Each year, all 23 campuses of the California State University (CSU) system have been praised for their quality education, access and affordability, and their role as an engine of social mobility. The 23 campuses have been recognized as some of the best universities in both the country and the state. CSU offers unparalleled value, with high-quality academic programs for some of the most affordable tuition costs in the country. The transformative power of a CSU degree to propel disadvantaged students to higher-paying jobs is recognized year after year.
To determine which CSU campus is the most popular, CollegeVine developed a Top 10 list based on school quality, results and return on investment (ROI). Other factors taken into consideration include retention rate, selectivity, endowment per student, student-teacher ratio, median income, and cost of attendance. San Diego State University (SDSU) is a great choice for students looking for a near-perfect climate and a beautiful campus. Cosmopolitan ranked SDSU as the eighth most beautiful campus in the country and one of the best surf schools in the country.
SDSU also leads in the classroom; it was only the second university in the U. S. and the first in California to offer a specialization in LGBTQ+ Studies. Cal Poly Pomona is one of three polytechnic universities in the California State University System.
The school is linked to W. K. Kellogg, who donated the core of the Cal Poly campus to the California State University System, provided that the land was used for educational purposes and traditional horse shows. Today, horses and students call Cal Poly Pomona home; the university is committed to caring for Kellogg's herd of horses in perpetuity.
The State of San Jose was founded in 1857 and has the distinction of being the first public institution of higher education in California and the sixth oldest public university in the country. San Jose State is Silicon Valley's largest provider of business graduates and entry-level engineers, and it has a strong reputation for improving its students' economic mobility. CSU Fullerton is home to more than 1,200 international students from 72 different countries. In addition to its 388-acre main campus, CSU Fresno also has a 1,011-acre farm located in one of the richest agricultural areas in the world.
In 1997, Fresno State Winery became the first commercial winery located on a college campus; students produce up to 10,000 boxes of 20 or more varieties per year with grapes sourced from its 120-acre campus vineyard. Fresno is California's sixth largest city and both Yosemite National Park and Kings Canyon National Park are just an hour away from CSU Fresno. Founded in 1887, CSU Chico is the second oldest school in the California State University System and one of its greenest; it ranks 49th on Sierra Club's list of greenest universities in America. It's easy to be car-free at CSU Chico since most students live, learn and work within walking or biking distance from school. Cal Maritime Students can expect their time at college to pay off; it ranks 11th (for in-state students) and 17th (for out-of-state students) on Payscale's list of best value universities. SF State attracts students who want to take advantage of all that San Francisco has to offer; The Wall Street Journal ranks SF State 5th in the nation for diversity. The school's Ethnic Studies College was established in 1968 and was one of the first to recognize systematic inequalities in society. Diversity at SF State extends beyond campus and into industries where students find themselves after college; many companies such as Apple, Google, Kaiser Permanente, Wells Fargo and Oracle hire SF State graduates. Stanislaus State's location in California's Central Valley makes it an ideal starting point for students looking to explore all that Golden State has to offer; it is within walking distance from Bay Area, Monterey, Big Sur, Yosemite National Park, Sierra Nevada and California's capital city. Students who want to stay close to home will find plenty to keep them busy on Stanislaus State's campus with more than 80 student-led organizations, 14 college sports teams, 10 sororities and six fraternities. Cal Poly Humboldt also offers plenty for its students; applications for Cal State schools are made online through Cal State's website.
Only students who have met the 15-unit A-G requirement are eligible for admission into a California State University System school; California residents will need to score a 2.5 GPA while out-of-state students will require a 3.0 GPA. Although properly named Chico State University, most students call their school Chico State. With more than 16,000 regular students enrolled at Chico State there are plenty who love it; since its founding in 1938 Chico State has trained two fellows from American Association for Advancement of Science, a Pritzker Prize laureate, a member of National Academies and even a Heisman Trophy winner. Since its inception 1901 California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo has worked to bridge gap between STEM fields and humanities; this approach has earned school high point-of-sale observation posts according Money Magazine Cal Poly SLO ranks 8th best public university nation.
