More selective than 22% 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 $26,283. College Scorecard.
Higher than 53% of California colleges we cover and 66% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 50% of California colleges we cover and 79% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
California State University-Chico acceptance rate & admissions
Of 22,263 applicants, California State University-Chico admitted 20,864 and 2,171 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-Chico 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-Chico majors, earnings & careers
California State University-Chico offers 81 bachelor's majors across 11 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 17
- Humanities & Languages · 13
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 12
- Engineering · 9
- Health & Medicine · 9
- Business & Finance · 6
- Arts & Design · 4
- Technology & Computing · 4
- Communications & Media · 3
- Education · 3
- Non-degree / basic skills · 1
Highest-earning majors at California State University-Chico
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $127,498 | $20,000 |
| Nursing | $117,543 | $20,125 |
| Construction Management | $108,021 | $19,314 |
| Electrical / Electronic Engineering Technologies / Technicians | $106,225 | $19,802 |
| Engineering, Other | $103,272 | $23,000 |
| Computer Engineering | $97,345 | — |
| Mechanical Engineering | $93,555 | $24,354 |
| Civil Engineering | $92,472 | $21,583 |
Quick list of all 81 majors
- Accounting$85,612
- Agricultural Business$65,198
- Agriculture$61,369
- Animal Sciences$48,474
- Anthropology$43,153
- Area Studies$41,818
- Biochemistry$60,367
- Biological and Physical Sciences—
- Biology$71,726
- Botany / Plant Biology—
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business Administration$72,651
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering$92,472
- Communications$58,391
- Computer and Information Sciences$91,059
- Computer Engineering$97,345
- Computer Science$127,498
- Construction Engineering Technology / Technician—
- Construction Management$108,021
- Criminal Justice$58,464
- Dietetics—
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology$64,274
- Economics$67,675
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Education (Subject Teaching)$60,296
- Educational / Instructional Media Design—
- Electrical / Electronic Engineering Technologies / Technicians$106,225
- Electrical Engineering—
- Engineering-Related Fields$86,430
- Engineering, Other$103,272
- English$49,189
- Environmental Science / Conservation$69,531
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services$51,491
- Geography$69,500
- Geology / Earth Science—
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$44,629
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other—
- Health Sciences$69,303
- History$49,351
- Human Development and Family Studies$41,993
- Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians—
- Intercultural / Multicultural and Diversity Studies$67,921
- International Relations$52,150
- Journalism$63,358
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$52,978
- Leisure and Recreational Activities—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$55,008
- Linguistics—
- Management Information Systems—
- Mathematics$77,891
- Mathematics and Computer Science—
- Mechanical Engineering$93,555
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology$74,888
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music$42,269
- Natural Sciences$55,102
- Nursing$117,543
- Nutrition Science$59,146
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies$59,765
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Physiology$61,230
- Plant Sciences$68,629
- Political Science$61,293
- Psychology$52,621
- Public Administration$54,714
- Public Health—
- Religious Studies—
- Social Sciences$50,845
- Social Work$57,146
- Sociology$52,323
- Software and Media Applications—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$56,144
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$62,855
- Statistics—
- Studio Art$45,468
- Theatre—
- Writing—
— 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 Chico
Overall prices in the Chico, CA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,509. Housing costs 8% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 28 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: wildfire (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Butte County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Butte County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare California State University-Chico 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-Chico | 93% | $14,480 | 63% | $64,172 | This school |
| California State University-San Bernardino | 94% | $4,564 | 55% | $59,977 | |
| California State University-San Marcos | 95% | $10,229 | 55% | $62,908 | |
| California State University-Dominguez Hills | 93% | $8,615 | 43% | $57,162 | |
| University of California-Merced | 91% | $11,983 | 69% | $64,368 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
California State University-Chico would cost you $9,916 more per year than California State University-San Bernardino, on average.
- Higher sticker price at California State University-Chico, mostly from more California State University-San Bernardino students living at home, which lowers its average (+$6,033).
- California State University-San Bernardino gives aided families $1,060 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, California resident | California State University-Chico | California State University-San Bernardino | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $8,472 | $8,093 | +$379 |
| Books & supplies | $1,052 | $788 | +$264 |
| Housing & meals | $16,020 | $12,996 | +$3,024 |
| Personal & travel | $2,894 | $3,738 | −$844 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,155 | −$8,188 | +$6,033 |
| Sticker price | $26,283 | $17,427 | +$8,856 |
| Average grants | −$11,803 | −$12,863 | +$1,060 |
| You pay | $14,480 | $4,564 | +$9,916 |
“+” means California State University-Chico 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-Chico
What is the California State University-Chico acceptance rate?
California State University-Chico accepts 93% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 20,864 of 22,263 applicants were admitted.
How much does California State University-Chico cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $26,283 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $14,480 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $9,902 and families earning $110k+ pay $23,566.
How much do California State University-Chico graduates earn?
Former California State University-Chico students earn a median $64,172 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-Chico graduation rate?
63% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 82% return for their second year.
Is California State University-Chico 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-Chico: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/california-state-university-chico (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).