Public · University

California State University-Fullerton

Fullerton, California · Large suburb

90.5%
Admit rate
$6,555
Avg net price
70%
Graduation rate
$62,951
Median earnings

California State University-Fullerton is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Fullerton, California (large suburb setting), enrolling 38,546 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).

PublicLarge · 38,546 undergradsLarge suburbAccessible · 91% admitNCAA Division I without footballNear the coast

About Fullerton, California

Fullerton is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States. There was a large village in the area along the Santa Ana River that has since been identified as the Hutuknga. The village was one of the largest throughout all of Tovaangar, or the Tongva world. It was connected by marriage ties to other villages in the area, including Genga. Fullerton is home to a vibrant music scene. In the early 1990s, the Historic Ice House, built in 1902 and restored in 1989 featured several venues showcasing bands such as Room to Roam and Trip the Spring. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
16 miles
Nearest airport
14 miles to John Wayne Orange County (SNA) · major hub

How California State University-Fullerton compares

View 132 more ranking appearances
#13 · Large Universities with the Lowest Net Price #14 · Large Universities with the Lowest Student Debt #27 · Large Universities with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #23 · Colleges Admitting at Least 50% of Applicants with the Lowest Net Price #30 · Colleges Admitting at Least 50% of Applicants with the Lowest Student Debt #28 · Colleges Admitting at Least 50% of Applicants with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #89 · Colleges Admitting at Least 75% of Applicants with the Highest Graduation Rates #13 · Colleges Admitting at Least 75% of Applicants with the Lowest Net Price #12 · Colleges Admitting at Least 75% of Applicants with the Lowest Student Debt #10 · Colleges Admitting at Least 75% of Applicants with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #43 · Colleges with Average Net Price at or Below $15,000 with the Highest Former-Student Earnings #29 · Colleges with Average Net Price at or Below $15,000 with the Highest Graduation Rates #52 · Colleges with Average Net Price at or Below $15,000 with the Highest Retention Rates #32 · Colleges with Average Net Price at or Below $15,000 with the Lowest Net Price #41 · Colleges with Average Net Price at or Below $15,000 with the Lowest Student Debt #39 · Colleges with Average Net Price at or Below $15,000 with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #56 · Hispanic-Serving Colleges with the Highest Former-Student Earnings #21 · Hispanic-Serving Colleges with the Highest Graduation Rates #39 · Hispanic-Serving Colleges with the Highest Retention Rates #23 · Hispanic-Serving Colleges with the Lowest Net Price #36 · Hispanic-Serving Colleges with the Lowest Student Debt #30 · Hispanic-Serving Colleges with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #85 · Public Universities with the Highest Graduation Rates #27 · Public Universities with the Lowest Net Price #33 · Public Universities with the Lowest Student Debt #42 · Public Universities with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #51 · Test-Blind Colleges with the Highest Former-Student Earnings #31 · Test-Blind Colleges with the Highest Graduation Rates #52 · Test-Blind Colleges with the Highest Retention Rates #6 · Test-Blind Colleges with the Lowest Net Price #25 · Test-Blind Colleges with the Lowest Student Debt #21 · Test-Blind Colleges with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #89 · Colleges with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #90 · Colleges with the Lowest In-State Tuition #54 · Colleges with the Lowest Cost of Attendance #59 · Colleges with the Most First-Generation Students #17 · Largest Campus-Based Universities #64 · College Campuses with the Least Annual Precipitation #8 · College Campuses with the Least Snowfall #53 · Cheapest Colleges for Families Earning $30,000–$48,000 #37 · Cheapest Colleges for Families Earning $48,000–$75,000 #20 · Cheapest Colleges for Families Earning $75,000–$110,000 #73 · Cheapest Colleges for Families Earning Over $110,000 #17 · Public Universities with the Highest Earnings Relative to Net Price #58 · Colleges with the Highest Former-Student Earnings in California #5 · Colleges with the Lowest Net Price in California #31 · Colleges with the Highest Graduation Rates in California #10 · Colleges with the Lowest Student Debt in California #49 · Colleges with the Highest Retention Rates in California #75 · Best Colleges in the West #6 · Colleges with the Lowest Net Price in the West #49 · Colleges with the Highest Graduation Rates in the West #67 · Colleges with the Highest Retention Rates in the West #17 · Colleges with the Lowest Student Debt in the West #5 · Colleges with the Highest Earnings Relative to Net Price in the West #33 · Best Public Universities in the West #66 · Best Colleges on the West Coast #5 · Colleges with the Lowest Net Price on the West Coast #40 · Colleges with the Highest Graduation Rates on the West Coast #56 · Colleges with the Highest Retention Rates on the West Coast #10 · Colleges with the Lowest Student Debt on the West Coast #5 · Colleges with the Highest Earnings Relative to Net Price on the West Coast #29 · Best Public Universities on the West Coast #66 · Best Colleges in the Pacific Region #5 · Colleges with the Lowest Net Price in the Pacific Region #40 · Colleges with the Highest Graduation Rates in the Pacific Region #56 · Colleges with the Highest Retention Rates in the Pacific Region #11 · Colleges with the Lowest Student Debt in the Pacific Region #5 · Colleges with the Highest Earnings Relative to Net Price in the Pacific Region #29 · Best Public Universities in the Pacific Region #27 · Colleges with the Highest Former-Student Earnings Near Los Angeles, CA #22 · Colleges with the Highest Former-Student Earnings Near Riverside, CA #9 · Bachelor's Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #14 · Bachelor's Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #27 · Bachelor's Business Administration, Management and Operations Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #30 · Bachelor's Business Administration, Management and Operations Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #33 · Bachelor's Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #33 · Bachelor's Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #60 · Bachelor's Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #18 · Bachelor's Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #28 · Bachelor's Psychology, General Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #23 · Bachelor's Psychology, General Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #6 · Bachelor's Criminal Justice and Corrections Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #3 · Bachelor's Criminal Justice and Corrections Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #29 · Bachelor's Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #11 · Bachelor's Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #16 · Bachelor's Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #11 · Bachelor's Communication and Media Studies Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #10 · Bachelor's Communication and Media Studies Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #43 · Bachelor's Computer Science Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #46 · Bachelor's Computer Science Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #36 · Bachelor's Political Science and Government Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #58 · Bachelor's Political Science and Government Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #12 · Bachelor's Economics Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #26 · Bachelor's Economics Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #43 · Bachelor's Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #5 · Bachelor's Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #3 · Bachelor's Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #52 · Bachelor's Mechanical Engineering Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #57 · Bachelor's Mechanical Engineering Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #75 · Bachelor's Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #56 · Bachelor's Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #6 · Bachelor's Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #10 · Bachelor's Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #90 · Bachelor's Fine and Studio Arts Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #33 · Bachelor's Fine and Studio Arts Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #32 · Bachelor's Fine and Studio Arts Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #23 · Bachelor's Sociology Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #34 · Bachelor's Sociology Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #21 · Bachelor's English Language and Literature, General Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #44 · Bachelor's English Language and Literature, General Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #19 · Bachelor's History Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #41 · Bachelor's History Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #5 · Bachelor's Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #12 · Bachelor's Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #4 · Bachelor's Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #12 · Bachelor's Public Health Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #44 · Bachelor's Music Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #16 · Bachelor's Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #20 · Bachelor's Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #61 · Bachelor's Radio, Television, and Digital Communication Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #14 · Bachelor's Radio, Television, and Digital Communication Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #25 · Bachelor's Radio, Television, and Digital Communication Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #24 · Bachelor's Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #22 · Bachelor's Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #56 · Bachelor's Civil Engineering Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #41 · Bachelor's Civil Engineering Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #7 · Bachelor's Civil Engineering Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #6 · Bachelor's Civil Engineering Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #61 · Bachelor's Chemistry Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #47 · Bachelor's Chemistry Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #4 · Bachelor's Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods Programs with the Lowest Student Debt
Selectivity90.5%

More selective than 23% · #74 most selective of 107 in California

Graduation rate70%

Higher than 78% · #43 of 122 in California

First-year retention82%

Higher than 68%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$62,951

Higher than 73% · #73 of 130 in California

Average net price$6,555

Cheaper than 97% · #7 cheapest of 118 in California

Median debt at graduation$13,750

Lower than 93%

Student–faculty ratio26 : 1

Lower than 3%

Undergraduate enrollment38,546

Larger than 99%

Percentiles compare California State University-Fullerton 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

43,448students
  • Undergraduate38,54689%
  • Graduate4,90211%

Undergraduates by gender

38,546undergrads
  • Women23,05160%
  • Men15,49540%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White13%
  • Black2.5%
  • Hispanic56%
  • Asian21%
  • Other or multiracial7.3%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
38,546
Graduate enrollment
4,902
Student–faculty ratio
26 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
48%
First-generation students
49%
Students over 25
16%
Median family income
$28,124
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$110,655
Endowment
$142,225,508

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 7,070 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From California99%
  • Other U.S. states0.8%

Most first-years stay in state — California State University-Fullerton 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
90.5%
Test scores
Not considered
SAT range (25th–75th %)
—
SAT average
—
SAT reading
—
SAT math
—
ACT composite
—
Average GPA
3.43

Cost

In-state tuition
$7,470
Out-of-state tuition
$20,070
Room & board
$19,080
Books & supplies
$1,005
Total cost of attendance
$18,269
Average net price
$6,555

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)
70%
Graduated on time (4 years)
39%
First-year retention
82%
Transferred to another college
2%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$48,558
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$62,951
Median debt at graduation
$13,750
Students with federal loans
22%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
65%

About 31% 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
39%
Low-income (Pell)
66%
First-generation
66%

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
2,278
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
6%
Housing charge (year)
$13,710
Meal plan (year)
$4,644
Application fee
$70
Athletics
NCAA Division I without football
Varsity athletes
482 (205 men · 277 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 and Cross Country (combined)245
Soccer57
Water Polo50
Baseball40
Basketball27
Softball22
Golf18
Volleyball15
Tennis8

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
0.7 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
47
Property offenses (2022–2024)
44

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 3 campuses (43,662 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
16 violent a year15 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
7.0
Rape
4.7
Motor vehicle theft
4.7
Aggravated assault
4.0
Fondling
3.7
Statutory rape
3.3
Arson
3.0

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
$3,315
$30–48k
$4,123
$48–75k
$6,090
$75–110k
$8,930
$110k+
$15,631

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
$28,422

$6,090/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.

51%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$5,871
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 51% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $5,871. 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 4,965 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)
$62,951
Typical debt at graduation
$13,750
Debt vs. one year's pay
22%
Out-earn a HS grad
64%

Typical debt would take roughly 2.2 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Strong value

Graduates here tend to earn well relative to what they borrow — typical debt pays back fast, and most out-earn a high-school graduate.

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
$59,473
Men
$68,482

Men out-earn women by $9,009 (15%) 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
89°F
Winter low
48°F
Annual rain
13.5″

Average temperature

HighLow
40°70°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.01.63.2JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Anaheim, CA US station (2.7 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 University-Fullerton

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

Colleges near California State University-Fullerton

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.