do most people graduate in 4 years from a CSU?

State Forums
1

<p>Hi all, </p>

<p>I'm deciding on whether to go to a CSU or a UC for undergrad(as a pre med) and wanted to know if many people graduate in four years from a CSU. I've heard that it;s harder to graduate in 4 years from a CSU than it is from a UC. Any explanation or answer would be helpful. </p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

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<p>You can graduate in 4 years from either a CSU or UC. The CSU’s 4 year graduation rates are lower than the UC’s, since CSU’s have a much large commuter population and more part-time students than UC’s. Part timers, of course, will require longer to graduate. Also the CSU’s are more generous with AP credit going in as a Freshman, which can help reduce your time to graduate. My younger son got to opt out of 5 of his classes needed toward his degree due to AP credit. My older son received AP credit but was not able to opt out of any of his classes at a UC.</p>

<p>For your Medical school requirements, you cannot use AP credits, so that will be a disadvantage at either a CSU or UC.</p>

3

<p>There are 23 CSUs - the 4 year grad rate varies widely by campus. No surprise, the more selective schools tend to graduate students more quickly. Preparedness of incoming students plays a big role. At all the UCs and selective CSUs, SDSU for example, it is not uncommon for a freshman to have a solid grasp of math and English and start with 12-15 units of AP credit under their belt. That is less true at Sac State where a good portion of freshmen have to take remedial math and have to complete all 120+ units on-campus. That starting point dramatically impacts the 4 year grad rate. You can see them by campus here:
<a href=“http://www.asd.calstate.edu/csrde/index.shtml#ftf”>http://www.asd.calstate.edu/csrde/index.shtml#ftf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Those stats don’t really reflect your odds of making it through. If you arrive prepared, stay focused, diligent and flexible you can earn a BS/BA in 4 years at all 23 CSUs. My son is </p>

<p>I’m sure some campuses manage their capacity better than others but, I don’t hear course availability complaints from the college students I know. (my son is a sophomore @ Chico)</p>