My dad's been a professor here for over a decade, and I've been lucky enough to visit HSU every 2-3 years in that time. The campus is unlike any I've ever seen in that it's basically part of the incredibly Humboldt wilderness. There are redwoods on campus with a forest literally next door, and HSU truly embraces the wild side of things. The facilities are nice for the most part, with several new buildings finished in the past year. Being on the HSU campus is a joy, especially if you enjoy nature. read more

If you care about your mental health, please don't go here. This is a school where a large number of the students come from other counties. The students specifically pick Humboldt because they had abusive childhoods or trauma they wanted to get super far away from while still having in-state tuition. This leads to highly traumatized young adults flocking to one area and being on their own for the first time. The bullying, harassment, several mental instability, etc. of some of these students is shocking and almost everyone I know has an extreme story of harassment due to this. PLEASE pick anywhere else. Yes, you may have a wonderful time and get lucky - but this school is far more likely that others to leave you with severe trauma, especially when paired with how highly isolated it is from outside support and resources. read more

Beautiful campus, great class sizes, interesting people, but a strange educational experience. One department claims antiracism as a core value, yet two professors either allowed racism to occur or participated in racism in class. Some professors that you think would be anti-sexist participated in sexism against men. And one professor was a bit too touchy-feely. A few professors in one department did not hold class during the Pro-Palestinian/Anti-Genocide occupation, and others would sometimes suddenly not hold class due to "personal reasons" or unpreparedness, or let people out early (like one professor letting students out 30 minutes early every class). Like any life-changing experience, I have good memories and bad ones. However, the bad ones were of the hypocritical type and should not have occurred. Plus, students are paying for their education--giving them "free time" is not a freebie...students are paying and going into debt for those "freebies." But other than that, the school is a pretty chill environment for learning. read more

Very rude and disrespectful to a Deaf individuals. The website says they are preparing students for the future, if that's how they are teaching them, we don't need them. This is 2025, get with the program. read more

Teachers need to work on making the students that have disabilities, that they can for fill their dreams. This last year has been tough because the teachers don't want to work with students that have a disability. They just don't want to work with them. read more

Humbolt University is a joke! Staff, faculty and Professors are rude and treat you like you are really stupid based on last name and appearance, especially those in the chemistry department. I was there for only a month and was harrassed, and discriminated based on my ethnicity. Administration and housing were no help and I was lectured on how terms of endearment were used. The N word is not a term of endearment in my opinion, but for some odd reason there are certain ethnicities that believe that it can be used freely. The school is run by spoiled and entitled brats that have no respect for other ethnicities other than there own. I can only say, attend this school at your own risk as you will not be supported when you're discriminated against. THEY DO NOT TAKE YOUR ETHNIC ATTACKS SERIOUSLY AND REFUSE TO INVESTIGATE ANY REPORTED DESCRIMINATION ASSAULTS!!! Humboldt is seriously a waste of TIME, MONEY, AND AN EDUCATION! I know I was there! It is a MOCKERY ON A PERSONS IDENTITY AND DIGNITY! I am now attending university where diversity, inclusion and equality is well accepted and promoted!! read more

Gave thumbs down for the presidents failure to represent on campus suicides or people of color during meeting and events she has repeatedly been invited to. read more

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Honestly the campus is beautiful and the English major I was in was great. Limited options for electives but that's okay. My biggest problem was in housing. Having been bullied and completely lied to by roommates, turning into a huge drama fest, I soon realized the makeup of students on this campus. I pleaded with the room coordinator to help me move rooms, and she didn't care enough to reply. She literally did not help me at all. One of my roommates was actually an emotionally abusive person and would constantly talk about how much she hated everyone, and everyone hated her. Just an overall gross amount of drama. Would always threaten to damage her ex boyfriends car. Threw tantrums consistently. I tried to change rooms, and received no help at all. When the RA's were called to intervene, one of them actually laughed in my face as I was explaining to them how rude my roommate was??? I was literally relaying information as they asked, and the RA laughed at me. I was forced to live with this roommate for another month. My mental health completely deteriorated and I felt so absolutely unsafe having to live with this crazy and shallow person. I honestly can't even believe the school let this happen. Humboldt is a beautiful place, but there's a huge lack of self-respecting individuals. No one actually works hard to get any real work done. Just look at the unsolved case of Josiah. No excuses here. Just a sick place that people go to live out their wannabe hippy dippy lifestyle. It's pretty trash. read more

Don't bother with this university. Waste of time, energy and resources. Don't bother with any university for that matter unless your parents are wealthy and don't mind supporting you when you can't find a job. Do yourself a favor and learn a trade, like welding or electrical engineering. This "university" is a joke as is the city of Arcata. read more

Humboldt State was a terrible choice for college. My dorm mates bullied me. When I became disabled, I used their counseling services where I was also bullied and mistreated. When I made an appointment to withdraw and cancel my loans, they made my appointment for just hours after the date you had to withdraw to get a full refund. After I did no classes, no work and needed to withdraw, HSU took my government loans and kept them!! I have had these loans following me for 14 years now, and have been disabled from being assaulted, and the admin knowingly helped me withdraw just hours too late to get my full refund. They should not have kept any of my loans. These old loans have kept me from getting my education elsewhere. HSU is a terrible school filled with bullies and rigged to help those they choose. If I could go back in time, I would never have moved to this terrible, horrible, crime infested part of the state. read more

Went for wildlife and finished in 3 years. Was an amazing school with passionate people.

Humboldt State was my home away from home for a little over 5 years. It's a great place filled with great people. I graduated from Humboldt in 2012 BA in Communication. I made amazing memories, met my wonderfully amazing friends, found what I was good at, and learned many life lessons. Overall, I enjoyed my HSU experience very much. Now here are some ifs: If you like the fast paced and busy city life, Humboldt is not for you. If you don't have a car and hate public transportation, HSU is not for you. If you own a car and plan on driving to campus HSU is not for you (Opt for a bike, leave your car at home.) If you don't like fresh air HSU is not for you. If you don't like friendly people, or people who don't know you smiling at you, HSU is not for you. Now... IF you like Nature, Humboldt is definitely for you. If you want to get away from the city life, Humboldt is definitely for you! If you want to interact with diverse mix of open minded cultures, Humboldt is for you! If you want to explore, hike a trail, or relax in the forest for you break; all within minutes of where your class was, then HSU if right for you. If you don't mind people not knowing where you went to school, HSU is right for you. If you want to study any of the Sciences, HSU is right for you. If you choose to attend Humboldt State just remember, Public transportation is your best friend, bikes make life easier, don't stay indoors- go explore, board games/ food/ and friends (BgFFs) make any boring night specktacular. Humboldt State is the most Northern California State University (CSU), Instate Tuition (cheapest tuition of all CSU's last time I checked), but far enough so it's as if you're in a different state. *Update: I'd like to also mention in retribution to previous negative reviews, HSU does have a multicultural environment, unfortunately it's not as big as one might expect/ or like, but it is present, you just need to know where to look, usually the quad is a good place to start. There are many clubs and organizations revolving around the diversity of the campus. (((Also, as far as I know freshmen are allowed to bring vehicles; it's just strongly advised you don't because you'll be on campus most of the time, and you'll be taking up parking space.))) Thanks, and definitely visit before deciding. read more

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HSU home of the Lumberjacks. A great campus, nestled in the middle of a redwood forest, and within walking distance of the town it is a part of and within biking distance to the pacific ocean. Some departments are leaders or tops in their respective fields, you can get a good education in an amazing setting on a nice campus. The Campus Center for Appropriate Technology, with several environmental majors is at the top in its field; Biology and Biomedical sciences and Environmental & Natural resources. The CenterArts program brings great world class music to the area, The Van Duzer theater seats about 900 and is an amazing venue for live music and performance arts, along with the smaller Fulkerson Recital Hall and a couple of other even smaller performance venues on campus - The CenterArts annual music/performance schedule for each year always yields great music/performances and students of the campus can attend any of these for very little. Humboldt State also has an excellent research library, which I've used on more than one occasion when the county library did not have the information I required. I've read a couple long-winded reviews griping about all the things wrong "around" the college - which actually have nothing to do with the campus, facilities and programs offered at this institution of higher learning. 3.5 Stars - rounded up for one of the nicest college campus locations anywhere. 00369 read more

As a person of color I would NOT recommend HSU to others. There's a documented history of racist and religious intolerant material being posted in the common areas. At least two colored students have been murdered in town; their cases remain unsolved. As a student my car (and only my car) was continually vandalized, resulting in hundreds of dollars in repairs and my insurance bill doubling. The campus police are useless and all but one of the security cameras on campus are broken. My RA was always too high to be of any use (thankfully she was eventually fired) and her boss was unresponsive to my emails and phone calls. read more

Most amazing school ever!! I just went up there this last weekend for Fall early admissions day and I loved it! I got accepted and can't wait to start school there! :) I'm from sacramento and can't wait to get away from the city! If you like the city this isn't the place for you but if you love the environment and the outdoors then this is the perfect place for you! My favorite part is that there are trails 5 minutes from campus :) Everyone is super friendly and helpful! I couldn't think of a better place to go to college. read more

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It's a very elegant University. The fillet of California State Universities. The area is a culture shock from Los Angeles, it's supposed to be liberal in Humboldt County, however expect it to be less liberal than you thought. There hippies here, but a transient problem & high drug use, but doesn't every city have these problems? The University is small and great for social networking! It's a place to have coffee with your professor, to have small democratic classroom discussions. The students are very active in community issues and positive social change. Like Berkley in the 60s, Humboldt State University is making a name for itself as a prestigious progressive institution. read more

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Best University in most magical part of the country. The ONLY place to study as far as I'm concerned. Amazing professors, beautiful, peaceful campus, and a great deal economically speaking. read more

BEAUTIFUL campus! Redwoods and the beach surrounds you and it is a place you can totally fall in love with... if you visit. I went here for a semester and almost could not even last that long. I am from the bay area but this place is FREEZING! They tell you the temperature never goes above 75, and they mean it. Always windy, rains a lot, and you will slowly lose your tan despite having sunshine and the beach, it is often too cold to go out tanning. Campus is clean and large, easy to navigate, classes seem alright though not anything fantastic. Food on campus is rather great, especially the salad bar! Dorms are decent though nothing to brag about (I stayed in Cypress, 8th floor). DO NOT come here if you are someone who loves to be out doing things. The cities around here are extremely small and there is nothing amazing to do. Yes there are the common things including a mall that is about 20 min drive away. In fact anything you are interested in doing is a drive away. That being said, freshman are not allowed cars. There is a shuttle to take you but it is a pain in the ass. You will have a MASSIVE culture shock. It is inevitable. Yes there is a huge population of 'hippies' and stoners, that is pretty much a well known fact by everyone who has ever heard of the school. it is safe to say that if the smoking pot, hippie, laid back type of life is what you enjoy, this is the school for you. If it is not, I would go elsewhere. Nice to visit, not somewhere I would suggest going otherwise. read more

An ok school not much to do at all. The redwoods are pretty but that's literally all HSU really has to offer. The teachers are alright their programs are limited especially when it comes the medical field. I recommend going here for 2 years as a alright experience but transferring later for a better education in your specific field of interest. read more

Visited with our daughter. We were pleasantly surprised. Nice campus. Beautiful setting. Proximity to downtown is great. Facilities seemed nice, but some fairly dated. They seem to have very good natural science programs. Our daughter liked it too, just a bit far from home for her. read more

Took my ged test here! Really easy to get around and also very easy going test taking rooms. Got a white bird and marker to write notes and there's lockers for personal items to be stored during test taking. read more

I don't know I did not have the most pleasurable experience TO SAY THE LEAST. The cool thing about HSU is that the teachers are nice and helpful if you ask for help, but I feel that any CSU or UC system is that way, many people just choose not to ask. Overall if you love the city I would say HSU is a nice place to visit but a terrible place to live. I cannot wait to transfer to CSULB in the fall and get the H-E-double hockey sticks out of this god forsaken town! I am a city girl and so this is not my favorite area BY FAR! If you plan on getting your degree from HSU in 4 years then good luck. I have been here for 3 years and I have yet to hear of anyone who has graduated in 4 years (even art majors seem to take longer than 4 years for some reason). Problem number 2, as with all CSU's HSU has raised its tuition for the last 3 or 4 semesters in a row. It is getting expensive to come here. Plus all other big towns are 5-6 hours away and gas is about $4 a gallon right now so it's not that great of an investment if you plan on visiting family for break. Sadly I have experienced as a person of color that the towns people are not very nice when it comes to "outsiders" and they try to snub you. It's really ridiculous! The doctors in this town are terrible, and if you want to find one accepting patients then you better at least 6 to 8 months in advanced, if you try to get in any sooner then good luck! I had to literally call 24 doctors in the town before I found one that was accepting patients, and the only reason he was accepting people is because he had just opened his office that week. Things around here are really a monopoly and you will notice that it's mainly a few select people who own everything in Arcata and Eureka. Apartment prices in Arcata are jacked up way higher then they should be for this area, but I wouldn't suggest living in Eureka because of all the crack heads... but bums are crawling everywhere in Arcata so I guess it's just as bad. Big hippy town, but if you like that sort of thing go for it! Have fun no matter what you do and enjoy the experience. read more

The school itself seems like all they want is money from students whether they attend classes or not they still charge you an arm and a leg. The administration is rude and not helpful. They don't have great sources when it comes to transferring students from other locations. Jobs won't accept transfers, and to find a place to live you need to travel miles and waste money just to see an apartment that could reject you. If the school would like to boost its economy then they need to get things together for students coming from other locations. Many not wanting to live in dorms due you never know who they could be placed with they could be rude, bullies, reckless and etc. Plus what I have noticed is schools would LIE and say they are diverse schools and in reality, they are not. I would say I have only seen 5% schools that really are and make sure students are set before the semester starts. read more

I have had a great time as a student at HSU; both socially and educationally. Many of the people here are both interesting and fun to enjoy some good times with. When I was a bio major, I found the staff and students to be very intelligent, driven and committed to their work. As a communication major, I can't stress enough that the the whole department is full of awesome and dynamic people! The professors are fun and very knowledgeable, and the students (who are into it) are very cool. Just about everyone at this university (who lasts more than a year or two) is very down to earth, actually interested in life, and an all around pleasure to share a school with. The staff that I have dealt with are all great, accessible and reasonable people, (except for a handful of crappy ones, check ratemyprofessors.com) Arcata is a great college town; small enough to ride a bike or walk around easily, and progressive and student-oriented enough to provide for a great 4 (or 5) year home. The university campus is stuck right between the middle of town and the beautiful redwood forest, with a perfect view of the Pacific Ocean... and the campus itself is small enough to feel like your typical close-knit East Coast liberal arts college. This school is wonderful as it really does put the student first, even if it does have a few problems (like all universities do!) I would recommend Humboldt State to anyone looking for a smaller school, away from big metropolitan areas, in a great college-centric community (with forests and beaches!) I have made many wonderful memories here, in my little college-bubble, and am sure I will look back on my excellent experiences and education with fondness for many years to come. read more

Cal Poly Humboldt - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Arcata, California

Not a student here, but sat in on a Latin American studies film class, and enjoyed not only the film "Men With Guns" but appreicated the thoughtfullness and engagement of the students. I found that after 3 days in Arcata/Eureka, I saw not one person of color. Not ONE. Coming from the SF Bay Area this was strange and unsettling -- not an ideal place for a diverse educational setting... The Bio-Dome (Herbarium) was UNREAL - loved it - worth making the trek to check out. Wish the pitcher plants we more well-watered and some of the succulents looked sad, but overall well groomed and cared for. read more

Beautiful campus! So many redwoods and flowering plants, I felt like I was on a nature trail. The buildings look new, the dorms look super nice. The track looks awesome, I would love to run some laps. I love how there are so many sets of stairs! You get a workout just walking to and from class! Everyone seems to be really friendly here. I received plenty smiles and hellos while I was touring the campus. Honestly, if I could go here I would. Too bad I live in New Orleans! Anyhoo, the good looking black guy (Julian?) who has a lip ring that works at the bookstore was super friendly! He was really attentive and helped me pick out a goodie to take home. He was really personable, made me feel like we were already friends. He also answered my questions that I had about the university and told me what he liked about it. Thanks man! read more

This school is amazing in so many ways. The school is small which is good b/c you can easily find your class rooms. Also, another great thing about this school is that the forest is just behind the football field and in there you can find yourself either playing disc golf, hiking, or just a nice stroll though the forest. read more

Cal Poly Humboldt - View from campus apt. On a. Foggy morning - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Arcata, California

I want to preface this review by saying that I can only speak for my specific experience in my department, and I'm sure it is vastly different for students depending on what your major is. I was a local transfer student studying Child Development and had taken many of my general Ed courses at the local community college about 25 minutes from this campus. I was lucky enough to be accepted as a spring transfer, which they sometimes limit or do not allow. The advisor I had was Claire Knox. She was a wonderful advisor and I also had her as a professor in a few of my classes. I commuted from Fortuna to Arcata every day, and even though I had paid a good amount of money for a semester long parking pass, I would often have to park on the street and feed a parking meter. I would recommend keeping quarters handy if you're not arriving on campus very early. There are a ton of wonderful food choices while you're on campus, but they're all rather pricey. I was lucky enough to be able to pack a lunch most days since I lived close by. HSU accepted many of my courses and was able to apply them to my major. There was a particular general Ed class they wanted me to take, even though I had taken something very similar at College of the Redwoods. My advisor showed me the proper forms to complete and have signed by the dean to waive the requirement. I followed instructions and it was a fairly simple process. Though I knew I wanted to work with youth, I thought about changing my major a couple of times. At one point I was considering becoming a speech/language pathologist, which HSU does not have a program for. I decided to knock out a full summer of prerequisites for a speech therapy program via distance learning through a different university and enrolled in 12 units. I met with my advisor and explained to her that I didn't see myself staying at HSU since I wanted to pursue the possibility of speech therapy. She examined my courses through the other university, which were science courses based on communication disorders. She was able to apply those twelve units toward my Liberal Studies Child Development major by putting me on a specialized studies track. This allowed me to graduate with my Bachelor of Arts degree one semester earlier, which I couldn't resist. I'm ultimately happy that I did so, because I've considered many different career paths, all of which my foundational learning at HSU has allowed me to build upon. My experience was one of competent professors and a talented advisor who allowed me to get the most out of my time at HSU. While a student, I loved the beauty of the campus, and I didn't mind the steep hills and flights of stairs, as they were great exercise for me. I also utilized the student gym, which had lots of state of the art equipment and a rock climbing wall. It was a fantastic way to kill time in between classes. Though I was a Child Development major, one of the most impactful classes I remember to this day was a general Ed requirement through the Sociology Department titled Race and Inequality. Even though the particular professor I had was not the best at grading work, she opened my eyes to systemic racism and the prison industrial complex, and it ignited a passion in me to keep social justice at the forefront of all my pursuits within the educational system and all future coursework. My experience in HSU's Child Development Department was top notch, and I would highly recommend HSU to anyone considering the educational field. As a working professional in education, to this day, I continue to meet HSU students who are in the teaching credential program, and this school continues to make its students a priority. I almost always forget to mention the location, since I'm a Humboldt County native, but this beautiful campus is nestled in the redwoods and close to many beautiful beaches. If you love to go on hikes or to surf, you will LOVE the location. In addition, some of the best Humboldt breweries and restaurants exist on or near the plaza in Arcata. Whether you're seeking a college experience that includes late night drinks and live shows, or a more tame experience like visiting the farmer's market and enjoying some fresh crepes for brunch, Arcata has it all. read more

It is such a pretty campus! If your major has anything to do with the environment, you should definitely go here!

When you take away all the trees, all you have here is another business just looking to make money. We can start with on campus housing and the cost compared to quality of living. If you ever visited or stayed on campus you know the housing conditions are very poor. For example campus apartments are outdated and probably would not pass air quality standards with the amount of mold in the rooms. The cost ~$3067 a semester. Their meal plan is another joke, ~$3100 for a semester with ~$1260 in fixed cost, leaving you only ~$1800 to spend on food. The Gym , prepare to workout in silence, lol. I could go on. but as I said in the beginning the nature aspect is what only makes this area and campus survivable. If you are a college athlete definitely go somewhere else! Don't settle, the grass is always greener somewhere else. read more

Amazing view .nice clean air. People here are very nice .hope the kid will be a happy guy here . The soccer field is nice .right in front. read more

Cal Poly Humboldt - Foooooooooood - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Arcata, California

I loved going here. Almost all the professors are really fun and cool, and it's a chill atmosphere but you get what you put in. You always have the opportunity to learn a TON and even become an expert if you want to, but at the same time, you don't suffer too much if you just want to do the minimum. You can kind of choose your own destiny which is cool. Also, nice people, a lot of food options, and a GORGEOUS campus. I also love the shows they always have in the quad. read more

Beautiful campus in a beautiful county. You won't regret coming here unless you don't like getting rained on

Note- It's not so much the University that I have a problem with- it is much more the area where it is located and the student body...if you can get over those things/they don't bother you then this could be a GREAT school. I only lasted one semester at HSU, so don't put too much weight on my opinion. Also, I transferred to HSU right in the winter from HAWAII. Yikes. The weather is so miserable. During the semester I spent there it rained nearly EVERY day.... It is NOT fun to walk in the wind and rain and show up to class drenched. If you can somehow get over the depressing weather, there are some pros...and some more cons... It IS an absolutely beautiful campus, and Arcata is charming. There are beautiful beaches, places to hike and do other activities all around you (But, you can really only get out in the summer to do these because of the weather, and many students don't stick around then). There are great food options if you are vegetarian/vegan and a great natural foods store in town. Arcata is small so you can bike/walk to everything you need. At the same time, there isn't much to do. Eureka, the nearest 'big' town, has very creepy energy and a high rate of heroin addiction. The economy is depressed up there so it can tend to be low-income and solemn. Also, it will be really difficult to find a job if you are one of the many students who needs to work while in school. I applied at every place I could think of- restaurants, movie theaters, daycare... everything pays only minimum wage and there are never any openings due to the competition from nearly every other resident/student. I was unable to get a job (even at Starbucks in Eureka after having worked at the Starbucks in Hawaii for 2 years). I have no idea what I would have done if I had ended up staying longer. I had great teachers while I was there and I really enjoyed my classes. Based on the classes I took, I would say the faculty is great, but I only dealt with 4 teachers... I cannot say much about my fellow students. One of the main reasons I transferred to Humboldt was because I wanted to attend a school where people were politically/environmentally/socially aware and active, and Humboldt has a huge reputation for that. What I instead found was a bunch of idealistic young people who liked to talk the talk but were too lazy to walk the walk because they were stoned 24/7. You can't change the world when you are glued to the couch, high off your ass eating potato chips, even if they are organic. I often found it frustrating to be sitting in class looking around, realizing I was the ONLY non-stoned individual in there. Class discussions had to be forced by the teacher and often what students would come up with would be something like this... "uhhhh, mannnn.... yah...I mean, I think the book, like, like..realllly spoke to me...yahhh." Jesus, how many bong hits did you take this morning!!!!! UGH. I also found it difficult, as a transfer student, to make friends. It was always pouring and people seemed be rushing from one building to the next, trying to get out of the rain. No one was outwardly friendly to me, unless it was over mutually shared enjoyment of MJ. It would be nice to see more programs designed to help connect students to one another, college is supposed to be a time where you meet people and make connections! The gym is nice, they seem to have good student support services (such as free counseling), and they have some killer programs if you are majoring in Wildife/Forestry/Environmental Science. etc. I think it is the sort of place you definitely need to visit before deciding to take the leap and attend HSU. Walk around, spend some time taking it in, and REALLYYYY think hard about whether or not you want to call this place home for the next 4+ years... read more

I came here this weekend 26 years ago and this place transformed me in every positive way possible! Came back for a visit now and am happy to report the same love is here! read more

I personally had an excellent experience at HSU. I got a lot out of my time there, but I also know plenty for whom it was not a good fit. To help you make an informed decision, I'll list some plusses and minuses from my 5 years in Arcata as a CIS major . ****************** Plusses Column ****************** - Arcata is located in a remote part of Northern California, with some of the most stunning natural beauty in the world. - The people are for the most part much friendlier than I found growing up in the Bay Area. Folks say hi as they pass on the sidewalk, and if you ask somebody for directions to a building on campus, it's entirely likely they'll walk you there themselves. - The coastal redwoods are the tallest trees in the world and make for some of the most perfect hikes and mountain bike rides of my life. - The beaches are nearby and wonderful, whether you're looking for world class surfing (bring a wetsuit), scuba diving, a bonfire after dark, or just a place to walk on the sand and dip your toes in the water, Humboldt delivers. This part of the Northern California coast is truly breathtaking. My personal recommendations for splendor and beauty are the beaches at Patrick's Point and Trinidad. - The teachers at HSU are passionate and inspiring. The class sizes are small enough that they really get to know you. I found several professors during my time there that moved, provoked, and impassioned me. - Generally speaking, the community of Arcata is strongly liberal, eco-conscious, and politically active. Depending on your world view, this may or may not be a plus. For me it definitely is. - Humboldt County grows some of the best Marijuana in the world. ****************** Minuses Column: ****************** - After you graduate, during a job interview, future employers may wink at you and mime taking a toke when they see that you went to HSU, even if you never smoked a single joint the entire time you were here. - The nearest big city, San Francisco, is at least a 5 hour drive away, and that's if you can race down curvy HWY 101 without getting a ticket at one of the many speed traps. - Corollary: city folk may find the live music scene, culinary scene, and nightlife in general to be severely lacking behind The Redwood Curtain. - Almost all of the students at Humboldt State are white. - My friend once counted how long it would take, starting January 1st, for there to be a 24-hour period with no rain. She made it to May before she gave up counting. - When I was there, only 7% of undergraduate students graduated in 4 years. You have to know what your major is before you start, and anything with labs (ie: biology) is nearly impossible. - Last, but certainly not least, Arcata has a large population of gutter punks, street urchins, and dreadlocked hippies who severely fail to cover their severe BO with excessive amounts of Patchouli Oil. Feel free to message me if you have any questions, or ideas for things to add to the list. Until then, I hope this has been Useful, Funny, and Cool. UPDATE: from my friend and fellow alum, Justice B: "When you're not reveling in the grandiose nature, you can feel sorta crushed by the "Nothing" that seems to haven descended on the whole county ." I couldn't have said it better. read more

Oh, my dear Arcata! you will hold a place in my heart forever, I left a little bit of it in the beautiful redwood and ocean scenery, plus all the people, oh how beautiful it was to experience your awesomeness. HSU is by far the most beautiful campus in the UC/CSU system, just stepping out of the car you can smell the freshness of the place as a whole, instantly whenever you turn and see people walking around you just KNOW you are home. That feeling of being welcomed almost brought tears to my eyes, having lived in L.A for the most part of my life I thought I had truly stepped in heaven, hippie heaven, MY heaven (except the pot Lol) They dont call Humboldt County pot county for nothing and for those who think hippies = pot are so mistaken!, hippie is about being free and loving nature my gawd do you get this feeling on campus and everywhere else in Arcata, I can understand why many who came here have never left, you don't have to!. The beautiful scenery, great hiking location, they dont call it The Hills and Stairs University for nothing either XD the only down side might be the rain but I was lucky enough to be there for 3 full days and the sun was always out! The morning mist was just so refreshing, that solely based on that I almost decided to give up my major and get something else just to be able to attend this school! Hahahaha. Do I need to say anything else?! Oh, yes, this place does need a little more variety, its an almost all white school. Whatever happened to the asians, hindus and latinos the website boasts about? xD Not that it matters though!. Location wise some may complain because its so far away from evrything else, but really, for someone who has lived in the city for so long this place is just THE best place to be. I hope to come back soon too!. read more

My alma mater. A lot of what's to expect from HSU has been said already. Last time I visited was in summer of 2017 (I graduated in '09), but the place is a time capsule. Outside of a revolving door of businesses coming and going, here's what to expect from Humboldt County: 1. Drug addicts. Bay area kids are ALL druggies. DO NOT TRY TO ARGUE WITH ME ABOUT THIS. Anybody who knows Humboldt knows what strains are current. This is universal. Humboldt has three major exports; pulp, Dungeness crabs, weed. Anybody who's not smoking pot is hooked on meth. Most are into both. Blow, molly, shrooms, Reggae on the River, whatever, the culture in Humboldt revolves around experimentation and addiction. 2. Higher cost of goods. The gas gets carried in by one ship every week going up to Crescent City to avoid the Redwood Curtain. So you pay more for gas. All other items have around a 30% markup as a result. Then you have fair trade and co-ops. As a result, Humboldt County is expensive for cost of living versus consistent income 3. Few jobs. The truth is, the biggest employer in the area is HSU, and they pick work study students over general applications because the government foots 60% of the check, ie. FAFSA minority students. For all others, you can expect frictional unemployment. If you are currently employed by Starbucks, Wal-Mart, Target, or any other chain big box that still manages to exist in Eureka, you can expect a forced termination when you move to Arcata to attend college. It usually takes months to get your job back. If you try to get a local job, EVERYONE requires a resume. Attractive trust fund kids who fit in usually get picked first. Expect huge tension between locals and college kids. 4. The Homeless. They should make a reality show based on the local homeless in Arcata. Something in the line of Food Network's Dinner's Drive-ins and Dives. When I attended, Big Al was on the corner everyday on H Street right before frontage road asking for rent. On the campus bridge was the black fellow who made alien signal transmitters out of CD's and DVD's. He'd poop into a plastic bag in his pants under the overpass. Every. Single. Day. There's a term for the people who reside in the Arcata Plaza; the Plazoids. Plazoids range from 101 transients to local Trustafarians selling glass pieces from their parents SUVs. This is a tiny taste of the spectrum of homeless individuals you will encounter just in Arcata. When you consider McKinleyville and Eureka, Humboldt is nothing but a massive community of the worst people to prey upon other people for a living. 5. The bar scene. No college town is complete without it's bar scene clientele! This is both good and bad at HSU. Good news, if you're on a dime then you can get cheap beer with friends anytime before 1 am. Bad news is that there are no true clubs. They fold each and every year. The Ugly. Humboldt has a caste system that revolves around going to the bars and who you fit in with. There's the Alibi crowd, the Toby and Jack's crowd, (my God!) the Sidelines crowd, the Shanty crowd, the list goes on. If you want to survive college life at HSU, or have any personal life, you have to go to the bars... 6. Which brings me to number six, sex life in Humboldt. Women outnumber men by 2% on campus and you wouldn't know it. There is a drastic number of redheads who attend HSU. There's also a rather large proportion of the community who are hairy, rotund, practice poor hygiene. Factor in the percentage the LBGT community who are not "into you", the scant number of normally attractive people, people who are under the legal age, and the caste system in the area, HSU can be impossible to find people who you want to even date, let alone be around. There is also little entertainment in the area. Then you have HSV, HPV, gonorrhea, and chlamydia outbreaks to consider... The pretty women get superiority complexes because there's so few of them, the attractive men act like exploitative assholes, good luck finding an actual mate at HSU. 7. Campus. Gorgeous doesn't describe northern California. It will always be that way. No manner of people want to live in rain for 3 months straight out of a year. It's in the 40's nearly year around. As a result, Humboldt County has the most pristine beautiful northern rainforest national parks in existence, and the best campus of any State Campus. The campus has gone through a renaissance since I attended. They spent a bunch of my classmates money on more dorms, apartments, a parking garage, a new library, a huge business and sciences building. Humboldt's got problems but the campus isn't one of them. The staff is extraordinarily laid back and caters to the students. Administration is terrible. They will try to milk you for another 2 years if they can. You need to be vigilante in your academic load and challenge anything administration tries to pull. They will take liberties... 8. Shopping. There is none. And I still made it! You can too. read more

This school has some amazing pros, and some serious cons. The campus/area: The campus itself is stunning. The trees are beautiful and if you live on campus, it is amazing to just look out your window and see nothing but beautiful greenery. Now the town itself and Eureka is not so great. If you are into a rural style hippie living, this will be your oasis, however I just could not handle it for very long. Everything familiar to city folk is a long drive away. The trees, beautiful. The city? Not so much. The school administration: This was just okay, honestly, nothing special. Some staff are extremely unprofessional on the phone, but others are okay. Classes: Awesome. I really enjoyed my classes here. Most teachers are on a first name basis and its very laid back. The classrooms though are usually too heated. Wear layers here, your going to get hot in class and freezing outside. Overall, come here if you want a taste of the hippie life. There are usually strong feelings about Humboldt, either you love it or you hate it. Great school, really bad location. read more

I loved attending HSU (Class of 2013). The classes are small and it's a really personal, nurturing environment. The forest is literally HSU's backyard and the beach (Mad River) is only a 5 minute drive away. The bus is free with tuition/fees and the cost of living in Humboldt is amazing. When you hit 21, the local craft beer scene is unprecedented. I miss HSU/Humboldt every day (my husband, Class of 2014, will tell you it's true). The only problem with coming here is you will probably never want to leave. read more