Public · Not ranked by US News
California State University-Chico
Chico, CA
Figures on this page come from U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data. This school has not been individually reviewed, so there is no ranking, aid-policy, or GPA guidance below.
What it may cost by family income
Estimated average net price — what families actually pay after grants and scholarships — by annual household income. Net price matters far more than the $38,883 sticker price. All figures are the full cost of attendance — housing, food, and books included, not just tuition.
| Household income | Est. net price / year |
|---|---|
| Under $30k | $9,902 |
| $30k–$48k | $10,099 |
| $48k–$75k | $12,961 |
| $75k–$110k | $16,506 |
| Over $110k | $23,566 |
Sticker cost of attendance: $38,883 (out-of-state) · $26,283 in-state.
What the whole degree costs
Every cost figure above is one year. A bachelor's degree is four — sometimes five. Today's-prices makes no assumptions; the second column assumes prices rise ~3.5% a year, in line with recent averages.
| Household income | 4 yrs, today's prices | 4 yrs with increases |
|---|---|---|
| Under $30k | $39,608 | $41,736 |
| $30k–$48k | $40,396 | $42,567 |
| $48k–$75k | $51,844 | $54,630 |
| $75k–$110k | $66,024 | $69,572 |
| Over $110k | $94,264 | $99,329 |
63% of students here graduate within six years. If the degree takes a fifth year, budget roughly one more year at the prices above — ask the school what share of students finish in four.
First-year aid is not guaranteed to repeat — ask California State University-Chico how grants change after year one. That answer moves these numbers more than anything else on this page.
Applying to a specific major at California State University-Chico
93% is the acceptance rate for the whole university — not for every major. For the programs below, admission is usually decided separately and is harder than that number suggests. Almost no university publishes a by-major admission rate, and neither does the federal government, so we do not show one: any site that does is estimating.
To find the real figure for your major, check California State University-Chico's Common Data Set and its admissions page, or ask an admissions officer directly — that question gets answered more often than students expect.
At California State University-Chico: 88 bachelor's degrees awarded a year · $66,222 median earnings (Mechanical Engineering.)
Most engineering colleges admit students directly into the college rather than the university at large, and review them against a separate, usually more selective pool.
Check: Whether you apply to the engineering college directly, and what happens if you are not admitted — some schools offer general admission with a later transfer path, others do not.
At California State University-Chico: 113 bachelor's degrees awarded a year · $95,797 median earnings (Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.)
Clinical placement requirements hard-cap how many students a nursing program can take, which routinely makes direct-entry nursing among the most selective programs on a campus.
Check: Whether the program is direct-entry or requires applying again in sophomore year, and how many seats it takes per cohort.
At California State University-Chico: 503 bachelor's degrees awarded a year · $49,223 median earnings (Business Administration, Management and Operations.)
Many undergraduate business schools admit their own cohort at application time and are more selective than the university overall; others admit only after two years of coursework.
Check: Whether the business school is direct-admit for first-years, and if not, what GPA the internal application actually requires.
At California State University-Chico: 85 bachelor's degrees awarded a year · $24,035 median earnings (Design and Applied Arts.)
Admission usually turns on an audition or portfolio judged by the department, which can outweigh grades and test scores in either direction.
Check: Audition/portfolio dates and prescreen requirements — many fall well before the regular application deadline.
Federal data shows no bachelor's completions at California State University-Chico in computer science or architecture, so those are not listed above. Small or new programs can be missing from federal reporting — confirm with the school before ruling one out.
What graduates earn, by major
Median earnings and median federal loan debt for bachelor's graduates of California State University-Chico, by field of study, from the U.S. Department of Education. Earnings differ far more between majors at one school than between schools.
| Major | Median earnings | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations. · Business | $49,223 | — |
| Psychology, General. · Social Sciences | $28,294 | — |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities. | $26,248 | — |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness. | $28,327 | — |
| Sociology. · Social Sciences | $31,712 | — |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections. | $32,988 | — |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. · Nursing | $95,797 | — |
| Animal Sciences. | $29,374 | — |
| Communication and Media Studies. | $37,038 | — |
| Biology, General. · Biological Sciences | $33,459 | — |
| Mechanical Engineering. · Engineering | $66,222 | — |
| Design and Applied Arts. · Visual & Performing Arts | $24,035 | — |
Largest programs shown. Earnings are measured a few years after graduation and reflect who enrolls as much as what is taught.
Is California State University-Chico a reach, target, or safety for you?
Ladder2College models your personal admission odds and net cost here — based on your GPA, scores, and family income — and shows how it fits alongside the rest of your list.
Model my odds & cost — freeFigures are estimates modeled on U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data and recent reporting, provided for guidance only. Always confirm cost with California State University-Chico’s official net price calculator and admissions figures with the school directly.