Such an amazingly beautiful campus!!! The recent improvements really make this place shine. Gorgeous views around every corner.

After some time has passed since graduating in the Fall of 2023 with Cum Laude honors, I can safely say my experience at CSUC was more than worth it. The College of Agriculture helped me significantly in learning advanced concepts in regards to Plant and Soil Science as a transfer student from a community college. The job I currently work at aligns quite well with the curriculum taught by the dedicated professors both in general education and in the college itself. The campus itself is gorgeous all year long and the surrounding downtown area provides many helpful services to make life happen. The outdoor areas too are wonderful and are well worth exploring (time permitting). The financial aid package provided by FAFSA (highly recommended, if not mandatory to apply) too was something neither my dad or I expected to make use of. Not sure why some other reviewers experienced issues with the system. I experienced no problems the whole time while enrolled as a student. Perhaps my enjoyment of the experience is skewed due to the fact that the pandemic greatly altered many aspects of the university itself when I first transferred (then gradually rolled back). If I could, I would give 4.5 stars. At the end of the day, higher education is a choice, and CSUC was a great choice indeed for me! read more

Disappointing administration, hostile, inept and at times unprofessional. My assigned advisor so far has been practically useless and getting in to see someone else has been difficult. Once CSUC has your money, they seem to see you as an annoyance. The school seems to be optimized for extraction of money from students above all else. Once you put up with all that, you have a fairly uncompetitive degree from a school largely known for parties and drinking deaths. read more

Campus housing collected non-refundable $300 deposits and did not disclose the main dorm building on campus, Whitney Hall, was likely never to open again after failed attempts to fix HVAC and related issues. After moving from a priority list to a lottery with no ETA, our daughter was forced to find other housing or risk no housing at all. Chico State was unwilling to do the right thing and refund by request to those put in the unforeseen (by the applicants) situation. Many were placed in the same situation with no guarantee of housing availability and vocal about it on social media. Not very ethical. We'll consider other schools for our others. read more

As a Chico State alum, I spent my formidable years as a young adult in and around this campus and have so many cherished memories. Every time we come back just makes me feel so happy. The creek, the parks nearby, the bikes everywhere. It's a real college town. Summer is always more quiet than when school is in session. Even so, my kids were able to appreciate how pretty the campus is - even during a pandemic - along with reminiscing our days here as we ate lunch near the bridges along the creek and gardens. As for studies and social life, you'll get what you put into it. From here, I received a scholarship for grad school at UCLA. So you can be studious or a partier, or both. But for this very personal review, all I can really recommend is visiting Chico State, or whatever campus you choose, to help you decide where you'll go to college. And once you do, jump in 100% to get the most out of it. Those who tiptoe and not see the end goal, like getting a bachelor's degree, may let the little things get in the way. Chico State is a gem in my book and I'd recommend it to my own kids! read more

California State University - Chico - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Chico, California

So my daughter was accepted to Chico state. We flew down and rented a vehicle, for the" Day at Chico" in which I misconstrued as student orientation ....$900 plus dollars for plane tickets car rental and hotel stay, paid $200 dollars to confirm that you will attend the school in the fall, and paid $300 dollars to hold a spot in the dorms since we live in Southern Ca. Long story short we didn't get the financial support as we thought we would and dorm fees would be around about $1300. So, she did not attend the school. I repeat she did not attend 1 day or step foot on campus or in the dorms. Mind you all the fees are mandatory and you can not get a refund. So with that being said, why are they charging the kids fees for not attending. This is ridiculousness. They can't change their mind?? If you cant afford to attend you still have to pay fees. Then they call the kids who are 17 and 18 years old and threaten to put these charges on their credit and send the fees to collections. What credit? Didn't you get the $500 already. What did you do with that money? Ridiculous! Shame on you this is suppose to be a state school not a private institution. read more

Best School! transferred here from Cal Poly. The downtown is super cute and the hiking around is so pretty. read more

CSU Chico is actually a pretty good school, I have been attending chico since 2019 and am finishing up my bachelors degree in History, with a psychology minor. Chico state is an easy place to gain real world work experience and take on leadership positions. The support of many faculty and staff also has made my Chico experience one to always remember read more

Terence was 10/10, would recommend! Must ride while in Chico! I have to write more characters to post this read more

By far the best school I have been to. The professors are very helpful and knowledgeable. They are patient and very personable. We have a party reputation, but what school doesn't? The campus is absolutely beautiful. With 100's of types of trees, a Creek running through campus and the beautiful brick buildings, I feel this was a great choice. I love the college town vibe. Though schooling is always tough, I'm carrying on my dad's legacy as a soon to be Business Alumni. Nothing feels as good as earning my degree from such a great school. Many businesses enjoy hiring Chico State Alumni because we work hard and play hard. We work and learn the meaning of being a team player. I also love our moto: "Today Decides Tomorrow". If you plan on going here please give them a tour, you will love Chico State! read more

California State University - Chico - Rise garden :) - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Chico, California

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I transferred to Chico State from a junior college. I got a way better education at my junior college. The professors at Chico were pretty awful except for a few gems. The campus is really nice but Chico itself is full of transients and it doesn't feel safe to walk around downtown by the campus. If you're able to, research other colleges. It's not a nice place to live and majority of the professors didn't even seem qualified to be teaching. read more

Beautiful campus, friendly people, awesome student life. Everything in life is what you put into it you get out of it, so for those that did not get much out of it there you go! It has everything a great college could offer. read more

After some reflection, I've come to the conclusion that the English Department higher ups were not doing what is best for their students. Most staff are polite however it wasn't until I started treating my conversations with staff like I was preparing for a deposition, that I got results. Email and CC everything so you have a paper trail and they remember what they said better. This is especially true for the SCC! That staff speaks in loops; loves to give "sometimes" and "if" scenarios that take up time and aren't helpful and they differ wildly from individual to individual. Each counselor takes notes on their meetings for the next person. Prepare like they're all going to say the opposite! Better to make them see you're prepared than to be caught off guard. Around 2014 I had an asthma attack on campus and called the SCC to see if I could get a ride to the Student Health Center for a breathing treatment as I couldn't walk or talk well because I couldn't breath. The health center was aware of my respiratory infection and I had a standing breathing appointment for the next 3 days - essentially walk in and they had it set up for me. The speaker said "no". I asked if there was anything I could do; I couldn't breath. This took a while to say because I couldn't breath. They were so annoyed with me and said if I wanted an ambulance they could send that. Stress and commotion can make breathing harder. I didn't think I could handle that plus, I didn't need a hospital. I didn't think I could afford that. So I had to sit there, take a couple steps, sit, take a couple steps sit, from the library to the health center for around 40 minutes because they couldn't be bothered to send someone. I was able to get the breathing treatment and get home. I called to see if I could lodge a complaint and they said it would require interviews and a full account. It was dead week or midterms. I didn't have time. Hopefully they have gotten better with creative solutions but I very much doubt it. read more

This is a huge thank you to the NAK brothers and sister sororities who helped out our high school students. Despite being only 10% of the population, the student of color organizations who helped us with housing, financial aid presentations, tours and student panel-- we have several students who want to go there.... thank you for your honesty and personal stories. The campus it beautiful and going through a lot of remodeling. read more

Love this school! Recently finished my masters at SDSU and man I miss Chico! The professors are way better and actually care about their students (at least in the Engineering department). Its super cheap! and is a town with plenty to do. If you're worried about Greek life..SoCal is worse and yes theres homeless like anywhere else but you can live in a safe neighborhood for half of what you'd pay for a "cheap" apartment in a not so safe area here. Overall, great school with great people! read more

As a grad from a ways back, Chico and the campus were a big part of my life. Such is why the disappointment over the shithoke it has become. The campus wants to me like a big time hole while town wants to be like detroit. I can never go there again. read more

I just started here this fall and was excited, but as of lately chico has left a bitter taste in my mouth. I mailed in my verification for financial aid in the second week of July, but they didn't receive it until the end. Every week, I would call to check up on my aid, and was told everything was fine. The 17th rolls around no funds, because they lied and didn't complete my file. I had to take out a temp loan, yet as a single parent my rent was delayed due to my dependency on that money. By the time I got that loan, bills were piled up, even with a new job it's been hard to recover. Rents due again, funds were supposed to disburse tomorrow, but guess what?!!! Something was wrong with my financial aid and again a delay which is their fault. I turned everything in timely, and to make matters worse they don't even notify you I had to call. I've been to 2 colleges and they were more professional than this, emailed you when there were issues etc. Honestly, I could've started at San Marcos cause I got accepted there too! This is making me rethink my choice. read more

This school is a joke. All they care about is making money off the students. Parents beware of the housing lease. They will push you to get your kids to come the school but unwilling to help the studentvif they dont attend the school. If you break the renting lease you will have to find someone to rent the room. They arent willing to workout payment its all or nothing. Wow what a great way to show our young people of tomorrow how the world will chew you up and spit you out. No compromise no nothing!!!! read more

Love the chico small town feel! But, the novelty of Chico does get old and it does feel a but cliquey. I'm transferring to Sacramento State, but education wise Chico is amazing. As for on campus food there is not many options at all. Parking is a nightmare and you have to binge drink to have a social life. Im transferring because Im over the partying! read more

This review comes from me having attended from 2001-2005. I know what you're thinking; first you are really impressed, since that means I graduated in yes, 4 years. Listen up Chico State students, if I can do it, you certainly can! I really want to impress on you youngsters the importance of balancing your social life with your academic career. Say you have a final on Friday, and it's your least favorite class, and you haven't really studied at all. But that really hot person down the street is having the party of the century since his finals week comes to an end two days earlier. Guess what? This isn't some 80's romantic comedy where you'll never see said hot person again! It's Chico, and most likely they will be a student there for 8 years. Hot people are a dime a dozen, but that shitty grade will be forever plastered on that little thing you would call a transcript. So get your butt to the library where there aren't distractions (unless you're sitting in the magazine area where indigenous boobies are gracing the covers of all the National Geographics) and get in your study groove. The other thing that you have to learn when you're a student is the complexity of your schedule. You have it mastered by your third year. You know NOT to even think about taking a Friday morning class, because let's be realistic- it's not going to happen when Power Hour and buck night still exist (laughs to self). It's all about doing everything you possibly can to get the Tues-Thurs schedule, because who doesn't love four-day weekends? Next, once you graduate, you're going to feel awesome. You're going to think you're better than everyone who's still a student. When you visit, you are going to brag to your friends about that job you got, and secretly hope that the bartenders in the area haven't forgotten you. They haven't, and you continue to feel awesome. Then it's been a year since you've been back, and when you drop into La Salles, you feel like a dirty old cougar who's overstaying her welcome in a town that has clearly moved on to other young scantily-clad 21 year olds. It's been 6 years since I've graduated. It still feels like I was a student there last year. I miss the town, being able to walk everywhere, and all the free stuff there is to do. The campus is absolutely beautiful, and the small class sizes were so instrumental to my education. If you haven't realized these things while you are there, you will when you're gone. I love you, Chico State. read more

Visited with my senior and was blown away by the campus! It is beautiful!!

It is wierd to think you can yelp a review on your college! Anyway, Chico brings up a terrible year of my life at Whitney Hall. I also made some great friends and had some fun. In the end, the place was not for me- I couldn't wait to get the hell away from the place. The rampant drug use and overall abundance of slackers and underachievers who are attracted to that culture really turned me off. It seemed like everyone there was on some kind of academic probation and barely qualified to even get into the CSU system.... The professors there were really good and the campus itself is beautiful and tubing on Labor Day weekend is an awesome time.... read more

My time at CSU Chico was great and I wouldn't change it for anything. There's so much to do and the people who attend the school are amazing. Most of the people who go there are easy going and enjoying the place as much as you are. Are there parties? Of course, it's Chico. But any school can be a "party school" if that's what you want your experience to be. I graduated in 4 years and was able to balance school, work, and a social life and had a lot of good times. Once your their for a while you get bored of the Labor Day crowed coming into town and you figure out something else to do while they're up visiting. There is some crime but I never had a problem. I went out to bars, house parties, and just about everywhere else and never got mugged or even into a shoving match with anyone. The professors for the most part are pretty cool and the programs that the school has to offer are pretty awesome. I got a degree in Business Admin but they had good programs in Computer Science, Teaching Credentials, Nursing, Recreation, and a host of others. I would recommend going to this school, without hesitation, to anyone considering going there. For incoming Freshman, look into the Craig Hall dorms, there a little bit off campus and its run by a private organization but its worth it. Its cheaper than living on campus by $1000 - $2000, the rooms are larger and you don't have community bathrooms. read more

Oh Chico where on G-D's name do I start It all started with the application process, when I got a list of all the cal state schools and decided to send in an application to this school. About a month later I get an email saying congratulations you have been accepted to california state university of chico. My experience there has been amazing, easy to get classes, beautiful fitness center probably the best i have ever been to in my entire life, friendly people, cheap rent nd super cheap alcohol prices at the bars what more could someone ask for. All at half the price of uc school read more

Full college experience that will be with you for the rest of your life. I work with many folks who went to much larger and fancier schools, but nothing will beat the college experience and the camaraderie you get from Chico State grads. Beautiful campus and town. Lots of outdoor activities. Fun bars and restaurants all over town. A big focus of the town is the university. Shorts and flip flops are always in fashion. There are pitfalls just like any college. It's up to the maturity level of the student if they will finish or move on to other things. In life, you will have to make decisions on what you want to do, accept, partake, or deny. Slack off and you will not graduate. Balance your social life with your primary goal of graduating, and you have a good shot of being successful while having a great time going through it. I know many friends who graduated from Chico State that are very successful AND are happy with their lives & careers. Graduated with a BS in Business MIS. Worked for IBM, SAP, Apple, and EMC Corp. Chico State grads are fun to work with and know when to be professional AND when to cut loose & have a great time. read more

Chico is the best... sure it's not an ivy-league, though we have our fair share of ivy and trees galore! Sure the facilities are outdated and cheesy to butte (hehe). I adore the brick buildings, grassy lawns, small campus, engaging activities and creepy library... I wouldn't have it any other way. :) read more

This was a couple months ago now, but I figured someone would want to know this. I was looking to transfer to CSU Chico for the Spring 2020 semester. The application forums had said that all Spring 2020 admissions for CSU Chico closed on 7/31 while the CSU Chico website had said 8/31. I called to ask for help and to figure out why I got conflicting messages. I got transferred to someone else, who asked if I was a lower division transfer, which I would be. After I told her, she said that weren't accepting any lower division transfers and hung up on me. The CSU Chico website never mentioned anything about not taking lower division transfers. I'm more sad about it than angry at this point, but in retrospect what can I do? (By any means, I don't intended on this deterring anyone from the school, I just want folks to be aware that this happened.) read more

Chico State has enormous potential. With recent budget cuts, and the usual superfluous spending of any big organization, it doesn't quite reach up to what it could be, but that's not for lack of trying. There seem to be a large number of staff that really believe in the school, and care about the students that go there. The campus is especially beautiful. The classes, well, they are what they are. Recent education trends see no departure here, and you're likely to be left feeling like you haven't really learned much beyond the first or second semester. This isn't any one person's fault, not the instructor, or the major, it's just how our laws make us do education. But the reality is you're going to find that at any public school, unfortunately (and even a lot of the private ones). The students can go either way. There are so many nice and friendly students, but as with any place in life, sometimes you run into people that aren't so great. There is a big "frat boy" atmosphere, but you can avoid that quite easily if that isn't your thing. The night life is good. Campus is right on downtown Chico, which is beautiful, and has a lot of great places to shop and eat, and of course, way too many bars. The city of Chico is the real treasure though. I've never felt so close and loyal to a city. It has the perfect blend of small town vibes, but thanks to the college, you get a lot of the "big city" perks (like restaurant chains, bars, etc.). read more

When I graduated in '91, tuition was $700 per semester, now it is $6,500. I'm sure the education is fine, but I give Chico State one star for it's outrageous tuition increases. Way to sock it to the students, state of California read more

California State University - Chico - occupy chico state - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Chico, California

I recently started going to Chico State as an RN to BSN student and I'm doing an online 15 month program. The staff has been extremely helpful and when I do go out to the campus (around once a semester) the resources are great on campus. The campus is also beautiful. I can't say how easy it is to get into classes because I'm in a preset schedule planned by the nursing department, but getting into the program was easy in comparison to other colleges. read more

This is where I got my BS. This is one of the best schools, because a four year degree usually takes approximately five and half years. In the first year most students learn the value of deactivated charcoal for alcohol poisoning. The campus is always up to date and there is always remodeling going on. The dorm food is alright, but I noticed on about the 6th and 7th day they usually make Chinese stir fry. This stir fry consists of the previous five days of food. This is a fairly affordable place to live for a college town, because it is in the middle of no where. There are many activities to do here if you ever get bored you can always go cow tipping or the local bar. There is a beautiful rose garden, but I suggest only picking the roses at night if you are going to give them to your loved one. The library is quite large, but with the advent of the internet makes it obsolete. All recruiters that go here know that if your child can graduate from this school they have a strong liver and they are DRIVEN. These students will probably get multiple job offers. The only disadvantage to this school if that there is no ocean close by and bikinis are at minimum. If you are a fun loving student, want to have some fun, and can get off of academic probation, this school is perfect for you. If you just care about doing calculus and homework all night go to Cal Poly GEEK. Today Decides Tomorrow. read more

A very nice Campus for a very good university! Old-style buildings, flowers and trees everywhere... a long history after Mr. Bidwell and his wife that made Chico the city of roses A good choice of sport insfrasctures (the Wrec center is AMAZING) A good choice of snacks, shops and cafeteria. A nice, large and quiet library for late studies And the bookstore with a very cool Apple departement, Chico States clothes and Wildcat sport wears and Chico states goodies.... I'm now graduated, I'll miss it. read more

easy to get all classes walk to school or take your bike cheap bars chico state party school. great sorority life. college town. cheap food. hot weather. lots of tress and nature. a river through campus great people! read more

College of Business staff is very helpful and I received a great education although its getting tough to keep it up their with the budget cuts. As far as crime yes, but also don't be dumb, for example go to peoples houses you don't know, walk home by yourself at night. The school will give you a ride if you feel unsafe or take a taxi its cheap! I am glad that I received my education from Chico read more

Csu chico is a great party school, but crime in chico is horrible, their online department is horrible, their technical support for computers is horrible, and their classes are only somewhat good. 2 stars for partying read more

I've got nothing but warm feelings about this school. Sure, there are a few things that could be changed, but for how large of a system it is, it's like 1 percent dislike versus 99 percent LOVE. When I was visiting the campuses of the other schools I was accepted to, nothing "stood out" to me. From the first step onto Chico State's turf, I knew that this was the place to be. The teachers I had were amazing, funny, interesting, knowledgeable, helpful, caring, and so much more. They wanted to know you on a personal level so they could help you the best they could, and heck, 2 years after graduating I'm still friends with some of my teachers! Sucks that the semester after I graduated they finally opened the WREC center, and that tuition prices are now almost double, but you win some you lose some. read more

A lot of reviews have valid points about the homeless/drug crisis in Chico. But I'll be solely grading this school based off my experience with the campus alone and disregard the environment around it. I transferred to Chico state from a community college and I thought the university was cool and interesting for the first couple of weeks, but it quickly became a drag. My biggest critique of Chico state revolves around the teachers, everybody I knew that transferred from a community college universally agreed with me that Chico state's teachers were worse than the teachers at the community colleges that they attended. This is due largely in part that the teachers here are ironically not actually hired for their teaching skills but moreso for their capability of earning research funding for the school. Some of the teachers I had were ok, but others were very rude and arrogant. This is pretty common for universities but they need to factor in teaching skills as a greater importance than they currently do. Also living on campus is pretty awful since you can easily get paired up with a roommate from hell and can only switch roommates if someone else wants to switch too. I also have a huge issue with how this school ultimately doesn't care what happens to you after you graduate, all they care about is how much money you can give them and also how good you can make their graduation rate appear. Here's my advice to anyone going to not only Chico state but college in general, you really have to do your research to make sure you're majoring in something that's useful, because colleges are a business and that makes you the customer, a useless major and a useful major both cost an equal amount in tuition which is all the more reason to not waste your time here if you're getting a bad degree. I know a lot of people who liked Chico State but I hated my experience here and couldn't wait to graduate. read more

There is a lot of good things to say about Chico State. First of all, there is no issues with parking because every house I lived at was close enough to walk. And rent in Chico is so cheap! Everyone at Chico State, the students and the staff are all very nice and helpful. Everyone wants to study together and help each other out. You get to know so many people (especially if you are a part of Greek life) then you know someone every where you go. I met so many friends just by having them in the same class. The advisors and staff here are super helpful and only want students to succeed. Someone is always there to answer your phone call and help you with anything you need. I don't care what people say, Chico State is a huge party school. Every weekend there is many parties to go to, even on the weekdays my neighbors would be drinking and blasting music on there porch. If you want the full college experience, then this is the place to go. The only downside is that Chico is so far away from anything. I'm from Santa Cruz so driving home was like 4 hours and it got pretty annoying. Also there's no beach close at all :( read more

For starters, CSU Chico is a beautiful campus. It's calm here yet super fun when you're in the mood for it. Most of the professors are amazing and I just absolutely love it here. It's my third year and I've changed my major a billion times. The wrec center is AWESOME. If you're into health and fitness this is the perfect place. Dog friendly, I walk around campus with my pit bull all the time. I'm still going strong here constantly learning and enjoying life. Just randomly felt like writing a review for anyone thinking about coming here! read more

I absolutely love attending CSU, Chico. The campus is just amazing! And so far I have encountered nothing but good people. Professors and students alike. read more