vs. net price
G+HSticker $26,068 → about $14,076 net for aided students after the average need-based grant ($11,992); 54% of demonstrated need is met.
Where grant aid comes from
H111% of need-based grant dollars come from the institution itself.
Graduate debt
H4/H527% of graduates borrowed; those who did owed $5,715 on average.
Outcomes & Equity
Graduation & retention
B6-year graduation rate 64%; first-year retention 81%.
Equity: Pell graduation gap
B4Pell-grant recipients graduate 6 pts below the overall rate (57% vs 64%).
Academic Experience
Degrees by discipline
JSTEM-dominant: ~18% of bachelor's degrees are in computing, engineering, math & sciences.
Student Body & Diversity
Undergraduate race/ethnicity
B2Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity.
International students
B21% of undergraduates are international (nonresident).
Undergrad vs graduate
B113,392 undergraduates and 1,189 graduate students.
Transfer Path
Transfer admissions
D18,341 transfer applicants → 6,563 admitted (78.7%) → 1,960 enrolled — more selective than first-year admission.
Source publications
Reports & documents (6)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DashboardDashboardcsuchico.edu
- Data dictionaryFact Book – Institutional Research and Strategic Analytics – Chico State2026The Fact Book is a comprehensive and interactive source of data about California State University-Chico, encompassing various aspects such as student applications, retention, persistence, graduation, degrees conferred, course grades, and diversity measures. Its dashboards are periodically updated with data derived from official reporting to the CSU System Office and Department of Education. The Fact Book is a valuable tool for gaining insights into the university's diverse and dynamic community.csuchico.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- FactbookFact Book – Institutional Research and Strategic Analytics – Chico StateThe Fact Book is a comprehensive and interactive source of data and information about California State University-Chico. It provides insights into the university's students, faculty, and programs, covering topics such as applications, retention, persistence, graduation, degrees conferred, course grades, and diversity measures. The data are sourced from official reporting to the CSU System Office and Department of Education, with dashboards updated periodically for accuracy.csuchico.edu
- GlossaryDecember 2019 - Underrepresented Minority (URM) and First Generation – Institutional Research and Strategic Analytics – Chico StateThe page on Chico State's Institutional Research and Strategic Analytics site provides definitions for 'Underrepresented Minority (URM)' and 'First Generation' students. URM refers to U.S. citizens identifying as Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, or American Indian, while First Generation pertains to students whose parents have not received a baccalaureate degree. The focus is on addressing the needs and challenges faced by these historically underserved student groups to improve their academic success.csuchico.edu
- Strategic planStrategic Plan 2024 — Chico State2024The Chico State Playbook serves as the institution's new strategic plan, focusing on organizational health and immediate decision-making through a concise document. It centers around engaging students in immersive learning experiences, fostering an inclusive and rewarding environment, and serving as a community resource. Spearheaded by President Perez and guided by values of connection, excellence, inspiration, and innovation, the Playbook sets out to shape Chico State's path forward from 2024 onward.csuchico.edu
Notable alumni of Csuchico (10)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Raymond CarverLiterature
- Sandy LernerBusiness
- Adnan KhashoggiBusiness
- Clair EnglePolitics
- Ed RollinsPolitics
- Mike ThompsonPolitics
- Rusty AreiasPolitics
- Susan AckermanScience
- Carolyn S. ShoemakerScience
- Amanda DetmerActing
Frequently asked questions about California State University-Chico
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Csuchico.
What is the acceptance rate at California State University-Chico?
What is the graduation rate at California State University-Chico?
How many students attend California State University-Chico?
What is the average net price at California State University-Chico?
What is the yield rate at California State University-Chico?
Where is California State University-Chico located?
Who runs Institutional Research at California State University-Chico?
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
Have a question this page can’t answer?
Ask Clema anything about California State University-Chico and its peers — plain language in, cited answers out, in minutes instead of days.
Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card