California State University, Chico
California State University, Chico at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
California State University, Chico Featured Rankings
- #6 Online Bachelor's in Religious Studies
- #10 California's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #17 Online Bachelor’s in Sociology
- #17 California's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #19 Liberal Arts Colleges in California 2026
- #21 Public Colleges California
- #22 Most Affordable Colleges in California 2026
- #22 Online Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts and Humanities
About California State University, Chico
According to Wikipedia, California State University, Chico, or commonly, Chico State, is a public university in Chico, California. Founded in 1887 by John Bidwell, it is the second oldest campus in the California State University system. As of the fall 2020 semester, the university had a total enrollment of 16,630 students. The university offers 126 bachelor's degree programs, 35 master's degree programs, and four types of teaching credentials. Chico is a Hispanic-serving institution .
California State University, Chico's Online Degrees
BA in Liberal Studies
- Required Credits: 17 courses
- Completion Time: 17 courses
- Format: Fully online
BA in Religious Studies
- Required Credits: 34
- Completion Time: 4-5 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Social Science
Degree Concentrations
- Multidisciplinary Studies Option
- Specialization Studies Option
- Required Credits: 36-42
- Completion Time: 4-5 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Sociology
- Required Credits: 40
- Completion Time: 4-5 years
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Career and Life Planning Certificate
- Required Credits: 3 courses
- Completion Time: 3 courses
- Format: Fully online
MS in Nursing
Degree Concentrations
- Nurse Educator
- Nursing Leadership
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: 2-3 years
- Format: Fully online
California State University, Chico Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22,263 | 93% | 82% | 60% |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does California State University, Chico Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $8,896 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $9,227 |
| 30K - 48K | $9,652 |
| 48K - 75K | $11,665 |
| 75K - 110K | $16,700 |
| 110K+ | $23,898 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do California State University, Chico Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former California State University, Chico students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $70,012 a year, and 93% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
California State University, Chico's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 15,936 | 14,372 | 1,564 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is California State University, Chico?
California State University, Chico is located at First and Normal Sts, Chico, CA 95929-0150.
How Safe is California State University, Chico?
Like every college that receives federal student aid, California State University, Chico publishes an annual security report with its campus crime statistics and safety policies. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, California State University, Chico has a violent crime rate of 0.03% and a property crime rate of 0.05%. Chico has a violent crime rate of 0.71% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 1.96%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is California State University, Chico Known For?
California State University, Chico is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Anthropology
- Sociology
- Nursing
- Engineering
- Criminal Justice
- Economics
- Mathematics
- Computer Science
- Biology
- History
- Communications
- Earth Sciences
- Physics
- Political Science
- Education
- Psychology
- Literature
- Medical
- Religious Studies
- Chemistry
- Philosophy
- Social Work
California State University, Chico's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much California State University, Chico's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
California State University, Chico ranks #186 in the U.S. and #574 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesCalifornia State University, Chico ranks #210 in the U.S. and #782 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesCalifornia State University, Chico ranks #215 in the U.S. and #561 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesCalifornia State University, Chico ranks #311 in the U.S. and #1885 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesCalifornia State University, Chico ranks #322 in the U.S. and #568 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesCalifornia State University, Chico ranks #345 in the U.S. and #2023 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesCalifornia State University, Chico ranks #347 in the U.S. and #1403 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesCalifornia State University, Chico ranks #369 in the U.S. and #1676 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesCalifornia State University, Chico ranks #370 in the U.S. and #1501 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesCalifornia State University, Chico ranks #426 in the U.S. and #1210 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesCalifornia State University, Chico ranks #441 in the U.S. and #1632 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesCalifornia State University, Chico ranks #469 in the U.S. and #1928 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesCalifornia State University, Chico ranks #494 in the U.S. and #2209 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesCalifornia State University, Chico ranks #558 in the U.S. and #2338 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesCalifornia State University, Chico ranks #584 in the U.S. and #2563 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesCalifornia State University, Chico ranks #670 in the U.S. and #1739 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesCalifornia State University, Chico ranks #814 in the U.S. and #2463 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesCalifornia State University, Chico ranks #911 in the U.S. and #3198 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesCalifornia State University, Chico ranks #949 in the U.S. and #4506 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesCalifornia State University, Chico ranks #975 in the U.S. and #4181 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesCalifornia State University, Chico ranks #989 in the U.S. and #3288 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesCalifornia State University, Chico ranks #995 in the U.S. and #2408 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesWho Are California State University, Chico's Most Influential Alumni?
California State University, Chico's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Nursing, Criminal Justice, and Anthropology. Here are some of California State University, Chico's most famous alumni:
- Raymond Carver
- An American author and poet .
- Ed Rollins
- An American political consultant.
- Michael Messner
- An American sociologist.
- Len Jessup
- An American academic administrator.
- Suzette Haden Elgin
- An American linguist and writer .
- Carolyn S. Shoemaker
- An American astronomer, researcher and university teacher.
- Joseph Hilbe
- An American statistician .
- Kevin Ford
- A Mathematician.
- Don Young
- An American politician .
- Bill Wattenburg
- An American engineer, inventor, author and radio personality .
- Bob Mulholland
- An American politician.
- Candice Renee Price
- An American mathematician.
