California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt logo
#3415 / #896
Global Influence / U.S. Influence
#883
Most Desirable School
Public university in Arcata, California

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt at a Glance

U.S. influence rank
#896
Acceptance rate (fall 2024)
98%
Tuition and fees (2025–26)
$8,824
Graduation rate
44%
Undergraduates (fall 2024)
5,612

Reviewed by , 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 Polytechnic University, Humboldt Featured Rankings

About California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt

According to Wikipedia, California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt is a public university in Arcata, California. It is one of three polytechnic universities in the California State University system and the northernmost campus in the system. The main campus, situated hillside at the edge of a coast redwood forest, has commanding views overlooking Arcata, much of Humboldt Bay, and the Pacific Ocean. The college town setting on the California North Coast, north of Eureka, north of San Francisco, and 654 miles north of Los Angeles is notable for its natural beauty. It is the most westerly four-year university in the contiguous United States. Humboldt is a Hispanic-serving institution .

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt's Online Degrees

BA in Leadership Studies
  • Required Credits: 120
  • Completion Time: 4-5 years
  • Format: Fully online
Certificate in Legal Secretary
  • Required Credits: 1 course
  • Completion Time: 1 course
  • Format: Fully online
Certificate in Faculty Preparation: Teaching in Higher Education
  • Required Credits: 12
  • Completion Time: 1 year or less
  • Format: Fully online
Certificate in Online Geospatial
  • Required Credits: 16
  • Completion Time: 1 year or less
  • Format: Fully online
Certificate in Pupil Personnel Services Credential in Social Work PPSC-SW
  • Required Credits: 6
  • Completion Time: 1 year or less
  • Format: Fully online
Certificate in New Designs for Fundraising
  • Required Credits: 2
  • Completion Time: 1 year or less
  • Format: Fully online
MA in Applied Anthropology
  • Required Credits: 26
  • Completion Time: 2-3 years
  • Format: Fully online
MSW in Social Work
  • Required Credits: 30
  • Completion Time: 2-3 years
  • Format: Fully online

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information

Annual ApplicationsAcceptanceRetention RateGraduation Rate
14,01998%76%44%

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 Polytechnic University, Humboldt Cost To Attend?

Tuition and fees (in-state)
$8,824
Average Net Price by Family Income (2024–25)
IncomeAverage Net Cost
0 - 30K$9,950
30K - 48K$10,251
48K - 75K$11,897
75K - 110K$14,653
110K+$24,229

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 Polytechnic University, Humboldt Graduates Make?

Ten years after starting college, former California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $54,882 a year, and 89% 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 Polytechnic University, Humboldt's Demographics

Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.

Student BodyUnder-GradsGraduates
6,7806,136644

Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.

Where is California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt?

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt is located at 1 Harpst Street, Arcata, CA 95521-8299.

How Safe is California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt?

Like every college that receives federal student aid, California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt 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 Polytechnic University, Humboldt has a violent crime rate of 0.43% and a property crime rate of 0.13%. Arcata has a violent crime rate of 0.50% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 1.80%. 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 Polytechnic University, Humboldt Known For?

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered

Each rank compares how much California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt'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

Earth Sciences
#1629
World Rank
#1646
Historical Rank
#385
USA Rank

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt ranks #385 in the U.S. and #1629 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.

earth-science Degrees
Computer Science
#2132
World Rank
#2136
Historical Rank
#456
USA Rank

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt ranks #456 in the U.S. and #2132 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.

computer-science Degrees
Biology
#3185
World Rank
#3208
Historical Rank
#731
USA Rank

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt ranks #731 in the U.S. and #3185 worldwide for influence in Biology.

biology Degrees
Mathematics
#3602
World Rank
#3638
Historical Rank
#909
USA Rank

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt ranks #909 in the U.S. and #3602 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.

math Degrees
Sociology
#3197
World Rank
#3205
Historical Rank
#950
USA Rank

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt ranks #950 in the U.S. and #3197 worldwide for influence in Sociology.

sociology Degrees
Physics
#4032
World Rank
#3914
Historical Rank
#980
USA Rank

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt ranks #980 in the U.S. and #4032 worldwide for influence in Physics.

physics Degrees
Nursing
#2636
World Rank
#2636
Historical Rank
#1024
USA Rank

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt ranks #1024 in the U.S. and #2636 worldwide for influence in Nursing.

nursing Degrees
Communications
#4322
World Rank
#4346
Historical Rank
#1141
USA Rank

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt ranks #1141 in the U.S. and #4322 worldwide for influence in Communications.

communications Degrees
Political Science
#4937
World Rank
#4945
Historical Rank
#1147
USA Rank

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt ranks #1147 in the U.S. and #4937 worldwide for influence in Political Science.

political-science Degrees
Engineering
#6289
World Rank
#6296
Historical Rank
#1209
USA Rank

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt ranks #1209 in the U.S. and #6289 worldwide for influence in Engineering.

engineering Degrees
Literature
#3874
World Rank
#1890
Historical Rank
#1275
USA Rank

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt ranks #1275 in the U.S. and #3874 worldwide for influence in Literature.

literature Degrees
Social Work
#3228
World Rank
#3228
Historical Rank
#1333
USA Rank

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt ranks #1333 in the U.S. and #3228 worldwide for influence in Social Work.

social-work Degrees
Chemistry
#5991
World Rank
#5998
Historical Rank
#1567
USA Rank

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt ranks #1567 in the U.S. and #5991 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.

chemistry Degrees
Anthropology
#4771
World Rank
#4778
Historical Rank
#1638
USA Rank

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt ranks #1638 in the U.S. and #4771 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.

anthropology Degrees
Education
#6723
World Rank
#6725
Historical Rank
#1745
USA Rank

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt ranks #1745 in the U.S. and #6723 worldwide for influence in Education.

education Degrees
Economics
#7756
World Rank
#7759
Historical Rank
#1754
USA Rank

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt ranks #1754 in the U.S. and #7756 worldwide for influence in Economics.

economics Degrees
Psychology
#4864
World Rank
#4875
Historical Rank
#1858
USA Rank

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt ranks #1858 in the U.S. and #4864 worldwide for influence in Psychology.

psychology Degrees
History
#6333
World Rank
#6343
Historical Rank
#1952
USA Rank

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt ranks #1952 in the U.S. and #6333 worldwide for influence in History.

history Degrees
Medical
#7542
World Rank
#7544
Historical Rank
#2169
USA Rank

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt ranks #2169 in the U.S. and #7542 worldwide for influence in Medical.

medicine Degrees
Philosophy
#7373
World Rank
#7405
Historical Rank
#2196
USA Rank

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt ranks #2196 in the U.S. and #7373 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.

philosophy Degrees
Religious Studies
#11169
World Rank
#11186
Historical Rank
#2581
USA Rank

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt ranks #2581 in the U.S. and #11169 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.

religious-studies-hub Degrees

Who Are California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt's Most Influential Alumni?

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Criminal Justice, Earth Sciences, and Literature. Here are some of California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt's most famous alumni:

Stephen Hillenburg
Stephen Hillenburg
An American marine science educator and artist .
Raymond Carver
Raymond Carver
An American author and poet .
Mike Patton
An American singer.
Kari Norgaard
An American sociologist.
Thomas Rid
Thomas Rid
A German political scientist.
David A. Klarner
An American mathematician, author, and educator.
Marla Spivak
An American entomologist.
Trevor Dunn
An American bassist and composer.
Dean L. Bresciani
Dean L. Bresciani
An American academic administrator.
Robert T. Lackey
A Canadian fisheries scientist.
Heidi Thornquist
An American applied mathematician.
Vicky J. Meretsky
An American biologist.

Who Are California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt's Most Influential Faculty?

David E. Campbell
A Political scientist.