California State University-Monterey Bay (CSUMB) vs Chico State

California State University-Monterey Bay (CSUMB) and California State University-Chico (CSUC) are two distinct universities within the California State University system, each offering unique educational experiences. CSUMB, located in the vibrant coastal city of Seaside, boasts a smaller student body and a focus on environmental science and sustainability. In contrast, CSUC, situated in the charming college town of Chico, offers a wider range of academic programs and a larger, more diverse student population. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence and student success, their acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates vary significantly. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	California State University-Chico	California State University-Monterey Bay
Overview
Location	Chico, California	Seaside, California
Campus setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Midsize
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	81.0%	81.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	85.5%	92.8%
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	19,990	10,026
Total number of admissions given out	17,086	9,305
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,929	779
Yield rate	11.3%	8.4%
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: $23,984 Out of state: $35,864	In state: $26,430 Out of state: $38,310
Average net price	$13,749	$6,085
Tuition	In state: $5,742 Out of state: $17,622	In state: $5,742 Out of state: $17,622
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,609 Meal plan: $3,881	Room/dormitory: $9,642 Meal plan: $4,558
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	63.0% Average amount $8,691	69.0% Average amount $9,097
Students receiving federal student loan	29.0% Average amount $4,637	25.0% Average amount $3,379
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $11,369	2.0% Average amount $11,953

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	14,462 Men 45.5% Women 54.5%	6,692 Men 38.1% Women 61.9%
Graduate students	1,240 Men 33.6% Women 66.4%	811 Men 29.8% Women 70.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	1.3%	2.4%
International students	2.9%	4.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	2,323	3,565
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Oregon Washington Arizona Colorado	California Colorado Hawaii Arizona Illinois

Academics
Popular study areas	Liberal Arts Health Professions Public Administration and Social Service Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Engineering Technologies	Business Psychology Liberal Arts Computer and Information Science Public Administration and Social Service
Students to faculty ratio	22:1	23:1
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	65.4%	60.2%
Dropout rate	27.4%	30.1%
Transferred out	4.8%	7.3%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $94,107 Year 2: $95,797 Year 3: $96,478 Construction Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $78,190 Year 2: $83,091 Year 3: $93,961 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,808 Year 2: $74,241 Year 3: $91,563 Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $71,244 Year 2: $70,176 Year 3: $79,499 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,761 Year 2: $69,617 Year 3: $79,308 Engineering, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $68,803 Year 2: $66,355 Year 3: $76,389 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,879 Year 2: $59,350 Year 3: $74,258 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $68,880 Year 2: $66,222 Year 3: $74,116 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $67,298 Year 2: $68,499 Year 3: $69,321 Engineering-Related Fields (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,812 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $68,680	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $109,260 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $110,683 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $80,700 Year 2: $79,389 Year 3: $83,389 Educational/Instructional Media Design (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $69,186 Year 2: $71,957 Year 3: $75,206 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $58,031 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $68,691 Social Work (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,187 Year 2: $55,964 Year 3: $65,124 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,008 Year 2: $60,049 Year 3: $63,971 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,999 Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $52,338 Human Services, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,158 Year 2: $36,533 Year 3: $43,406 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,259 Year 2: $32,467 Year 3: $40,471 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,318 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $40,347

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