California State University-Fresno

California State University-Fresno is a less selective public university in Fresno, California. It admits most applicants, graduates 57% of its students within six years, and its former students earn a median $61,244 ten years after starting college, more than 43% of the California colleges we cover.

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Acceptance rate
95%

More selective than 9% of California colleges we cover.

College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class

What your family pays
$7,000 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $20,095. College Scorecard.

Graduation rate
57%

Higher than 41% of California colleges we cover and 56% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.

Within 6 years · College Scorecard

Earnings after college
$61,244

Higher than 43% of California colleges we cover and 72% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.

Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard

California State University-Fresno acceptance rate & admissions

Of 20,201 applicants, California State University-Fresno admitted 19,469 and 3,661 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).

20,201
Applied
19,469
Admitted
3,661
Enrolled

IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class

First-year students who return82%
Pell Grant recipients57%
First-generation students53%
Women / men58% / 42%

Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS

California State University-Fresno 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)

Tuition & fees, in-state$7,350
Tuition & fees, out-of-state$19,950
Housing & meals, on campus$11,634
Books & supplies$938
Total cost of attendance, in-state$20,095

IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard

Median debt at graduation$12,463
Loan default rate3.2%3-year rate, 2017 repayment cohort

College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal

Full cost breakdown, in-state vs out-of-state →

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-Fresno majors, earnings & careers

California State University-Fresno offers 81 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.

  • Science & Math · 15
  • Social Sciences & Public Service · 14
  • Humanities & Languages · 12
  • Engineering · 10
  • Health & Medicine · 10
  • Business & Finance · 9
  • Arts & Design · 5
  • Communications & Media · 2
  • Education · 2
  • Technology & Computing · 2

Highest-earning majors at California State University-Fresno

MajorEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debt
Nursing$111,278$17,938
Electrical Engineering$108,038$25,875
Computer Engineering$103,896$30,486
Construction Engineering Technology / Technician$95,072$12,985
Engineering-Related Technologies / Technicians$90,353—
Mechanical Engineering$88,002$17,533
Civil Engineering$87,627$15,267
Plant Sciences$77,034$13,000
Quick list of all 81 majors
  • Accounting$65,200
  • Agricultural Business$67,731
  • Agriculture—
  • Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$58,518
  • Animal Sciences$53,579
  • Anthropology$49,187
  • Apparel and Textiles—
  • Architecture—
  • Area Studies—
  • Biochemistry—
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other—
  • Biology$50,728
  • Business Administration$64,133
  • Chemistry$45,522
  • City / Urban, Community, and Regional Planning—
  • Civil Engineering$87,627
  • Cognitive Science—
  • Communications$51,788
  • Computer and Information Sciences$62,256
  • Computer Engineering$103,896
  • Computer Science$71,490
  • Construction Engineering Technology / Technician$95,072
  • Criminal Justice$53,438
  • Criminology$48,647
  • Dance—
  • Economics$66,749
  • Education (Elementary / Secondary)$45,819
  • Education (Subject Teaching)$62,475
  • Electrical Engineering$108,038
  • Engineering—
  • Engineering-Related Technologies / Technicians$90,353
  • English$47,223
  • Environmental Science / Conservation—
  • Ethnic / Gender Studies—
  • Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences$41,734
  • Finance$67,312
  • Food Science and Technology$64,225
  • Geography$66,863
  • Geology / Earth Science—
  • Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$38,397
  • Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other—
  • Health Sciences$76,268
  • History$51,676
  • Human Development and Family Studies—
  • Human Resources$64,479
  • Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians—
  • Interdisciplinary Studies$47,817
  • International Business$54,197
  • Journalism—
  • Kinesiology / Exercise Science$54,849
  • Liberal Arts / General Studies$58,436
  • Linguistics—
  • Marketing$57,395
  • Mathematics$55,664
  • Mechanical Engineering$88,002
  • Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions$51,047
  • Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
  • Music—
  • Nursing$111,278
  • Nutrition Science$73,522
  • Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies$56,336
  • Philosophy$42,337
  • Physical Sciences—
  • Physics—
  • Plant Sciences$77,034
  • Political Science$62,298
  • Psychology$51,526
  • Psychology (Clinical / Counseling)—
  • Public Administration—
  • Public Health$51,693
  • Real Estate—
  • Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
  • Religious Studies—
  • Social Work$56,038
  • Sociology$49,407
  • Spanish / French / Romance Languages$45,063
  • Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$51,835
  • Statistics—
  • Studio Art$39,878
  • Theatre$34,320
  • 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 →

Criminal Justice → Police officer

$100,770
Fresno
$118,880
California
$76,210
U.S.

Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35

Communications → Public relations specialist

$72,870
Fresno
$85,030
California
$74,750
U.S.

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 Fresno

Cost of living
2% above the U.S. average

Overall prices in the Fresno, CA area.

BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024

Off-campus rent, 1 bedroom
$1,363/mo

2 bedrooms $1,685. Housing costs 4% below the U.S. average.

HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027

Weather
55° / 98°

January and July average highs. 11 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.

NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020

Natural hazard risk
Relatively High

Highest: wildfire (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high).

FEMA National Risk Index, Fresno County

Campus & students

Total enrollment (incl. graduate)23,986
First-year students from California95%
Next most common home statesOregon, Washington, Michigan
AthleticsNCAA Division I-FBS · 12 sports
Undergraduate degrees awarded, 2023-24100% bachelor's
Campus typePrimarily nonresidential
Student bodyHispanic 63% · White 14% · Asian 11% · Black 3%International 2%

IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute

Fresno County at a glance

Population1,016,725
Median household income$74,201
Adults with a bachelor's degree24%
Median age34

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024

Compare California State University-Fresno with similar schools

Similar public colleges in California by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.

SchoolAcceptanceYou'd payGraduationEarnings, 10 yrsPrice gap
California State University-Fresno95%$7,00057%$61,244This school
California State University-Los Angeles91%$3,96753%$59,211
San Francisco State University96%$12,27850%$68,077
California State University-Sacramento94%$9,33856%$64,876
California State University-San Marcos95%$10,22955%$62,908

College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.

Why the price is different

California State University-Fresno would cost you $3,033 more per year than California State University-Los Angeles, on average.

  • Higher sticker price at California State University-Fresno, mostly from more California State University-Los Angeles students living at home, which lowers its average (+$11,259).
  • California State University-Los Angeles gives aided families $1,341 more in grants, on average.
Per year, California residentCalifornia State University-FresnoCalifornia State University-Los AngelesDifference
Tuition & fees$7,350$7,160+$190
Books & supplies$938$1,011−$73
Housing & meals$11,634$18,658−$7,024
Personal & travel$4,198$6,858−$2,660
Living-at-home adjustment−$4,025−$15,284+$11,259
Sticker price$20,095$18,403+$1,692
Average grants−$13,095−$14,436+$1,341
You pay$7,000$3,967+$3,033

“+” means California State University-Fresno 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-Fresno

What is the California State University-Fresno acceptance rate?

California State University-Fresno accepts 95% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 19,469 of 20,201 applicants were admitted.

How much does California State University-Fresno cost per year?

The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $20,095 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $7,000 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $5,105 and families earning $110k+ pay $16,899.

How much do California State University-Fresno graduates earn?

Former California State University-Fresno students earn a median $61,244 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-Fresno graduation rate?

57% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 82% return for their second year.

Is California State University-Fresno 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-Fresno: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/california-state-university-fresno (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).