How this school serves students from different economic backgrounds, including Pell students, first-generation pathways, and long-term mobility outcomes.
California State University-Chico admits 92.7% of applicants, making it a broadly accessible institution within the California State University system. Among enrolled undergraduates, 42.5% receive Pell Grants and 47.3% are first-generation college students — figures that reflect the university's deep roots in serving working-class and first-generation families across Northern California. Transfer enrollment is a meaningful part of the student body at 49.5%, consistent with the CSU system's role as a destination for community college transfer students. Azimuth ranks California State University-Chico #187 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. On the mobility side, low-income graduates see median earnings of $52,800 on a historical ten-year Scorecard measure, placing this cohort in the 78.7 percentile for low-income graduate median earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions. The six-year graduation rate is 62.8%, with 68.2% of Pell-eligible students completing within that window — a meaningful signal of how well the university supports students who arrive with fewer financial resources. Freshman retention stands at 81.6%. Azimuth ranks California State University-Chico #69 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. The mobility ranking reflects both the scale at which Chico State serves Pell and first-generation students and the degree to which those students convert enrollment into access vs. mobility outcomes that hold up over time.
California State University-Chico admits 92.7% of applicants, making it a broadly accessible institution within the California State University system. Among enrolled undergraduates, 42.5% receive Pell Grants and 47.3% are first-generation college students — figures that reflect the university's deep roots in serving working-class and first-generation families across Northern California. Transfer enrollment is a meaningful part of the student body at 49.5%, consistent with the CSU system's role as a destination for community college transfer students. Azimuth ranks California State University-Chico #187 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. On the mobility side, low-income graduates see median earnings of $52,800 on a historical ten-year Scorecard measure, placing this cohort in the 78.7 percentile for low-income graduate median earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions. The six-year graduation rate is 62.8%, with 68.2% of Pell-eligible students completing within that window — a meaningful signal of how well the university supports students who arrive with fewer financial resources. Freshman retention stands at 81.6%. Azimuth ranks California State University-Chico #69 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. The mobility ranking reflects both the scale at which Chico State serves Pell and first-generation students and the degree to which those students convert enrollment into access vs. mobility outcomes that hold up over time.
California State University-Chico admits 92.7% of applicants, making it a broadly accessible institution within the California State University system. Among enrolled undergraduates, 42.5% receive Pell Grants and 47.3% are first-generation college students — figures that reflect the university's deep roots in serving working-class and first-generation families across Northern California. Transfer enrollment is a meaningful part of the student body at 49.5%, consistent with the CSU system's role as a destination for community college transfer students. Azimuth ranks California State University-Chico #187 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. On the mobility side, low-income graduates see median earnings of $52,800 on a historical ten-year Scorecard measure, placing this cohort in the 78.7 percentile for low-income graduate median earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions. The six-year graduation rate is 62.8%, with 68.2% of Pell-eligible students completing within that window — a meaningful signal of how well the university supports students who arrive with fewer financial resources. Freshman retention stands at 81.6%. Azimuth ranks California State University-Chico #69 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. The mobility ranking reflects both the scale at which Chico State serves Pell and first-generation students and the degree to which those students convert enrollment into access vs. mobility outcomes that hold up over time.
