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California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, California·Public, 4-year or above·Far West·fullerton.edu
Acceptance
90.5%
+5.9pp vs R2 Research
6-yr Graduation
70%
+6.0pp vs R2 Research
Total enrollment
43,662
peer median 37,987
Avg net price
$6,555
-$8.8k vs R2 Research
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About

California State University, Fullerton is a public research university in Fullerton, California, United States. With a total enrollment of more than 41,000, it has the largest student body of the California State University (CSU) system, and its graduate student body of more than 5,000 is one of the largest in the CSU and in all of California. As of fall 2016, the school had 2,083 faculty, of whom 782 were on the tenure track. The university offers 109 degree programs: 55 undergraduate degrees and 54 graduate degrees, including three doctoral programs.

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
53,559
53,559 candidates competed
Admitted
48,482
90.5% acceptance rate
Enrolled
6,887
14.2% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
70%+6.0pp vs R2 Research
4-year graduation
39%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
70%
Full-time retention
82%

Pell equity

2.1pp gap
Pell recipients
69%1414 of 2044
Non-Pell (all)
71%1606 of 2259
Subsidized loan, no Pell
72%206 of 288
No Federal Aid
71%1400 of 1971

Non-Pell students graduate at a 2.1-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 128 Title IV programs, 73 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 3 fail. 52 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
128
Passing
73
57.0% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
3
2.3% of portfolio
Fail rate
2.3%
+1.7pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

128programs
  • Passing73 · 57.0%
  • No Data52 · 40.6%
  • Failing3 · 2.3%

Severity spectrum

Critical
3
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
2
Watch
6
Safe
65
No data
52

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.

76
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-25.2%
$36,154 vs $48,304
Music
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-21.6%
$37,850 vs $48,304
Linguistic Comparative and Related Language Studies and Services
Bachelor Degree · Foreign Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
-17.6%
$29,715 vs $36,082
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Master's Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
+5.1%
$54,191 vs $51,545
Music
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+9.7%
$39,590 vs $36,082
Communication and Media Studies
Master's Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
+12.9%
$66,353 vs $58,761
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+13.0%
$69,914 vs $61,854
Public Health
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+17.4%
$72,617 vs $61,854

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

61
Music
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
83%
$31,482 debt · $37,850 earn
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
64%
$44,999 debt · $69,914 earn
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Master's Degree · Psychology
50%
$37,930 debt · $76,598 earn
Music
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
48%
$19,150 debt · $39,590 earn
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
45%
$18,911 debt · $42,455 earn
Educational Administration and Supervision
Doctoral Degree · Education
44%
$61,500 debt · $141,254 earn
Accounting and Related Services
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
42%
$41,000 debt · $97,802 earn
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Master's Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
42%
$22,500 debt · $54,191 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

WASC Senior College and University Commission

Accredited since 1961Next review Feb 2030

Programmatic accreditations · 17

Action history · 14

  1. Sep 2025Initial Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNDNP) - Nursing education programs at the doctorate degree levels
  2. Jul 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Professional Psychology (IPSY) - Predoctoral internship programs
  3. Aug 2022Renewal of Accreditation
    Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education · Nurse Midwifery (MIDWF) - Basic certificate and graduate nurse-midwifery education programs for registered nurses
  4. Jun 2021Renewal of Accreditation
    Council on Education for Public Health · Public Health Programs (PHPG) - Graduate level program offered outside a school of public health
  5. Feb 2020Renewal of Accreditation
    WASC Senior College and University Commission

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$3,315
$30–48k$4,123
$48–75k$6,090
$75–110k$8,930
$110k+$15,631

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$6,555
-$8,763vs R2 Research median $15,319
Federal loans
22.0%
In-state tuition
$7,470
Out-of-state
$20,070

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 22,169 students received $130.2M in Pell grants, alongside $83.1M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
22,169
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$130.2M
$130,180,916 total
Direct Loans
$83.1M
14,003 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

19k
20
19k
21
18k
22
19k
23
22k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$25.6M
6,095 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$27.3M
5,953 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$18.2M
1,257 loan awards
Parent PLUS$9.8M
591 loan awards
Grad PLUS$2.3M
107 loan awards

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.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 6,142 borrowers who entered repayment, 50 (0.8%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
0.8%
-1.5pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
6,142
Defaulted
50
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
2.6%
2017
2.7%
2018
2.5%
2019
0.8%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* 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.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Fullerton

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs87
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

9,163 total completions
01Business
2,43726.6%
02Psychology
1,02511.2%
03Education
96610.5%
04Health Professions
8649.4%
05Computer Sciences
7518.2%
06Communication
7348.0%
07Visual/Performing Arts
7087.7%
08Parks/Recreation
6126.7%
09Engineering
5355.8%
10Social Sciences
5315.8%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
43,662
12-mo unduplicated
48,302
Undergraduate
42,731
Graduate
5,571

Gender split

Men
44%21,020
Women
56%27,282

Race / ethnicity composition

Hispanic
56.2%
Asian
20.8%
White
13.2%
Two or more
3.8%
Black
2.5%
Unknown
2.3%
Non-resident
1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
348
164 M · 184 W
Women athletes
52.9%
Athletic aid
$4.6M
Total student aid
Budget
$26.4M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$2.0M
$2.6M
Recruiting expense
$139K
$67K
Head-coach salaries
$183K
$133K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 9

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
92 M · 153 W
$2.0M
Soccer
26 M · 31 W
$2.3M
Water Polo
22 M · 28 W
$946K
Baseball
40 M ·
$2.2M
Basketball
15 M · 12 W
$3.7M
Softball
· 22 W
$1.6M

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
0.62
26 offenses · 41,962 students

3-year trend

1.742 yrs ago1.191 yr ago0.62Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
145
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
116
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
9
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
4

Criminal offenses by type

Burglary
7
Rape
5
Aggravated assault
4
Arson
3
Fondling
3
Statutory rape
2
Motor vehicle theft
2

By location

26total
  • On campus23
  • Non-campus2
  • Public property1

Includes 14 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

6
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
39
Stalking
45 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

  • Race5

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons12
Drugs1242
Liquor254

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Data quality: 2 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
26.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
1,088

Fullerton vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Fullerton selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

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-Fullerton
70%90.5%43,662$6,555R2 Research
69%46.3%42,003$10,440R2 Research
57%93.4%38,313$7,021Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
56%94.0%31,943$9,338Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
59%89.8%14,488$17,597R2 Research
74%54.7%54,723$9,288R1 Research
68%87.5%39,766$17,915R1 Research
53%55.4%34,944$15,931R1 Research
64%86.3%26,374$20,787R1 Research
49%69.8%15,414$13,391R2 Research
76%36.2%41,137$15,364R2 Research
50%96.4%22,563$12,278R2 Research
69%84.6%37,661$13,760Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
75%80.4%29,640$28,198R1 Research
55%89.3%40,674$16,805R2 Research
69%72.6%40,757$19,070R1 Research
78%40.1%69,713$10,411R1 Research
65%73.9%47,980$14,276R1 Research
61%72.2%46,864$15,649R1 Research
63%92.6%28,464$23,433R1 Research
64%89.0%23,643$15,634R1 Research
58%84.6%16,744$15,273R2 Research
Peer group median64%84.6%37,987$15,319

Institutions like Fullerton

Explore the federal data for institutions in Fullerton's comparison group.

Fullerton Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Office of Institutional Research
Reports to Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning
Email
data [at] fullerton.edu
Address
CP 950-18

The page belongs to the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning at California State University, Fullerton. It provides links to important institutional data, including student and faculty statistics, dashboards, and the Common Data Set. For more information or assistance, visitors are encouraged to contact the office via email.

Visit IR office page
Team
15 members
  • Su Swarat, Ph.D.
    Senior Associate Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness and Planning, Accreditation Liaison Officer
  • Yessica De La Torre Roman, Ed.D.
    Director, Assessment
  • Kale Yi, B.S.
    Research Analyst
  • Gina Park, Ph.D.
    Senior Data Strategist
  • Rachel Robbins
    Strategic Initiatives Specialist
  • Doug Vu
    Business Intelligence Analyst
  • April Kiyabu
    Student Success Analyst
  • Allan Taing
    Senior Research Analyst
  • Noha Abdou, Ed.D.
    Director, Institutional Research
  • Afshin Karimi
    Senior Research Associate & IR Lead
  • Robert Dawson, M.A.
    Enrollment Planning Specialist
  • Esperanza Villegas, M.F.A.
    Assessment Analyst
  • Kyusang Park, Ph.D.
    Research Analyst
  • Sarah Henschel
    Administrative Support Coordinator
  • Thomas Leung
    Research Analyst

Common Data Set

Fullerton's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.

Source publications

Reports & documents (5)

Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.

Grants & funding (6)

Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.

Notable alumni of Fullerton (16)

A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.

  • Omid Abtahi
    Film and Television
  • Kevin Costner
    Film and Television
  • Gwen Stefani
    Music
  • Valorie Curry
    Film and Television
  • Roy Choi
    Culinary Arts
  • Adam Lambert
    Music
  • Tracy Caldwell Dyson
    Astronautics
  • Marc Cherry
    Television
  • Lou Correa
    Politics
  • Anthony Rendon
    Politics
  • Michael Shermer
    Author
  • Philip Chen
    Politics
Showing 112 of 16
1 / 2

Frequently asked questions about California State University-Fullerton

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Fullerton.

What is the acceptance rate at California State University-Fullerton?

California State University-Fullerton's acceptance rate is 90.5% (48,482 admitted from 53,559 applicants), based on the latest IPEDS.

What is the graduation rate at California State University-Fullerton?

California State University-Fullerton reports a 6-year graduation rate of 70% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend California State University-Fullerton?

California State University-Fullerton reports a total enrollment of 43,662 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at California State University-Fullerton?

The average net price at California State University-Fullerton is $6,555 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at California State University-Fullerton?

California State University-Fullerton's yield rate is 14.2%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is California State University-Fullerton located?

California State University-Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California 92832-3599.

Who runs Institutional Research at California State University-Fullerton?

California State University-Fullerton's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Research, which reports to Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning.

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.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
Federal Pell Grant & loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant and Direct Loan recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.

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