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

The Facts

California State University, Bakersfield is a small branch of the large CSU system which includes 22 campuses throughout the state. CSU Bakersfield is home to over 4,000 undergraduate students and approximately 3,000 graduate and part-time professional students. The university is divided up into several smaller divisions in the liberal arts and sciences, business, public administration, education, health fields, pre-engineering, and preprofessional training. These programs offer majors in the areas of biological science, business, communications and the arts, computer and physical science, engineering and environmental design (which includes a unique program in land use management and reclamation), health professions, and social sciences. Some of the most popular major choices are in the areas of business, education, and public administration.

Admission to CSU Bakersfield is not terrifically competitive, but more and more accomplished out-of-state students have been applying as an alternative to the more pricey and private University of California schools, so competition has been on the rise. Last year, over 2,000 students applied for admission to the school, and approximately 1,500 of those students were accepted; of those, about 925 matriculated. The admitted students had an average combined SAT score ranging from 1000 to 1110, and an average comprehensive ACT score ranging from 22 to 28. Additionally, more than 70% of the admitted students were ranked in the top 25% of their high school graduating class with an average high school GPA of about 3.76. In fact, CSU Bakersfield requires all admitted students to be in the top 33% of their high school graduating class.

CSU Bakersfield has a very manageable student to faculty ratio of 14:1, and while some of the introductory classes are held in lecture halls, most upper level classes have less than 20 students. In fact, many students say that the small class size is one of the best aspect of the university. Professors also get high marks for accessibility and willingness to help students out when they may need it.

The Social Scene

The city of Bakersfield has been growing rapidly, and offers students a fair amount of culture and entertainment (we’re told that the Mexican cuisine is particularly delicious...). Students are all allowed to have cars, so weekend road trips around the state are frequent. CSU Bakersfield is also home to seven national fraternities and sororities, to which only about 4% of the student population belongs--the Greeks aren’t a very strong presence on campus, and pretty much keep to themselves. The school boasts over 75 students clubs and organizations that run the gamut from a chess club to a full-blown symphony!

The dating scene is incredibly diverse, and we can guarantee that there is someone for everyone at CSU Bakersfield...

What’s Good

“There are a lot of outdoor activities for those of you who enjoy nature. It’s nice to get out and get some fresh air on the weekends.”

“You can cross-register with other fairly nearby CSU schools, which is nice for a bit of variety.”

“The campus is really diverse, and you get people from many different nationalities here.”

What’s Bad

“Even though the school is quite small, the administration is very bureaucratic, and works more on the entire massive CSU grid.”

“The dorms are miniscule, and not very nice. A lot of people move off campus as soon as they can.”

“Even though we have fraternities and sororities, the party scene is pretty lame here.”

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