More selective than 12% of California colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $23,561. College Scorecard.
Higher than 30% of California colleges we cover and 44% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 46% of California colleges we cover and 74% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
California State University-Channel Islands acceptance rate & admissions
Of 10,082 applicants, California State University-Channel Islands admitted 9,382 and 568 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
California State University-Channel Islands tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for California residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: California residents who meet income, asset and GPA standards may receive a Cal Grant (California Student Aid Commission); apply with the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application. At University of California and California State University campuses, the Middle Class Scholarship can also help families with income and assets up to $250,000 (2026-27, dependent students). Not included in the prices above. California Student Aid Commission
California State University-Channel Islands majors, earnings & careers
California State University-Channel Islands offers 29 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 6
- Science & Math · 6
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 4
- Arts & Design · 3
- Business & Finance · 3
- Health & Medicine · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Education · 1
- Engineering · 1
Highest-earning majors at California State University-Channel Islands
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $112,691 | $19,750 |
| Computer Science | $100,887 | $18,750 |
| Economics | $71,662 | — |
| Business Administration | $71,183 | $15,888 |
| Mathematics | $70,628 | $15,603 |
| Environmental / Natural Resources Management and Policy | $67,558 | $19,209 |
| Biology | $62,384 | $19,500 |
| Communications | $59,332 | $13,750 |
Quick list of all 29 majors
- Anthropology$51,951
- Biology$62,384
- Business Administration$71,183
- Chemistry$58,498
- Communications$59,332
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer Science$100,887
- Dance—
- Economics$71,662
- Education, Other$49,106
- Engineering, Other—
- English$53,200
- Environmental / Natural Resources Management and Policy$67,558
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Finance—
- Health Sciences$58,396
- History$42,229
- International / Global Studies—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$54,015
- Mathematics$70,628
- Nursing$112,691
- Physics—
- Political Science$58,306
- Psychology$48,789
- Sociology$56,855
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$50,202
- Studio Art$45,548
- Visual and Performing Arts—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Oxnard
Overall prices in the Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,424. Housing costs 71% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 12 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: wildfire (relatively high); river flooding (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Ventura County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Ventura County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare California State University-Channel Islands with similar schools
Similar public colleges in California by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California State University-Channel Islands | 95% | $9,849 | 51% | $62,152 | This school |
| Sonoma State University | 93% | $12,885 | 58% | $65,986 | |
| California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt | 98% | $13,171 | 49% | $47,626 | |
| California State University-Monterey Bay | 97% | $13,663 | 59% | $59,247 | |
| California State University-Bakersfield | 94% | $5,652 | 50% | $59,009 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
California State University-Channel Islands would cost you $3,036 less per year than Sonoma State University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at California State University-Channel Islands, mostly from lower housing & meal costs (−$1,570).
- California State University-Channel Islands gives aided families $1,949 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, California resident | California State University-Channel Islands | Sonoma State University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $7,159 | $8,624 | −$1,465 |
| Books & supplies | $906 | $822 | +$84 |
| Housing & meals | $14,200 | $15,770 | −$1,570 |
| Personal & travel | $3,714 | $2,492 | +$1,222 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,418 | −$3,060 | +$642 |
| Sticker price | $23,561 | $24,648 | −$1,087 |
| Average grants | −$13,712 | −$11,763 | −$1,949 |
| You pay | $9,849 | $12,885 | −$3,036 |
“+” means California State University-Channel Islands costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about California State University-Channel Islands
What is the California State University-Channel Islands acceptance rate?
California State University-Channel Islands accepts 95% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 9,382 of 10,082 applicants were admitted.
How much does California State University-Channel Islands cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $23,561 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $9,849 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $6,857 and families earning $110k+ pay $20,473.
How much do California State University-Channel Islands graduates earn?
Former California State University-Channel Islands students earn a median $62,152 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the California State University-Channel Islands graduation rate?
51% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 72% return for their second year.
Is California State University-Channel Islands the right fit for your family?
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “California State University-Channel Islands: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/california-state-university-channel-islands (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).