California State University-Fullerton
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.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 3.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
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.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing73 · 57.0%
- No Data52 · 40.6%
- Failing3 · 2.3%
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 · 17
Action history · 14
- Sep 2025Initial AccreditationCommission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNDNP) - Nursing education programs at the doctorate degree levels
- Jul 2024Renewal of AccreditationAmerican Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Professional Psychology (IPSY) - Predoctoral internship programs
- Aug 2022Renewal of AccreditationAccreditation Commission for Midwifery Education · Nurse Midwifery (MIDWF) - Basic certificate and graduate nurse-midwifery education programs for registered nurses
- Jun 2021Renewal of AccreditationCouncil on Education for Public Health · Public Health Programs (PHPG) - Graduate level program offered outside a school of public health
- Feb 2020Renewal of AccreditationWASC Senior College and University Commission
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, 22,158 students received $125.2M in Pell grants, alongside $82.6M 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 6,142 borrowers who entered repayment, 50 (0.8%) 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 Fullerton
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 · 9
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 campus39
- Non-campus7
- Public property2
Includes 26 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
- Race1
- Ethnicity1
- Sexual orientation1
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
Data quality: 1 report was 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.
Fullerton vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Fullerton 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-Fullerton | 70% | — | 43,662 | $5,646 | R2 Research |
California State University-Long Beach | 69% | 46.3% | 42,003 | $8,931 | R2 Research |
California State University-Northridge | 57% | 93.4% | 38,313 | $7,599 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
California State University-Sacramento | 56% | 94.0% | 31,943 | $10,512 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Central Michigan University | 59% | 89.8% | 14,488 | $16,041 | R2 Research |
Florida International University | 74% | 54.7% | 54,723 | $9,133 | R1 Research |
George Mason University | 68% | 87.5% | 39,766 | $18,287 | R1 Research |
Georgia State University | 53% | 55.4% | 34,944 | $15,931 | R1 Research |
Kent State University at Kent | 64% | 86.3% | 26,374 | $19,614 | R1 Research |
Northern Illinois University | 49% | 69.8% | 15,414 | $12,909 | R2 Research |
San Diego State University | 76% | 36.2% | 41,137 | $16,174 | R2 Research |
San Francisco State University | 50% | 96.4% | 22,563 | $12,882 | R2 Research |
San Jose State University | 69% | 84.6% | 37,661 | $13,741 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Temple University | 75% | 80.4% | 29,640 | $29,219 | R1 Research |
Texas State University | 55% | 89.3% | 40,674 | $16,438 | R2 Research |
Texas Tech University | 69% | 72.6% | 40,757 | $20,071 | R1 Research |
University of Central Florida | 78% | 40.1% | 69,713 | $10,650 | R1 Research |
University of Houston | 65% | 73.9% | 47,980 | $13,853 | R1 Research |
University of North Texas | 61% | 72.2% | 46,864 | $14,352 | R1 Research |
Virginia Commonwealth University | 63% | 92.6% | 28,464 | $19,452 | R1 Research |
West Virginia University | 64% | 89.0% | 23,643 | $12,997 | R1 Research |
Western Michigan University | 58% | 84.6% | 16,744 | $18,701 | R2 Research |
| Peer group median | 64% | 84.6% | 37,987 | $14,103 |
Fullerton Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
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- 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 RobbinsStrategic Initiatives Specialist
- Doug VuBusiness Intelligence Analyst
- April KiyabuStudent Success Analyst
- Allan TaingSenior Research Analyst
- Noha Abdou, Ed.D.Director, Institutional Research
- Afshin KarimiSenior 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 HenschelAdministrative Support Coordinator
- Thomas LeungResearch Analyst
Common Data Set (13)
The institution's official annual Common Data Set publications — the most detailed reference for enrollment, admissions, and outcomes.
Reports & documents (6)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DashboardDashboardfullerton.edu
- Data definitionGlossary - Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning | CSUFThis page from California State University-Fullerton provides a glossary of terms related to institutional planning and effectiveness, including detailed definitions of concepts and metrics such as Academic Year, Census Data, and Graduation Rate. The glossary aims to clarify the terminology used in institutional research and data reporting at CSUF.fullerton.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- FactbookCSUF Facts2025The CSUF Facts document contains several key data points about California State University, Fullerton, including applications, enrollment, demographic breakdown, and degrees awarded, focusing on fall semester census data. The information is maintained by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning.fullerton.edu
- GlossaryGlossary - Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning | CSUFThe glossary from the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning at California State University-Fullerton provides definitions for key terms used in institutional research and planning. It offers descriptions and explanations for terms related to academic schedules, student demographics, enrollment statistics, and faculty classifications. This resource assists in understanding various metrics and reports used within the university's institutional framework.fullerton.edu
- Strategic planCSUF Strategic Plan 2024-20292026The CSUF Strategic Plan 2024-2029, titled 'Fullerton Forward', is a collaborative initiative aimed at enhancing the university's role as a model institution. It focuses on inclusive education, community engagement, and robust support systems to empower students, faculty, and staff. With an emphasis on diverse and innovative academic offerings, improved campus operations, and strengthened community relations, the plan sets a roadmap for sustainable growth and societal impact.planning.fullerton.edu
Grants & funding (6)
Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.
- opportunityJudith A. Presch Desert Research ScholarshipCSU Fullertoninstitution_site$500
- opportunityCSU Desert Studies Faculty Grant-writing Support AwardCSU Fullertoninstitution_site
- opportunityDesert Conservation ProgramWildlife Conservation Boardinstitution_site
- opportunityIntramural Funding OpportunitiesCalifornia State University-Fullertoninstitution_site
- opportunityNational Park Service FellowshipsNational Park Serviceinstitution_site
- opportunityWestern National Parks Association GrantsWestern National Parks Associationinstitution_site
Notable alumni of Fullerton (16)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Omid AbtahiFilm and Television
- Kevin CostnerFilm and Television
- Gwen StefaniMusic
- Valorie CurryFilm and Television
- Roy ChoiCulinary Arts
- Adam LambertMusic
- Tracy Caldwell DysonAstronautics
- Marc CherryTelevision
- Lou CorreaPolitics
- Anthony RendonPolitics
- Michael ShermerAuthor
- Philip ChenPolitics
Frequently asked questions about California State University-Fullerton
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Fullerton.
What is the graduation rate at California State University-Fullerton?
How many students attend California State University-Fullerton?
What is the average net price at California State University-Fullerton?
What is the yield rate at California State University-Fullerton?
Where is California State University-Fullerton located?
Who runs Institutional Research at California State University-Fullerton?
Have a question this page can’t answer?
Ask Clema anything about California State University-Fullerton and its peers — plain language in, cited answers out, in minutes instead of days.
Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card