California State University, Chico Admission
California State University, Chico Undergraduate Program
California State University, Chico Application

The Facts

CSU Chico is located in the small town of Chico, California, and is home to over 12,600 undergraduate students and about 1,600 graduate and part-time students. The university is divided up into several smaller undergraduate colleges including the schools of agriculture, behavioral science, business, communication and education, engineering, computer science and technology, humanities, and natural science. The schools offer CSU students a huge variety of undergraduate degrees; some of the most popular majors are elementary education, psychology, engineering, natural sciences, social sciences, and agriculture.

Admission to the university is not terrifically competitive, however, the applicant pool is growing larger each year, as the school's prestige increases. Last year, over 9,500 students applied for admission and approximately 6,700 students were accepted; of those, about 2,000 students matriculated. The admitted students had an average combined SAT score ranging from 930 to 1140, and an average comprehensive ACT score ranging from 19 to 24. Additionally, over 76% of those admitted were ranked in the top 25% of their high school graduating class with an average high school GPA of 3.27.

CSU Chico has a large student to faculty ratio of 20:1, which is typical for a school of its size. Despite the somewhat large classes, students say that they love their professors, and that they are constantly accessible to students for assistance or even just to talk. Some of the required courses are held in large lecture format; however, most of the upper-level classes are in the form of smaller seminars and discussion groups.

The Social Scene

The town of Chico is certainly small, but it is absolutely beautifulnestled at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountains. The town does offer the basic amenities of a college town, and has some cute shops, cafes, bars, and restaurants that are usually quite affordable and cater to college students. Most students don't own cars, but have bicycles instead, which are probably the most popular mode of transportation, as there are bike paths everywhere.

The campus itself is known for its stunning beauty, and includes a gorgeous river, rose garden, and plenty of pastureland and green space.

For those students who crave a bit more urban excitement, the fantastic city of San Francisco is less than three hours away by car, and many students venture there on the weekends. Greek life is pretty big at the school, which has somewhat of a notorious party reputation (Two frat boys died in the past few years as a result of too much alcohol).

The dating scene is what you make of it; there really is something for everyone at CSU. Just don't get too sloshed on the first date!

What’s Good

“People here know how to party! There is always something going on, during both the week and the weekends. It's awesome.”

“Even though the classes are pretty large, the professors will talk with you one-on-one if you request it.”

“The surroundings are amazing, and provide a good escape when the going gets tough.”

What’s Bad

“The party scene here can get way too out of hand. It's really stupid.”

“The introductory classes are pointless and they don't really teach you anything, which can be frustrating.”

“Chico is pretty, but there isn't really anything to do. You've been to one place, you've seen it all.”

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