California State University, Chico Parent Guide
Quick Facts About CSU, Chico
| California State University, Chico (popularly called “Chico State”) | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1887 |
| President | Paul J. Zingg |
| Student/Faculty ratio | 24 to 1 |
| Class Size | 30 |
| Campus Acreage | Main campus 119 acres; University Farm 800 acres; Ecological Reserves 2,330 acres |
| Total General Fund Budget, including revenue | $162,076,067 |
| Location | 90 miles north of Sacramento; 174 miles northeast of San Francisco |
| Service Counties | Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Shasta, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Yuba |
| School Mascot | Wildcat |
| School Colors | Cardinal and White |
| Alumni/ae | 128,000 |
| Students (Based on fall 2008 data) | |
|---|---|
| Full-time Equivalent students* | 15,797 |
| Number of total students | 16,934 |
| Freshmen | 3,903 (2,505 first-time; 1,398 transfer or continuing) (23% |
| Sophomores | 2,388 (14%) |
| Juniors | 3,852 (23%) |
| Seniors | 5,366 (32%) |
| Postbaccalaureate Students | 1,425 (8%) |
| Age | |
| CSU, Chico Average (undergraduate and graduate) | 24 |
| Undergraduate Average | 22 |
| Ethnicity | |
| American Indian | 0.9% |
| Asian | 4.8% |
| Black/African American | 2.1% |
| Hispanic/Latino |
13.5% |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.4% |
| White | 63.9% |
| Two or More Races/Ethnicities | 1.8% |
| Declined to State | 9.6% |
| Non-resident Aliens | 3.0% |
| Gender | |
| Female | 52% |
| Male | 48% |
*FTE: total number of course hours enrolled in during a particular semester, divided by 15 for undergraduates; divided by 12 for graduate students.
Student Profile
Our students come from 42 nations, 41 states, and 2 U.S. territories.
95% of the total student population comes from California: 34.7% from CSU, Chico’s service area; 33.8% from the rest of Northern California; 23.2% from Central California; 13.6% from Southern California.
4.8% are out-of-state or international students.
Freshman Profile
Average High School GPA: 3.22 (admits) / 3.11 (enrolled)
Mean SAT Scores: (Composite) 1034 (admits) / 1012 (enrolled)
CSU, Chico’s History
In 1887, General John Bidwell, pioneer, statesman, and founder of Chico, donated eight acres of cherry orchard, and construction began on Chico State Normal School. The campus opened in 1889 with 90 students and five faculty members. The first class of teachers graduated in June 1891.
Chico State Normal School became Chico State Teachers College in 1921. The legislature converted its teachers colleges to state colleges in 1935, and Chico State Teachers College became Chico State College. In 1972, the College became California State University, Chico.
The campus proper is 119 acres. The University also manages 800 acres of farm land and 240 acres of range land
