Public · University

California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt

Arcata, California · Remote town

98.2%
Admit rate
$13,171
Avg net price
49%
Graduation rate
$47,626
Median earnings

California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Arcata, California (remote town setting), enrolling 5,612 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).

PublicMidsize · 5,612 undergradsRemote townAccessible · 98% admitNCAA Division II without footballNear the coast

About Arcata, California

Arcata is a city adjacent to the Arcata Bay (northern) portion of Humboldt Bay in Humboldt County, California, United States. "Kori" is the name for the Wiyot settlement that existed on the site of what would become Arcata. The name "Arcata" comes from the Yurok term oket'oh, meaning "where there is a lagoon" (referring to Humboldt Bay), from o-, "place", plus ket'oh, "to be a lagoon". The heart of Arcata is the Plaza. In the 1850s, the Plaza was where goods destined for the Trinity County mines were loaded onto mule trains. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Remote town
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
2 miles
Nearest airport
7 miles to California Redwood Coast-Humboldt County (ACV)

How California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt compares

Selectivity98.2%

More selective than 7% · #99 most selective of 107 in California

Graduation rate49%

Higher than 36% · #97 of 122 in California

First-year retention76%

Higher than 49%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$47,626

Higher than 32% · #112 of 130 in California

Average net price$13,171

Cheaper than 80% · #25 cheapest of 118 in California

Median debt at graduation$18,000

Lower than 84%

Student–faculty ratio16 : 1

Lower than 28%

Undergraduate enrollment5,612

Larger than 79%

Percentiles compare California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in California.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

6,188students
  • Undergraduate5,61291%
  • Graduate5769%

Undergraduates by gender

5,612undergrads
  • Women3,29559%
  • Men2,31741%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White52%
  • Black2.5%
  • Hispanic29%
  • Asian3.2%
  • Other or multiracial14%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
5,612
Graduate enrollment
576
Student–faculty ratio
16 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
43%
First-generation students
44%
Students over 25
23%
Median family income
$26,596
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$107,100
Endowment
$39,670,628

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 955 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From California93%
  • Other U.S. states7.2%

Most first-years stay in state — California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt draws overwhelmingly from California.

Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
98.2%
Test scores
Not considered
SAT range (25th–75th %)
SAT average
SAT reading
SAT math
ACT composite

Cost

In-state tuition
$8,250
Out-of-state tuition
$20,850
Room & board
$14,118
Books & supplies
$870
Total cost of attendance
$25,170
Average net price
$13,171

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
49%
Graduated on time (4 years)
26%
First-year retention
76%
Transferred to another college
6%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$37,382
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$47,626
Median debt at graduation
$18,000
Students with federal loans
34%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
52%

About 23% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
26%
Low-income (Pell)
51%
First-generation
49%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
2,191
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
39%
Housing charge (year)
$6,624
Meal plan (year)
$5,880
Application fee
$70
Athletics
NCAA Division II without football
Varsity athletes
337 (159 men · 178 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (9)

Track and Field (Outdoor)89
Soccer66
Cross Country39
Rowing32
Basketball30
Wrestling27
Softball23
Volleyball20
Other Sports11

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
4.9 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
59
Property offenses (2022–2024)
32

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (6,237 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

30reported offenses a year
20 violent a year11 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
13
Burglary
6.7
Fondling
4.7
Motor vehicle theft
2.3
Arson
1.7
Robbery
1.3
Aggravated assault
0.7

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$8,483
$30–48k
$8,812
$48–75k
$11,088
$75–110k
$15,593
$110k+
$22,228

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$52,173

$11,088/year × about 4.7 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

46%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$6,241
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 46% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $6,241. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 930 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$47,626
Typical debt at graduation
$18,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
38%
Out-earn a HS grad
46%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.8 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$43,980
Men
$52,537

Men out-earn women by $8,557 (19%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
64°F
Winter low
40°F
Annual rain
40.4″

Average temperature

HighLow
30°50°70°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.04.08.1JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Eureka Wfo Woodley Island, CA US station (6.3 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt side by side →

Colleges near California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.