CA · Medium public institution · Overall rank #89 nationally
Data snapshot · Updated
Affordability in the 97th percentile
Who it’s a good fit for
California State University-Bakersfield is a public university in Bakersfield, California, where Business and Liberal Arts lead the degree mix. Affordability is among the highest we track, and most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study.
Graduates out-earn what predicts for students like them. The model attributes that gain to what it cannot explain, while the factors it measures subtract from expected earnings.
Access is among the highest we track, though Pell students finish below the rate for the entering cohort. Families at the bottom of the income scale pay far less than the published cost, while those at the top pay closer to it.
The admission rate is above the median for comparable institutions. The largest programs are not the best-paid ones, so a student drawn to Business Administration or Psychology should know that Nursing and Engineering graduates earn more.
CSU Bakersfield rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[5]
Enrolling 8,577 undergraduates, California State University-Bakersfield is a public university in Bakersfield, California. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, its Azimuth composite sits near the top of the ranking (94th percentile).
California State University-Bakersfield admits 93.8% of applicants, against a peer median of 85.9% for comparable institutions of the same type and size. First-year retention stands at 78.8%, against a peer median of 73.7%.
The six-year graduation rate for the first-time full-time cohort at California State University-Bakersfield is 49.8%, against a peer median of 49.1%. Because this measure counts only first-time full-time students, it describes a minority of those who study here.
An estimated 50.0% of those who enter do so as transfers or part-time students, so many students begin their studies elsewhere. Affordability is the strongest (97th percentile), with mobility (94th percentile) and access (91st percentile) close behind.
Return is the weakest of the four (56th percentile), far below the rest. The four pillars are widely separated, with affordability and mobility near the top and return near the middle of the field.
Azimuth evaluates California State University-Bakersfield across four pillars among nonprofit four-year institutions. The university's strongest pillar is affordability, in the 97th percentile, and its weakest is return, in the 56th percentile.
The access pillar sits in the 91st percentile, and mobility reaches the 94th percentile. Azimuth ranks the university #89 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The admitted-student profile at California State University-Bakersfield is built around financial access, with 60.7% of undergraduates receiving Pell Grants. For access, Azimuth ranks the university #126 among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Recipients in the first-time full-time cohort finish at 30.6%, which sits below the overall six-year graduation rate (49.8%) by 19.2 percentage points. For mobility, Azimuth ranks the university #95 among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Graduates earn about $12,719 more than the model expects for similar students, a result the mobility pillar uses.
California State University-Bakersfield lists a published cost of attendance of $19,522. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported in-state tuition of $6,838 and required fees of $2,105 for the 2026-27 academic year, with on-campus food and housing at $17,432.
Out-of-state tuition is $18,142. The average net price—what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships—is $5,652.
That is $8,416 below the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Aid covers about 71% of the published cost for the average aid recipient.
Azimuth ranks the university #48 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That places the affordability pillar in the 97th percentile.
The published cost of attendance at California State University-Bakersfield is $19,522. Azimuth ranks the university #48 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
After grants and scholarships, aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 average $3,536, those earning $48,001 to $75,000 average $5,835, and those earning over $110,000 average $16,069. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $12,533.
Aid covers about 71% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, a savings of $13,870 against the sticker price. The average net price across all aid recipients is $5,652, which is $8,416 below the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Borrowers who finish carry a median of $16,600 in federal student loans. That is $4,629 below the $21,229 peer median.
About 49.3% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $9,000 in Parent PLUS loans.
If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $189 a month.
Your family income
Choose a household income range to see estimated net price.
Reported average annual net price · $48–75K$5,835
After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ.
Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.
Borrowing and repayment at CSU Bakersfield
Federal borrowing is not universal at California State University-Bakersfield: 49.3% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Among those who borrow and complete, the median federal student debt is $16,600.
That median is $4,629 below the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Parents who borrow through the separate Parent PLUS program hold a median of $9,000.
The strongest return signal at California State University-Bakersfield is the earnings premium over the model's expectation. Graduates earn about $12,719 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that lands in the 88th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The median earnings four years after completion sit at $59,109, which is above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Scenarios built from the university's program mix place the typical outcome at $59,109, with a downside case of $48,289 and an upside case of $76,334.
On the cost side, borrowers leave with a median federal student debt of $16,600, which is below the $21,229 median for comparable institutions. The estimated monthly payment if repaid over ten years is $189.
Median Parent PLUS borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $9,000. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $189.
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
Estimated student payment · monthly
$189/mo
Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
$114/mo
Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.
Payment assumptions
Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.
Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $59,109, at the 47th percentile. That is $1,808 above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Graduates earn about $12,719 more than the model expects for similar students. That puts the gap at the 88th percentile.
Azimuth places the return pillar in the 56th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) subtracts $155. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $12,874.
The median earnings of California State University-Bakersfield graduates four years after completion reach $59,109, drawn from a cohort of 2,301 federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled. That figure runs above the median at comparable institutions (same type and size) by $1,808.
Graduates earn about $12,719 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that sits in the 88th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The university's program mix yields a typical earnings scenario of $59,109, while the downside scenario lands at $48,289 and the upside scenario reaches $76,334.
An estimated 31.9% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure derived from the program mix.
At California State University-Bakersfield, graduates out-earn what the model expects for similar students, but the overall earnings level is modest. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $59,109, at the 47th percentile nationally.
That is $1,808 above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $12,719 more than the model expects for similar students, placing that gap at the 88th percentile.
The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) subtracts $155. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $12,874.
Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $375. Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix show a downside of $48,289 and an upside of $76,334.
Azimuth ranks the university #639 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings advantage here is almost entirely attributed to what the model cannot explain rather than to the fields of study, enrollment patterns, or the local labor market it measures.
The measured factors subtracts from expected earnings, while the unexplained remainder adds $12,874. The university's program mix is concentrated in business, liberal arts, and psychology, fields where earnings tend to be moderate, and the STEM share of degrees is small at 12.3%.
An estimated 31.9% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix, which means most enter the workforce directly.
The earnings scenarios for California State University-Bakersfield span from a downside of $48,289 to an upside of $76,334, reflecting the range of outcomes associated with the university's program mix. The highest-earning programs show medians well above the institutional figure.
Graduates of Nursing earn a median of $102,298 four years after completion, followed by Electrical Engineering at $97,998 and Computer Engineering at $93,797.
Graduates of California State University-Bakersfield earn about $12,719 more than the model expects for similar students. The median federal student loan debt for borrowers who complete is $16,600, which is below the peer median of $21,229 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $4,629.
The estimated monthly payment on that debt if repaid over ten years is $189. For parent borrowers, the median Parent PLUS loan amount is $9,000.
The for aid recipients is $5,652, which is below the peer median by $8,416.
What explains value-added earnings?
Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.
-$155
Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.
+$12,874
Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.
+$12,719
These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.
California State University-Bakersfield admits 93.8% of applicants, well above the median of 85.9% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 14,532 applicants, 12,230 admitted, and 1,366 enrolled first-year students.
California State University-Bakersfield awards bachelor's degrees across 22 fields with published four-year earnings. The highest-earning program is Nursing, where completers earn a median of $102,298 four years after completion, alongside 101 degrees awarded.
Electrical Engineering follows at $97,998 with 30 degrees awarded, and Computer Engineering reaches $93,797 on 15 degrees awarded. Among the university's largest programs, Business Administration and Management accounts for 351 degrees awarded and shows median earnings of $61,705.
Liberal Arts and General Studies awards 312 degrees with a median of $57,529. Psychology, at 294 degrees awarded, reports a median of $49,207, illustrating the spread between higher- and moderate-earning fields at the university.
The university has earnings data for 22 bachelor's fields. The largest by degrees awarded is Business Administration and Management, with 351 degrees awarded and a median of $61,705 four years after completion.
Liberal Arts and General Studies follows at 312 degrees awarded and a median of $57,529, while Psychology accounts for 294 degrees awarded and a median of $49,207. The fields with the highest published medians are Nursing at $102,298 with 101 degrees awarded, Electrical Engineering at $97,998 and 30 degrees awarded, and Computer Engineering at $93,797 with 15 degrees awarded.
California State University-Bakersfield awards bachelor's degrees across 22 programs with published four-year earnings data. The program mix is anchored by Business, which accounts for 14.9% of degrees awarded, followed by Liberal Arts & General Studies at 13.2% and Psychology at 12.5%.
The largest single programs are Business Administration and Management with 351 degrees awarded, Liberal Arts and General Studies with 312, and Psychology with 294. The highest-earning program is Nursing, where completers earn a median of $102,298 four years after completion.
The program awards 101 degrees a year and its earnings sit at a benchmark ratio of 1.15x against the national median for its field. Electrical Engineering is the next highest, with median earnings of $97,998 four years after completion from 30 degrees awarded.
The largest programs and the highest-earning ones are largely separate groups here. Business Administration and Management, the largest program, has median earnings of $61,705 four years after completion, well below the top earners.
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy is a small program at 9 degrees a year. Its completers earn $82,315 four years after completion, a benchmark ratio of 1.47x against the national median for its field. Across all fields, 12.3% of degrees are in STEM.
Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields
Business Administration, Management and Operations 351 degrees awarded
$61,705
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities 312 degrees awarded
$57,529
Psychology, General 294 degrees awarded
$49,207
Criminal Justice and Corrections 170 degrees awarded
$53,715
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods 151 degrees awarded
Too few graduates to report
Sociology 129 degrees awarded
$52,618
Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings.
How does CSU Bakersfield serve students from different backgrounds?
Azimuth places California State University-Bakersfield in the 94th percentile for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. The six-year graduation rate for the first-time full-time cohort is 49.8%, while Pell recipients complete at 30.6% — below the overall rate by 19.2 percentage points.
Graduates earn about $12,719 more than the model expects for similar students, placing the earnings beyond expectations measure in the 88th percentile.
Azimuth places the access pillar of California State University-Bakersfield in the 91st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The public university admits 93.8% of applicants and enrolls 8,577 undergraduates.
Pell Grant recipients make up 60.7% of the undergraduate body, and an estimated 50.0% of undergraduates arrive as transfers or part-time students.
Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. How matching works.
A shortlist for different decisions
Choose a row to compare the figures with CSU Bakersfield.
Admissions peerCalifornia State University-Northridge93.5% admitted+
Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable.
Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection.
Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them.
Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects.
Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release.
Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.
Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.
Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation; notes with a different source link it below.
Admission rate. Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability.
Source fields: ADM_RATE
Six-year completion. First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree.
Source fields: C150_4
Four-year institutional earnings. Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion.
Source fields: MD_EARN_WNE_4YR
Median federal student debt. Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students.
Source fields: GRAD_DEBT_MDN
National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks. Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ.
Annual net price by family income. Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers.
Source fields: NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV
Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration. Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance uses the frozen 2024 framework baseline. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations.
Downside and upside earnings; yellow band. The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median.
Value added and its components. Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.
SAT score range and reported midpoint. Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range.
First-year retention. Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions.
Source fields: RET_FT4
Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots. Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity.
Pell recipients. Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year.
Source fields: PCTPELL
Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group. This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns.
Source fields: 1 − PFTFTUG1_EF
Peer earnings and signed differences. Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure.
Source fields: Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR