Cal State Fullerton vs California State University-Channel Islands (CSUCI)

California State University-Fullerton (CSUF) and California State University-Channel Islands (CSUCI) are two distinct universities within the California State University system, each offering unique educational experiences. CSUF, located in the heart of Orange County, boasts a larger student body and a wider range of academic programs, including highly regarded business and engineering programs. CSUCI, situated in the scenic Ventura County, offers a more intimate learning environment with a focus on environmental science and sustainability. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence and student success, they differ in acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	California State University-Channel Islands	California State University-Fullerton
Overview
Location	Camarillo, California	Fullerton, California
Campus setting	Suburb: Midsize	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	82.0%	87.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	93.0%	59.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $70	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $70
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	9,244	45,140
Total number of admissions given out	8,597	26,827
Admitted students who chose to enroll	566	4,219
Yield rate	6.6%	15.7%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $31,533 Out of state: $43,413	In state: $30,282 Out of state: $42,162
Average net price	$14,493	$4,939
Tuition	In state: $5,742 Out of state: $17,622	In state: $5,742 Out of state: $17,622
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $9,740 Meal plan: $4,920	Room/dormitory: $12,918 Meal plan: $4,374
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	78.0% Average amount $9,261	74.0% Average amount $9,215
Students receiving federal student loan	16.0% Average amount $4,743	17.0% Average amount $4,700
Students taking out private loans	0.0% Average amount $8,137	1.0% Average amount $11,380

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	6,471 Men 34.0% Women 66.0%	35,600 Men 41.2% Women 58.8%
Graduate students	495 Men 38.0% Women 62.0%	5,138 Men 36.8% Women 63.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	1.8%	0.9%
International students	3.8%	4.9%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Midsize	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,526	2,045
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Texas Washington Alaska Colorado	California Texas Hawaii Illinois Arizona

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Liberal Arts Education Computer and Information Science Visual & Performing Arts	Health Professions Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Education Engineering Business
Students to faculty ratio	20:1	25:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	58.1%	71.5%
Dropout rate	34.7%	21.3%
Transferred out	4.0%	1.8%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $91,801 Year 2: $89,613 Year 3: $92,557 Biotechnology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $77,178 Year 2: $78,785 Year 3: $91,691 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $78,535 Year 2: $64,990 Year 3: $83,734 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,899 Year 2: $73,635 Year 3: $78,530 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $58,221 Year 3: $69,846 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $61,681 Chemistry (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,387 Year 2: $35,274 Year 3: $50,706 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,995 Year 2: $40,034 Year 3: $49,378 Natural Resources Management and Policy (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,104 Year 2: $42,712 Year 3: $49,170 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,204 Year 2: $33,382 Year 3: $46,165	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $145,938 Year 2: $157,680 Year 3: $165,916 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $138,162 Year 2: $114,595 Year 3: $130,592 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $113,642 Year 2: $110,241 Year 3: $114,173 Computer Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $88,293 Year 2: $94,408 Year 3: $97,266 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $86,611 Year 2: $86,042 Year 3: $94,651 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $78,934 Year 2: $80,779 Year 3: $90,936 Computer Science (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $80,382 Year 2: $78,971 Year 3: $89,837 Taxation (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $75,840 Year 2: $71,015 Year 3: $81,048 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $71,980 Year 2: $76,325 Year 3: $79,512 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,145 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $78,803

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