College Azimuth

Research brief & institution hub

California State University-Fullerton

CALarge public institution · Overall rank #6 nationally

Data snapshot Updated

Azimuth ranks California State University-Fullerton #6 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Who it’s a good fit for

California State University-Fullerton is a public university in Fullerton, California, where the degree mix is led by Business and Health Professions. Mobility is among the highest we track, and most graduates are estimated to go into jobs rather than on to further study.

Graduates out-earn what predicts for students like them. The model attributes more of that gain to the factors it measures—field of study, enrollment and the local labor market—than to what it cannot explain.

Students who arrive with Pell Grants finish at a rate slightly above the entering cohort as a whole. Affordability is among the highest we track, so the financial case holds at both ends of the income scale.

The admission rate is above the median for comparable institutions, and the largest program is not the highest-earning one. A student drawn to Business Administration and Management or Psychology should go in knowing that the best-paid path is a smaller one.

CSU Fullerton at a glance

Admissions and outcomes

Admission rate[1]
90.5%
Six-year completion[2]
70.2%
Four-year earnings[3]
$63,753

Cost and family borrowing

Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[6]
$6,090
Median student debt[4]
$13,750
Median Parent PLUS debt[7]
$16,538

CSU Fullerton rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[5]

California State University-Fullerton is a public university in Fullerton, California, enrolling 38,546 undergraduates. Its composite standing is near the very top of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The university admits 90.5% of applicants, a rate above the 78.1% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Retention runs close to the peer median: 82.4% of first-time, full-time students return for a second year, against 83.1% for comparable institutions.

The six-year graduation rate is 70.2%, compared to a peer median of 65.0%. An estimated 44.5% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, and the six-year rate describes only the first-time, full-time minority.

The four sit far apart. Mobility is the strongest and return is the weakest, with affordability and access sitting between them.

The profile is one where the financial and access measures are strong and the earnings picture is more mixed.

California State University-Fullerton lands in the 99th percentile for mobility, the strongest of its four Azimuth pillars among nonprofit four-year institutions. Affordability sits in the 97th percentile and access in the 93rd percentile.

The return pillar, at the 67th percentile, is the weakest, though every pillar clears the median for nonprofit four-year institutions.

48.1% of undergraduates at California State University-Fullerton receive Pell Grants. Azimuth ranks California State University-Fullerton #100 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Pell recipients complete at 73.0%, which is 2.8 percentage points above the overall six-year graduation rate (70.2%). Azimuth ranks the university #3 for mobility. Graduates earn about $13,048 more than the model expects for similar students.

How value-added outcomes are assessed · How to interpret program rankings

CSU Fullerton rankings in context
GeographyRank
National#6
California#5
West#5

Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group.

National pillar percentiles

Economic mobility
National percentile: 99
Access & reach
National percentile: 93
Affordability
National percentile: 97
Return on investment
National percentile: 67

Top-ranked majors

  1. Public Administration#7
  2. Civil Engineering#10
  3. Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing#12

This school’s three highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ.

Explore major rankings

01 / CSU Fullerton briefing

CSU Fullerton cost & financial aid[6][7]

The published cost of attendance at California State University-Fullerton is $18,269. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported in-state tuition of $6,838 and required fees of $1,678 for the 2026-27 academic year, with on-campus food and housing at $20,384.

Out-of-state students face a published tuition of $18,142. After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients is $6,555, which is $9,079 below the $15,634 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Financial aid reduces the published cost by $11,714 on average. Azimuth ranks the university #49 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

California State University-Fullerton publishes a cost of attendance of $18,269. For families earning under $30,000, the average net price is $3,315; for those in the $48,001–$75,000 band it is $6,090; and for families earning over $110,000 it is $15,631.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $12,316. Azimuth ranks the university #49 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

That places the affordability pillar in the 97th percentile. Aid covers about 64% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an average offset of $11,714.

The across all aid recipients is $6,555. Among comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median net price is $15,634; California State University-Fullerton sits below that figure by $9,079.

The median federal student loan debt at completion is $13,750, with about 48.0% of federal aid recipients borrowing. The peer median debt for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $20,076, placing the university below by $6,326.

Median Parent PLUS borrowing stands at $16,538. The median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $156 a month if repaid over ten years.

Your family income

Choose a household income range to see estimated net price.

Reported average annual net price · $48–75K$6,090

After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ.

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Borrowing and repayment at CSU Fullerton

Federal borrowing is moderate at California State University-Fullerton, with 48.0% of federal aid recipients taking federal loans. Among borrowers who complete, the median federal student debt is $13,750, which is $6,326 below the $20,076 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Parent PLUS borrowing is a separate population. Parents who borrow hold a median of $16,538.

In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 19% of graduates in the 7,287-student cohort borrowed from any source, with an average cumulative debt of $12,203 per borrower. Of those graduates, 18% held federal loans, averaging $10,746.

California State University-Fullerton presents an investment picture where earnings land below the peer median but above what the model expects, and median debt is below the peer median. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $63,753, at the 62nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

That is $1,857 below the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $13,048 more than the model expects for similar students, an outcome at the 89th percentile.

Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix range from $47,577 in a downside case to $86,944 in an upside case, with $63,753 as the typical scenario. Borrowers who complete leave with a median of $13,750 in federal student loans, $6,326 below the $20,076 peer median.

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $156 a month if repaid over ten years.

Parent borrowers at the university took on a median of $16,538 in Parent PLUS loans, a separate federal borrowing population. The estimated monthly payment on the median federal student debt if repaid over ten years is $156.

How Financial GPS measures payment burden · The four risk-and-reward zones

Financial GPS

What does repayment look like?

Institution median student debt
$13,750
Institution Parent PLUS debt
$16,538

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

Estimated student payment · monthly
$156/mo
Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
$210/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.

Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS
Read the full cost & aid brief

02 / CSU Fullerton briefing

CSU Fullerton career outcomes & earnings[3][8][9]

California State University-Fullerton reports median earnings of $63,753 four years after completion. That institution-wide figure is a starting point; results for particular fields can differ.

Read earnings alongside retention and completion. Earnings among completers do not include every student who entered the institution, while the lower and higher planning estimates describe modeled mixes of program outcomes rather than observed salary percentiles.

What explains value-added earnings?
Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.
+$7,742
Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.
+$5,306
Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.
+$13,048

These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

Read the full outcomes brief

03 / CSU Fullerton briefing

CSU Fullerton acceptance rate & admissions[1][10][11]

California State University-Fullerton admits 90.5% of applicants, a rate that sits above the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 55,289 first-year applicants, 48,716 admitted, and 6,787 enrolled.

SAT: reported composite scores
Admission rate
90.5%
25th percentile
850
Median
950
75th percentile
1060

CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff.

Read the full admissions brief

04 / CSU Fullerton briefing

What are the largest majors at CSU Fullerton?[12]

The largest program records at California State University-Fullerton, by reported degrees awarded, are: Business Administration, Management and Operations (2,233 awards); Psychology, General (890 awards); Communication and Media Studies (645 awards); Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness (541 awards); Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (530 awards). These counts describe degree output in the source reporting period, not current enrollment or unique people.

Among those larger programs, reported median earnings four years after completion include Business Administration, Management and Operations at $71,646; Psychology, General at $51,661; Communication and Media Studies at $58,082. Program size and earnings answer different questions; the largest program need not have the highest earnings.

Keep individual program records separate from broader degree categories and from records for other reporting periods. Those views can describe different parts of the university’s academic mix.

Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields
Business Administration, Management and Operations 2,233 degrees awarded
$71,646
Psychology, General 890 degrees awarded
$51,661
Communication and Media Studies 645 degrees awarded
$58,082
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness 541 degrees awarded
$51,787
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods 530 degrees awarded
Too few graduates to report
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 432 degrees awarded
$119,353

Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings.

Read the full majors brief

05 / CSU Fullerton briefing

How does CSU Fullerton serve students from different backgrounds?

Pell recipients in the first-time full-time cohort at California State University-Fullerton complete at 73.0%, above the overall six-year graduation rate for the same cohort of 70.2% by 2.8 percentage points. The university's graduates earn about $13,048 more than the model expects for similar students, a result in the 89th percentile for earnings beyond expectations.

Among nonprofit four-year institutions, Azimuth places the university in the 99th percentile for mobility.

Azimuth places the access pillar of California State University-Fullerton in the 93rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The public university admits 90.5% of applicants and enrolls 38,546 undergraduates.

Pell Grant recipients make up 48.1% of the undergraduate body, and an estimated 44.5% of students enter as transfers or part-time students.

06 / CSU Fullerton briefing

What colleges are similar to CSU Fullerton?[15]

The comparisons for California State University-Fullerton cover similar admissions profiles, higher reported earnings at similar cost, lower reported cost with similar earnings and options in the same state or region. The similar-schools brief keeps these questions in separate groups, with related institutional profiles shown as another comparison.

Each group has its own candidate list and ordering. A high position within one group is not a rank against all the schools in the other groups, and a school can appear more than once for different reasons. Check the source definition and earnings period for the comparison you choose.

A shortlist for different decisions

Choose a row to compare the figures with CSU Fullerton.

Admissions peerCalifornia State University-Los Angeles91.3% admitted
Comparison with CSU Fullerton
MeasureCSU FullertonCalifornia State University-Los Angeles
Peer earnings · 4 years$63,753$59,756-$3,997 vs CSU Fullerton
Average annual net price$6,555$3,967-$2,588 vs CSU Fullerton · lower cost
Admission rate90.5%91.3%
Explore California State University-Los Angeles →
Nearby alternativeCalifornia State University-Long BeachNearby option · CA
Comparison with CSU Fullerton
MeasureCSU FullertonCalifornia State University-Long Beach
Peer earnings · 4 years$63,753$63,140-$613 vs CSU Fullerton
Average annual net price$6,555$10,440+$3,885 vs CSU Fullerton · higher cost
Admission rate90.5%46.3%
Explore California State University-Long Beach →
Higher-earnings alternativeUniversity of Maine at Fort Kent$74,979 earnings
Comparison with CSU Fullerton
MeasureCSU FullertonUniversity of Maine at Fort Kent
Peer earnings · 4 years$63,753$74,979+$11,226 vs CSU Fullerton
Average annual net price$6,555$7,482+$927 vs CSU Fullerton · higher cost
Admission rate90.5%97.9%
Lower-cost alternativeCalifornia State University-Los Angeles$3,967 average net price
Comparison with CSU Fullerton
MeasureCSU FullertonCalifornia State University-Los Angeles
Peer earnings · 4 years$63,753$59,756-$3,997 vs CSU Fullerton
Average annual net price$6,555$3,967-$2,588 vs CSU Fullerton · lower cost
Admission rate90.5%91.3%
Explore California State University-Los Angeles →
Similar profileCalifornia State University-Long BeachMatched across several measures
Comparison with CSU Fullerton
MeasureCSU FullertonCalifornia State University-Long Beach
Peer earnings · 4 years$63,753$63,140-$613 vs CSU Fullerton
Average annual net price$6,555$10,440+$3,885 vs CSU Fullerton · higher cost
Admission rate90.5%46.3%
Explore California State University-Long Beach →

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.

Read the full similar schools brief

Data scope & methodology

Structured payloads generated Governed hub narrative Governed spoke corpus

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.

Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations · About College Azimuth

Read the analysis behind value-added earnings and the change to four-year graduate earnings. These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com.

Data notes & source fields

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.

  1. Admission rate. Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability.

    Source fields: ADM_RATE

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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.

    Source fields: Azimuth rankings

    College Azimuth · Ranking methodology

  6. 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

  7. 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.

    Source fields: PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations

    College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology

  8. 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.

    Source fields: Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios

    College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology

  9. 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.

    Source fields: Azimuth statistical model

    College Azimuth · Value-added methodology

  10. 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.

    Source fields: SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG

  11. First-year retention. Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions.

    Source fields: RET_FT4

  12. 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.

    Source fields: EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE

    College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation

  13. Pell recipients. Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year.

    Source fields: PCTPELL

  14. 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

  15. 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

    College Azimuth · Comparison methodology

How to interpret program rankings