CSULB, CSUSD, CSUF, & CSUCh. Comparisons

Colleges and Universities A-Z California State University - GENERAL
1

Okay so, I’m making this for me and anyone else who has these schools on their radar.

I’m basically just going to ask a lot of questions about each school.
To start off, is Long beach a commuter school? Is Fullerton a commuter school? I know San Diego and Chico aren’t. Which campus is ranked or considered the “best” but also the hardest to get into? I know school rankings aren’t exactly a perfect science, but I just want to get an idea on how each school is viewed. What is each school known for? As I want to major in Public Health, but I understand that sometimes each school calls it something different like “Health Science” or something like that which is fine for me too. Which holds the most amount of students enrolled as of recent? That’s all I can think of right now. Don’t worry my brain always finds a way to make me worry and I’ll ask more later. Thank you in advance for all those who answer my questions! :slight_smile:

2

To get a reasonable approximation of non-commuter students, you can check each school’s Common Data Set, section F1, and look at the percentage of “First-time, first-year (freshman) students” living in the dorms. Note that most non-commuter non-frosh live nearby off campus, so few of them live in the dorms.

The percentage of frosh living in the dorms is 31% at CSULB and 30% at CSUF.

3

SDSU has 30K students. (I’m confused by the CSUSD? Do you mean CSUSB?) SDSU has always been a commuter campus. They don’t have enough housing for 30,000 students. Where you may be confused is that non-resident freshman (HS grads from outside the area) are required to live on-campus. A number of students live off-campus but that includes the general vicinity. Why does the commute matter? You won’t be able to tell who is a commuter in your classes. The school is huge, as is CSULB.
Long Beach is the toughest then comes SDSU.

4

in the abstract, SDSU is probably the 'best - but, it’s a pretty big campus and is also the most selective of those you list. So - it may not be best for you. As far as academic/instructional quality - I’d say they are comparable.

The CSUs use an eligibility index to rank freshman applicants. Its your academic GPA for grades 10 and 11 x 800 + SAT - so, a 3.5 GPA and 1200 SAT, your index is 4000.

SDSU is looking for about 4300
LB above 4000
Fullerton 3900
Chico 3700

Which is right for you? That’s a personal preference. Chico is a college town, nearly everyone lives within a couple of miles of campus, and a much smaller campus than the others you list. LB and Fullerton have more of a commuter vibe. SDSU is in a big metro area but is surrounded by students - so its got after hours energy you won’t find at '‘commuter’ campuses. Tour them all when school is in session, talk to some current students and form your own opinion. I’d also look at Sonoma and UNR.

5

SDSU now has a 2 year on-campus requirement for all Freshman and Sophomore non-local students. It does seem more residential since many students that live off-campus will live in close proximity of the campus.

In general, most CSU’s are considered commuter campuses since they were established to give local area students access to a quality education. SLO and Chico state are more residential due to their more isolated locations.

SDSU is the most difficult of the CSU’s you have listed to get an acceptance overall based on average CSU GPA and test scores. Average CSU capped weighted GPA for 2018 was 3.93, SAT 1264 and ACT 27. It had around a 30% acceptance rate overall but individual majors can vary. They are one of the most applied CSU’s followed by CSULB. Public Health specifically had a 28% acceptance rate in 2018. 2019 data is not yet available. SDSU Student Population
Total enrollment: 34,828
Undergraduate enrollment: 30,165
Graduate enrollment: 4,663
SDSU has 160 Undergraduate majors and minors. They are known for Secondary education, Business, Nursing, Kinesiology, Psychology and many of their Science/Engineering majors along with their Pre-Professional advising center.

CSULB would be the 2nd most difficult admit from your list. 2018 Overall acceptance rate at 31%. 2018 Overall Campus Average CSU capped weighted GPA was 3.65, SAT 1130 and ACT 23. Total Undergraduate enrollment is 36994. Their Nursing, Business and Engineering majors are the more popular majors. For Health Sciences majors (non-local) average CSU capped weighted for 2018 was 4.08 and SAT 1260.

CSU Fullerton had an overall acceptance rate of 43% with an average CSU capped weighted GPA of 3.68, SAT of 1127 and ACT of 22. For the College of Health and Human Development, the non-local applicant admit rate for 2018 was 30.6%. They have around 32530 Undergrads enrolled for 2018. For the College of Health and Human Development, the acceptance rate was 30.6% for non-local applicants. Their popular programs include Business, Nursing, Kinesiology (athletic training working the local the Angels), Criminal Justice and Health services.

Chico state had an overall acceptance rate of 65% with an average CSU capped weighted GPA of 3.55, SAT of 1025 and ACT of 22. Student enrollment: Total Number of Students 17,488
Freshmen: 3,994 (2,725 first-time; 1,269 transfer or continuing) (23%)
Sophomores: 2,409 (14%)
Juniors: 4,222 (24%)
Seniors: 5,795 (33%)
Postbaccalaureate Students: 1,068 (6%)
Most popular majors:
Based on current number of students officially declaring majors.
Business Administration 2,432
Psychology 1,068
Pre-Nursing 889
Criminal Justice 651
Liberal Studies 587
Biology 479
Construction Management 467
Kinesiology 450
Mechanical Engineering 437
Exercise Physiology 429

If you are interested in Public Health, then go onto each school’s website and look up their 4 year curriculum and specific major courses to see which program would be the best in terms of your career aspirations. Also visiting a school is the best way to determine your fit.

The information I have posted is available on the school’s website so it is important as a student to learn how to research topics on your own. In the end, no one’s opinion should matter other than your own. The best school for you will different than for other applicants.

6

SDSU’s common data set, section F1, says that 62% of frosh live in the dorms, so it is more residential than commuter, but still has a substantial commuter population. CSU Chico has 60% of frosh in the dorms, according to its common data set.

7

Chico State’s numbers could be a bit deceiving. Chico State has a large chunk of freshmen who live off campus in non-school affiliated dorms. That pushes the number above 60% in the area. Additionally, many freshmen simply live in apartments just off campus since they are plentiful and affordable (at least before the fires in Paradise). Very few students of any year actually commute from any real distance. I would estimate that less than 20% of the undergrad population lives more than five miles from campus. Even if it is more, there are tons of students near campus. It is probably the most “college town” college town in California and I say that having a son studying in San Luis Obispo.