About
California State University, San Bernardino is a public research university in San Bernardino, California, United States. Founded in 1965, it is part of the California State University system. The main campus sits on 441 acres (178 ha) in the University District of San Bernardino, with a branch campus of 40 acres (16 ha) in Palm Desert, California, opened in 1986. Cal State San Bernardino's fall 2020 enrollment was 19,404. In fall 2019, it had 505 full-time faculty, of which 385 were on the tenure track.
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
Pell recipients graduate at a higher rate than non-Pell students here — unusual and worth investigating.
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.
Academic programs at CSUSB
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
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
CSUSB vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions CSUSB 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-San Bernardino | 55% | — | 18,492 | $5,918 | R2 Research |
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | 86% | 31.3% | 23,069 | $15,624 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt | 49% | 98.2% | 6,237 | $13,167 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | 68% | 75.2% | 27,636 | $11,580 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
California State University Maritime Academy | 60% | 95.0% | 837 | $17,555 | Baccalaureate |
California State University-Bakersfield | 50% | 93.9% | 10,419 | $5,825 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
California State University-Channel Islands | 51% | 94.8% | 5,592 | $9,792 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs |
California State University-Chico | 63% | 92.7% | 15,257 | $14,838 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
California State University-Dominguez Hills | 43% | 93.3% | 15,182 | $3,659 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
California State University-Fresno | 57% | 95.3% | 24,427 | $6,480 | R2 Research |
California State University-Fullerton | 70% | 90.5% | 43,662 | $5,646 | R2 Research |
California State University-Long Beach | 69% | 46.3% | 42,003 | $8,931 | R2 Research |
California State University-Los Angeles | 53% | 91.3% | 23,163 | $4,113 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
California State University-Monterey Bay | 59% | 97.4% | 7,713 | $14,487 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
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 |
California State University-San Marcos | 55% | 95.1% | 16,237 | $10,550 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
California State University-Stanislaus | 53% | 98.1% | 9,724 | $5,671 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Metropolitan State University of Denver | 31% | 98.8% | 18,453 | $14,294 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Sam Houston State University | 55% | 90.3% | 21,039 | $16,025 | R2 Research |
Sonoma State University | 58% | 93.4% | 5,891 | $13,801 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
South Texas College | 20% | — | 27,431 | $1,291 | Baccalaureate |
The University of Texas at Austin | 89% | 26.6% | 53,864 | $19,678 | R1 Research |
The University of Texas at El Paso | 50% | 99.9% | 25,039 | $10,726 | R1 Research |
University of California-Riverside | 76% | 76.4% | 26,384 | $13,707 | R1 Research |
University of Houston | 65% | 73.9% | 47,980 | $13,853 | R1 Research |
University of New Mexico-Main Campus | 54% | 95.2% | 23,124 | $17,478 | R1 Research |
| Peer group median | 56% | 93.4% | 23,069 | $10,726 |
CSUSB Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The Office of Institutional Research & Analytics at CSUSB provides insights into the student demographics and success rates, including a student population of 19,049 as of Fall 2025. The office also offers various resources such as dashboards, statistical factbooks, and data request forms for internal and external data inquiries.
Visit IR office pageCommon Data Set (1)
The institution's official annual Common Data Set publications — the most detailed reference for enrollment, admissions, and outcomes.
Reports & documents (5)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DashboardDashboardir.csusb.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- FactbookCalifornia State University-San Bernardino Statistical Factbook2026The CSUSB Statistical Factbook provides detailed statistical summaries and historical data on enrollment, degrees awarded, demographics by major and college. It includes trends in enrollment and full-time equivalent students (FTES), as well as retention and graduation rates and degrees conferred by major. The Factbook reflects changes in data reporting systems and the transition from quarter to semester systems, including unit equivalencies. Data is differentiated by California residents and non-residents, and new coding for ethnicity has been applied to comply with federal government mandates.csusb.edu
- GlossaryCalifornia State University, San Bernardino - Glossary of TermsThe California State University, San Bernardino Glossary of Terms provides definitions for various terms related to sponsored programs administration. These terms are crucial for understanding policies, processes, and responsibilities associated with handling federal and non-federal grants and contracts. Key topics include regulations, allowability and allocability of costs, audit processes, cost sharing, types of costs such as direct and indirect, roles such as Principal Investigator, and various forms of financial support like grants and gifts.csusb.edu
- Strategic planStrategic Plan 2023-20282023California State University, San Bernardino’s strategic plan titled 'We Define the Future: Transforming Lives and Communities' outlines priorities for the period of 2023-2028, focusing on innovation and systemic efficiency. The plan aims to embed diversity, equity, and inclusion into all campus operations and activities for the university and the Palm Desert campus. Through this strategic framework, CSUSB reaffirms its dedication to transforming lives and nurturing vibrant communities.csusb.edu
Notable alumni of CSUSB (28)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Anthony AdamsPolitics
- Rusty BaileyPolitics
- Laura BeemanAthletics
- Danny BilsonEntertainment
- Cheryl BrownPolitics
- Wilmer CarterPolitics
- Paul ChabotPolitics
- Paul CookPolitics
- Corey GrayScience
- Eddie CornejoAthletics
- R. Carey DavisPolitics
- Paul De MeoEntertainment
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