This college campus has intrigued me for a while. I read an article in Forbes last year that had the 25 colleges with the most bang for your buck, and Cal State Channel Islands made that list. I think the average student debt upon graduation was a few thousand dollars? I have since been trying to convince my high school age daughter, subtly of course, that this is the college for her! I came here once to see a play that was in the black box theater. That was at night time so I didn't get to check out the campus very much. But it was really pretty at night- there are a lot of strung lights around the small streets. Makes it seem very intimate and inviting. Another time, I came during the day just to drive around and check out the various buildings/layout. I believe this site was an old state hospital? You can still see some of the old buildings versus the new ones. It all comes together really nicely I think. I came for another visit last weekend & walked around the campus with my daughter. It was a Sunday and we were looking for a non-crowded place to get outdoors, as we are trying to practice social distancing while getting some fresh air. I'm happy to say my daughter really enjoyed walking around this campus. It's really open and there's plenty of parking, plenty of visibility for sure. My review doesn't include anything about the academia of the school from personal experience, although I have read great things about it and know a few people that have gone here and enjoyed their experience (they were all gainfully employed, as well). I'm glad to have this lovely campus near us to visit and enjoy walking around. Oh, and my pup loved her walk here as well. Keeping fingered crossed that my daughter gives it a deeper look come college time! read more

See all

Even after paying fees I still have a hold on my account. Also had to take a multicultural art class where the instructor was always making fun of my drawing ability and saying I suck. I was on the honor roll at Ventura college but I have not liked attending here at all. My sister did not like attending here either. I would recommend Ventura college but definitely not channel islands. read more

This review is for the food court area. Really makes me want to be in school again. Cute patio area with live-in units above. Sort of feels like a college version of Downtown Disney. Plenty of food choices for the hungry college student. Great place to meet up with friends or study mates between classes. I came here and enjoyed lunch with my daughter. Definitely coming back for another visit! read more

See all

The campus is beautiful and in a nice area. My family and I visited the campus for possible college for my child. The orientation was very professional and the staff was very engaging. All my questions were answered! read more

Amazing opportunities here. Don't listen to the parents below who are angry about their own lack of a college degree and thus feel obligated to tear others down. The classrooms are old but it is a campus that was made using old buildings of what was before. You want them to completely remodel the building that classes are held in every single day? Sure let's relocate these students constantly because Crystal and Jean feel the need to vouch for their grown child and Brandon had a bad professor (welcome to life). I mean come on. Okay, okay. This review isn't for the reviews below me. This is for CSU Channel Islands, obviously elevated from these baboons. CSU Channel Islands offers incredibly 1 on 1 opportunities with not only Professors but also staff that you can work under as a student worker. We are one of nine universities in the nation offering free trips to the Channel Islands. Reread that. Not in California. In the NATION. One of nine! Due to the small class sizes, the teachers remember you and are willing to work with you. The campus has so many programs for students that it is hard to feel alone unless you are actively avoiding any and everyone. Most Professors are wonderful, understanding, and easy to work with. Same with the students! Unless you want to go to some trashy UC who only care to party, come on over! You're welcomed with open arms. read more

The CSUCI dorms and Housing Office has a lot to be desired. Currently, my child is addressing the following issues: 1. The dorms do not have air conditioning! 2. The washers stink to high heaven. 3. The Housing Office is grossly incompetent! 4. The RAs are always going into students' dorm rooms to check for "mold" in refrigerator. This area of CSUCI needs to be overhauled. read more

My entire experience here was absolutely trash. It is not really a "new school" anymore but still has tons of construction going on, as they try to clear out the remaining structural portions of when it was the state mental hospital. Generally they are fine as long as you know your way around the university system. Often if I needed help, folks were confused on who I should speak with or would take a long time to return calls/emails. The sociology department was haphazard and had lots of rotating staff. My statistical analysis course had the professor quit without notice, never show up to work the first week, then we got slammed into a newly created course with a professor that they hired laat second. She was a recent UCLA grad with all the attitude of letting you know she was smarter than you and did not have time to answer your questions. She was okay during office hours, much less condescending and volatile, but in class she rushed through concepts and made a ton of errors. I graduated cum laude, and this class literally dereailed what would have otherwise been a magna or summa completion. I even attempted to dispute the grade but was told she had quit after the one semester she taught and they couldn't do anything to help me appeal since she left. I only went to this university out of convenience. Grateful my grad school is through a different university. Enter at your own risk! read more

This is our 4th year at CSUCI. We get to enjoy this beautiful campus for Band Camp. I've always loved how clean, well kept and green this campus is. We have been in 3 different dorms so far. They are all clean and have all the essentials! I love that the kids have a gym, rec room and a pool to enjoy after their 10 hr day marching. This year I got to meet Lisa. She was fabulous! Polite, professional and friendly. Gave us all the info that we needed and even followed up. This is why we love coming here for Band Camp! read more

Compared to CSU Northridge, this school is a a joke and doesn't even come close to that level of quality. Decrepit and unkept buildings all over campus with foliage growing on them. There is an embarrassingly small amount of available classes held in dingy classrooms and usually you end up getting forced to take one professor for certain subjects. In the poli sci department, they have one particular professor Sean Kelly who is a damper on the whole department due to his horrible quality as a "professor". Not worth attending this school. read more

4 star school and here's why: (my opinion) Pro: At other colleges you do not offer you the ability to switch to another BA or BS. I came in the school as a art major and switched to science and graduated 2 years after my switch. Pro: Professors know you on a first name basis and, for the most part, teach they preach in the business major program. They will meet with you during office hours and will help you learn the material. I would have failed upper level economics if it were not for this. Pro: The food that they offer is better than most colleges. Buffet style compared to tray style charging at other schools. The cooks are always nice and will go out of their way for you unless they are slammed with orders. Pro: Your fellow students are down to earth here. Yes everyone has their opinions but, for the most part, are willing to listen to the other side of an argument before submitting their opinion in the business major program. Con: The administration here is very lacklustre. Some of the staff are very hardworking and will go above and beyond for you while others leave you in the dark. I think this is either due to some having more work than others or lack of training. Regardless the student workers do contribute do this problem and although they do need employment, they should not handle professional matters unless property trained and promoted. There you have it! CSUCI in a nutshell! read more

Safe clean, peaceful campus with lots of resources and opportunities. Also, best bang for your buck with some pretty scenery. They have some of the friendliest people i've ever met, especially compared to other colleges. Transferring was pretty flushed out as well. What you give out is what you get out of life! read more

My son graduated from here in 3 years! He was able to get all of his classes unlike most other schools. It saved a years worth of money. It's a beautiful campus and is surrounded by an agriculture community. It's a big commuter school too read more

I graduated from this campus in '05 and I really loved my time spent here. The campus is gorgeous, I could interact personally with many of my instructors. I feel most of us then were pretty spoiled at the attention we received. In fact I still keep in touch with one of my instructors. Yay for social media! However, returning here in '09 was an entirely different story. I obtained my teaching credential in Special Education. Several SPED facility members, one in particular, have HORRIBLE egos and make sure that YOU KNOW they "run" the SPED program. If you cross one of them, by breathing INCORRECTLY, prepare to be black-balled and you'll have hell to pay. Trust me. My supervisors in the SPED program (during student teaching) were rude and condescending towards me. I was called into a "disciplinary" meeting because I was asking "too many" questions in one of my courses. Since when is asking questions a bad thing? I wanted to understand what I was being taught. Instead of receiving support from the SPED program faculty, I was penalized. I had to bring an Advocate with me to this meeting). It was horrible. I didn't receive any support during my program. I was entirely alone navigating a very confusing program. It was a very cut-throat environment which is so saddening, especially since we are all involved in Special Education. Overall, it's exciting to see the growth and changes at CI. But I DO NOT recommend their Special Education credential program. Go to APU or CLU instead. read more

I graduated the summer of 2009, so this is based on my experience around the time I was there. I, like many others have thought about which CSU school to go to..CSU Northridge or CSU Channel Islands. I opted for CSUCI because I did not want to deal with the parking at CSUN. Prior to transferring here, I took my GE classes at Moorpark College and was surprised at how small the classes were (the rooms and number of student). But looking back, I really appreciated going to a university, where the student teacher ratio was a lot like grad school. I got a chance to really know my professors, who ultimately helped me get into my dream grad school- University of Michigan. I remember when I first started attending CSUCI, the library was near the bell tower in a small cramped building that always had a temp of at least 85 degrees. But once the new and greatly improved library was finished, I was in heaven! The structure itself doesn't flow well with the rest of the structure around, but it's a huge improvement from the original library. Everything is pretty spread out-bookstore, library, parking, etc but what a great way to get some exercise in! I was so happy when they finally put in some eateries. Tortillas by the bookstore is delicious and pretty filling. The only other restaurants they had when I was still there was subway, market and a fro yo place (other than the cafe.). I love at how peaceful the whole campus is. There are definitely times where the campus has a creepy vibe because of the bars across the windows, but the school definitely has become more welcoming and beautiful. read more

This review comes from the perspective of a Fall 2019 graduate who majored in English and emphasized on multicultural literature. When I chose CSU Channel Islands it was due to two factors, the major and the classroom sizes. I expected that the small classroom sizes would help me build relationships with other students, as well with the professors. The good: I had in mind that I would eventually want to get a master's degree, so I figured that having a close relationship with the teachers was a great way to get a letter of recommendation in the future. I also figured that being in a small classroom would keep me from potentially slacking off, it would be hard to just be a name or number in the middle of a large pool of students. Now I'm in a position where I've looked for work in education and am looking into graduate school. The small classroom sizes pushed me to work harder than I would've in a larger class since I couldn't hide from anyone. Since I was able to contribute a lot during discussions and took advantage of office hours, I did become close to some of my professors, which have since been more than happy to write letters of recommendation for me. The campus itself is perfect for anyone who's looking to get a quality education, it's not a party school. The library is filled with great resources and a staff that's more than willing to help you with anything regarding research! I also like that if someone doesn't know something, they at least direct you to someone who can provide you with the answer you're looking for. Their resources won't come to you, you have to go to them. I went to one of their job fairs and was hired for a summer job that helped me get a job right after that summer. The bad: The parking sucks, it's time for CI to invest in a parking structure because students pay way too much money for a parking pass that doesn't guarantee parking. I'm not even exaggerating when I say that if I had class at 12p, I had to plan to arrive at about 10:30a to start looking for a parking spot. More exit routes are needed, there were two incidents during my time at CI where students and staff had to quickly evacuate the campus - they were sitting dolphins, out in the open, exposed to danger. Overall: I had an overall good experience at CI and would totally recommend this school to anyone who's looking into studying one of the majors that they offer. read more

Coming to Channel Islands was one of the best decisions that I have made! One of the biggest things that the University prides itself on is being Student Centered, and I truly does live up to that. I am an Organizational Communication major here with a minor in Psychology. The Communication here is truly great and it comes from the Professors here. Instead of just memorizing information to pass tests the professors in the Communication program (as well as others) look to teach you how to apply and develop your skills. I tend to come up with Ideas and concepts of my own and I have gone many times to professors with my ideas, and they have helped me to develop them. The nice part about being at CSUCI is that it is a smaller University and students tend to have a big role in helping the University develop (since it is a fairly young university). This being said there are many opportunities for students here from jobs, to getting involved with organizations, clubs, student government, Class Curriculums, and even making connections and networking within and outside of your Discipline/Program. One feature that many classes take advantage of is Service Learning, where the class works with businesses and organizations in our local community to help they as well as help us develop skills, gain experience, and network for when we enter into our respective fields. As I mentioned before there are opportunities to get involved with class curriculums. I have an interest in film making and content creation, So professors in multiple classes have allowed me to make videos to demonstrate concepts learned and gain practice. Even after I have moved on from these classes professors still play my videos as demonstrations to their other classes. Every now and then I have people around campus come up to me saying that they saw the video that I made. The student body here is great. Many of the other students here are very dedicated and I have made many friends and connections here that I plan on keep far past when I graduate (this is my 4th year by the way). I have met many student in which we have helped each other using our respective major and skills to help each other in school projects, business ideas, and career finding. From some of my connections here I have received many job offers as well as paid internship opportunities. If you are looking for a college with endless opportunities, quality instruction, and a great social scene this is it. The key factor however is that the university can only give back to you what you put into it. Meaning you should join clubs, make friends with your professors (go to their office hours), look for opportunities to reach out and go the extra mile. read more

Came here on a tour with the los angeles valley college trio program. The school in itself is unique. It used to be a mental hospital which of course they refuse to tell you during the tour, which by the way was the most boring school tour I've ever been a part of and ive been apart of at least 12 thanks to trio. Everything they spoke about you can learn on their website. They showed us literally no buildings, no student housing, the rec center or where students get their lunch. Keep in mind almost every school tour I been apart of does this. I learned nothing new from the tour. Also this school has no life, no fraternities and no sororities. Get good grades and go to a better school. That's my advice. Two stars for the uniqueness of the school only. The staff is not as friendly as they claim to be. read more

CSU Channel Islands - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Camarillo, California

This school is seriously the best years of school. In the psychology department Virgil Adams was a tough professor but I am so grateful for him being the leader was and is today with the program. He has seriously set me up for success through my Masters program at Vanguard University. The amount of work he wants his professors to give you is well worth it and prepares you for the amount of work in grade school. I really enjoyed the smaller class sizes because there is more one on one attention and office hours and your professors will know you. The only bad things I saw here were parking of course you do have to arrive earlier than your class in order to find parking at reasonable time. The other thing was the lack of things to do in the area but I saw that as a good thing as I was able to focus on school work rather than other distractions. I would really recommend anyone to go here it will be a great experience. read more

It's not ghetto or ratchet-like Cal state LA or Dominguez hills. The school is very safe and cops are always patrolling the campus. I was able to meet amazing professors and staff. I enjoyed the few months on campus. Despite my mental breakdown, I enjoyed this campus, and it's not haunted. read more

I absolutely love this school. I graduated in 2010 and I can honestly that CSUCI launched my professional career and also allowed me to meet some of the most important people of my life. I met the love of my life there which I'm so thankful for. CSUCI has an excellent study abroad program. I ended up studying for a year in southern Spain which was such an incredible experience. I then joined the Peace Corps and eventually got my masters in Public Health from Columbia University. Currently, I'm about to join the Foreign Service as a health officer for the United States Agency of International Development. I can honestly say that CSUCI is what started it all. I wouldn't be where I am today without this school. Lovely campus, great professors, beautiful memories. Thank you CSUCI!!! read more

This review is strictly in regards to the admissions office. I made a phone call regarding transfer students orientation and had not gotten a phone call back for three business days (this was in early December). The office and its administration lack professional demeanor nor do they want to assist their incoming students. read more

I'm a undergraduate student at CSUCI. I have had a wonderful experience with my time at this university. Since I am in my mid twenties, I was looking for a campus to solely focus on academics and not so much the social aspect. This campus provided exactly what I was looking for. Majority of my professors have been very helpful and personable. Dr. Lydia Dixon (Health Science Staff) has made my experience extremely welcoming! She went above my expectations of a well rounded, understanding professor. There are many tools and resources given to student to help succeed in and out of school. read more

What a great campus. I'm only in my second semester at CSUCI and I love it. The campus is beautiful!! The campus buildings are spread out, which is great because I like walking around. Its bad though when you are late to class because there is no parking. However, I'm glad that parking is spread out because it gives the campus more scenery. Not like other schools that are just big parking lots. A lot of people like to believe that the campus is haunted because it used to be an old mental hospital. But even taking night classes, it is not that bad. The buildings are mission style. Within some of the buildings, they have little courtyards. Its a very "California style" campus. Other than the look of the campus, the professors have all been decent. Of course all the upper division professors seem to care a little bit more. There are some newer professors, but the ones I have had did a fairly good job. The class sizes are pretty small, no more than 50 (for a larger class). That gives you a better chance to get to know the professor and for them to know you. Overall, I'm glad to be at CSUCI. If you go, you'll find that you will really like the campus and you will have to check out TORTILLAS, the on campus restaurant. Its also wonderful. But you can check the review I did on them :) read more

A very small campus that use to be a mental hospital, so its secluded between mountains and fields. Classes are very small only about 24 students per class. All the professors are either foreign with strong accents or new grads that lack in teaching skills. Parking on campus isn't great. I personally think community college is better than this university. Compare CSUCI with the other Cal States...this school is at the bottom of the pitts. read more

CSU Channel Islands - Bell tower - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Camarillo, California

See all

Ok, I have to admit, I am so proud to be an alum of CSUCI! Freshman year sucked (I was the only person in my group of high school friends that went off to college so it was difficult being away from them), but everything changed once I made friends at CI. I ended up graduating with honors, I was accepted into USC for graduate school, and now I'm earning my Doctorate in Education. By the way, I'm only 23 years old. CSUCI carved my path for academic success. My mentor, Dr. Kee, has been the cornerstone for my pursuit of higher education. *Shout out to Dr. Kee, you're the bomb!!!* Due to the small class sizes, my professors actually paid attention to me and pushed me to go to graduate school. I didn't think I had what it took to survive in graduate school, but I just graduated from USC with a 4.0 and my Master of Science degree in Psychology. CI prepared me so well! I would have never pursed this without my CI professors. By the way, it doesn't hurt that I also met the love of my life during my senior year at CI. 10 stars for that!!! read more

The campus is beautiful and the community support is great. I like that CSUCI is small and the classes provide a more intimate connection with teachers. The small town factor is definitely why I chose CSUCI over CSUN. That being said, the administration is terrible. I have had way too many problems with administration considering the short time I've been here. Their complete lack of ability to listen to a student or even ask for a student's opinion/problem is astonishing. I once reached out to the assistant director of the Business and Econ program about switching from Business to Econ and he told me that graduating early is not a good reason to switch and I should stay with Business. Now, I work full time. I have 2 kids. I don't really want to take a full time load at CSUCI for 3 more years, so obviously, graduating earlier is THE ONLY reason to switch majors. I just need a degree. I don't care if it's in Unicorn finger painting. I just need a degree as fast as possible. Counselors... ugh... They're pretty terrible everywhere, but CSUCI set a record for worst aftertaste. My counselor tried to talk me out of taking more classes. Ok, cool, whatever, that's your opinion, thanks counselor. But when I try to move forward in the conversation, it's my belief that a counselor shouldn't try to talk you out of attending school. She took as little information from me as she could and then tried to tell me what to do. I said I have a job and asked if she had to work while she attended school. She let me know she's a parent and that's like a full time job. Oh honey, no, it isn't. I have 2 kids too and when I told her that, she said I need to "give up" one of my commitments. Hey lady, we both know it won't be my job or kids. Your job is to help me get through school, not to talk me into dropping out. Financial aid also sucks here. They have "peer advisors" there to stare at you blankly when you ask questions. I was trying to get my financial aid award letter and they needed me to fill out a bunch of papers. Unfortunately, some of those papers had to come from the afformentioned counselor and the ENTIRE ADVISING DEPARTMENT decided to come in late on that day. So I calmly pleaded with the young gent. "Is there any way around this? I work full time. It's hard for me to get here between 8:30 and 4 and they aren't even open those hours today. (Which I didn't know til I drove out here)" "Let me check" He says *leaves to see wizard* ... *Returns from wizard* "No" He says "Uhhhhhhhhh" I stammer *blink blink* "Well, I guess that's it then. I will probably just have to transfer to a school that offers better support for students who aren't drains on society" Ok, so maybe I embellished that last line a wee bit, but the point remains. If you are not a worthless drain on society who can go to class and talk about the car your mommy and daddy bought you and how the dorms are like so boring, you probably can't afford to jeopardize your future by attending CSUCI. They are not equipped to handle grown ups and frankly, I want to gouge my eyes out listening to the morons they allow to attend class there. To recap: Campus real purty. Teachers are aight. Administration/support staff makes the DMV look like the lollipop guild welcoming you to munchkin land. read more

2 stars for parking ticket; 5 stars for the nice & helpful administrators. Beware of the free 30 minute parking spaces at csuci. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- If you are meeting with an advisor or for another purpose and are not sure how long you will be, you can get a $46.00 parking ticket. Pmbonline.org handles payment or dispute of these tickets. You have 21 calendar days from the date the ticket was issued or 14 calendar days from the mailing of the notice of the ticket. After the dispute time has expired, pmbonline.org will only give you the option to pay for the ticket. From ticket date: $46 if paid within 24 days; $81.50 if paid between 25 - 34 days; and $96.00 if paid after 35 days. Contact or visit the csuci Police & Parking Services 805-437-8430. Ask for the "Citation Appeals Process" brochure. They are very nice & helpful people. Recommendation: Vista Shuttle from Metrolink Station to csuci ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I'd like to recommend taking the Vista shuttle from the Camarillo Metrolink station. Parking is free at the Metrolink station and appears to not be over crowded so that you can get a parking space. Once the bus leaves the Camarillo Metrolink station, it takes only about 5 to 10 minutes to get to campus. The bus leaves about every half an hour. On the way back, make sure that you ask for the shuttle that goes to the Camarillo Metrolink as there are shuttles that go to other destinations. read more

I have attended CSUCI for the last 3 years and think it is a wonderful university. The atmosphere is super amazing and you're very close to the beach. Class sizes are relatively small and professors are nice. They genuinely want to help you succeed in life. I'm happy to say that I am on track to graduate on time, a luxury not offered to many students who attend public universities. I have also received an amazing education I credit largely to the small class sizes and amazing professors. read more

I've waited until my second semester to see if this university would improve at all but it hasn't. I was a senior transfer student from a pretty model university in Virginia. The location is nice, scenic, and the majority of the professor's that I've encountered have been polite and helpful. However, that's the extent of it. Being a disabled veteran my first issue was with the amount of handicapped parking. I tried to address the Disability office by asking when they would be making more handicapped spaces and the reply was with a map of the current ones with no acknowledgement of the question asked. I feel even worse for those who have normal parking as the only real parking is a huge lot outside the main campus with about a 20 minute walk to get to class. You'll also pay $200 a semester for the privilege. Secondly, good luck finding classes, at least in the Political Science field. Their catalog offers tons of them but when you go to sign up, more than 60% of those listed classes don't have a professor to teach them. You guessed right, a lot of those classes are mandatory to graduate. It's incredibly hard to get the classes you need and also have a job, family etc., etc. Don't try to speak to anyone about this issue either. They'll ignore you. My final complaint for this university is the amount of group work they shove down your throat. It's become apparent that they've allowed a lot of students in who have no want or need to be there, so to get their graduation rates where they want them, it's pretty much mandatory to have huge amounts of group work in each class so there's always someone who's carrying the rest of the people for a grade. Group work can be constructive in spreading ideology and culture but the ability to do so should be taught in high school, not college. When you're footing the bill for a college degree, I don't expect to have to spend the majority of my free time carrying around people academically and it's proved to be a huge burden. The name on the degree is my own and it won't appear on those who decide to be carried through higher education. Not to mention that the extent of all this group work makes up a lot of your final grade, is extremely hard to carry out if you have a job, whether it be part-time or full-time, and definitely takes away from any family life. Also, if you're a disabled vet like myself and find it hard enough to get around, congrats, the outside class group work will add further strain and doctor visits. 3 of 4 classes last semester had them, so you can't really get away with not participating. If your parents are footing the bill for this school and none of the above really concern you, then CSUCI is for you. All others, I'd suggest looking somewhere else. read more

1. tiny campus with lots of empty buildings left over from the mental state hospital for further expansion 2. really small class size 3. considering this is part of the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area, it is in the middle of nowhere 4. nearby beach 5. still relatively unknown read more

I wish I could give 0 starts. Do NOT attend this school. Financial aid will NOT give your money! They administration is unprofessional and most of them are narcissistic. Be prepared to keep recipients of every conversation you had with staff and faculty, because a lot of people LIE! Most staff do not know policies or try to work around policies to benefit them. One professor Virgil Adams is extremely unprofessional and will send you disgusting rude emails. Even when I sent screenshots to the chair nothing was done. These people are disgusting, rude, and they do not care about students. On top of that their is no parking, ever! Also if you are a disabled student be prepared to NOT Receive Services for at least 2 semesters. One major thing that has stood out to me is the lack of diversity at this school. The School clearly favors Hispanics while leaving Latin X and other ethnicities to fend for themselves. Don't believe me look at the amount of ethnic diversity on campus. NOT just students faculty, staff, and administration lack latin X/ African American inclusion. Don't attend!! Go to a UC or a different CSU location. read more

I hate my college. I'm sad that I decided I wanted to go here for college this year. I will be transferring out as soon as I can. Every staff member here is extremely rude. Not one person is willing to offer any help to new students. I haven't had one single person willing to help me or be nice. I told an advisor I wanted to change my major and they said "that's what community college is for" okay well I'm paying you $7,000 to help me out? Have talked to multiple advisors now maybe 6 not one person has helped me out. I am now trying to figure it out on my own. The financial aid office and the business staff members are the worst! I hate this school. I hate this school. I hate this school. I'm so so sad I chose to spend my money for an education at this school. All my transfer friends are having similar experiences. Will not recommend for my 5 siblings or to anyone ever. I'm so sad and disappointed. read more

Financial Aid department is a joke! Student workers have absolutely no clue what they are doing. They give you the run around and tell you contradicting things. Don't expect an actual financial aid counselor to email you back either. Get ready to have your financial aid delayed an entire semester or more! I know numerous students that have had this happen to them. Everything else with the university is pretty good though, but the FA department is the worst! read more

I am not a student here, and only attended a theatrical play here on the campus. So my review speaks specifically of the campus in general. The drive there from the valley was not bad. The road that leads to the campus from the freeway is long and a bit scary at night haha - not being from the area I had to fully trust in GPS. The campus was stunning. The old buildings (yes I know the history) were just amazing to me. The lawns were well groomed and the overall vibe was very peaceful. The fountains were dramatic and lovely at the same time. I have no idea what the school is like, but for the campus it's a solid 4 stars for beauty! read more

I've watched this young campus grow and it's getting better and better all the time. The buildings are beautifully done with keeping a Spanish architecture style of this once state mental hospital. This campus just keeps growing and University Glen is a very nice residential area for families. read more

See all

This school is UNBELIEVABLY underrated and is one of CA's best kept secrets in regards to CSU's. PROS: - The professors here are TOP NOTCH! I've had more pleasant experiences with professors at this school than I had troublesome. Most of the professors at CI have had industry experience in the field they're teaching which makes learning much more intriguing. - The classes are small which means lots of individual attention from professors than at a larger university. I've heard the school being described as a private school with a public university price, but I describe it as a community college with 4 year degree programs on account of how small the population is at the campus. - It's far away from main city Camarillo. This may be considered a con for some people, but for me, it's a huge pro due to the fact that I'm not tempted by the distractions that the cities of Camarillo, Oxnard, and Thousand Oaks have to offer (and believe me, there's PLENTY to do). - Weekend trips to Santa Barbara or Santa Monica are a breeze considering that you are pretty close to both areas from Camarillo. - Camarillo is predominately conservative, however, if you are a liberal or independent, don't let these demographics discourage you from attending the college. You'll still be able to enjoy the area without a problem. - This is NOT A PARTY SCHOOL so don't expect anything hardcore to happen on this campus. This is the school that goes to sleep with the rest of the world and rests on the weekend (ex: students go home on the weekends and campus life is nonexistent until Monday). Some people see this as a con, but I see this as an absolute pro! CONS: - Not a huge fan of the dorms. You get a Motel 6 feel for a Hilton price. As much as I loved meeting new people at the dorms, they were still overpriced for what they were. The rooms were tiny, there were A LOT of restrictions in regards to what you could and could not have, you had to attend pointless meetings, the beds were hard as a rock, and parking in SH1 (lot next to the dorms) was always limited, so you had to walk a large distance to get to the dorm. You also get kicked out of the dorms on specific days (ex: winter break, spring break, etc.), unless you pay an extra fee per day to stay there. You are also required to pay for a meal plan which I thought was a complete ripoff because even the cheapest meal plan was exorbitant! I now live off campus and have found a place where my room is about four times larger than my dorm room (renting a master), I have my own bathroom, my own garage, and plenty of luxurious amenities (hot tub, pool, private park, etc.). Despite having all these luxurious amenities (trying to give you an idea how expensive the dorms are), my new place is MUCH CHEAPER to live in for the whole year than the dorm were for two semesters (32 weeks; not including the days you are required to vacate, the food meal plan, and the parking permit)! Unless you drive a super fuel efficient vehicle, I recommend finding a room in the city of Camarillo. Rent might be higher, but that's money saved from commuting. Thousand Oaks is another great recommendation as far as safety and quality of life goes, but do not recommend living there if you don't want a lot of wear and tear going up and down the Conejo Pass. If you have to live in Oxnard, stay as north of Oxnard as you can (highly recommend living north of the 101 in Oxnard). Most of Port Hueneme is pretty good, so I would not worry about Port Hueneme. Most of Ventura is good too. - Parking is a NIGHTMARE. There are not that many spaces at the campus so I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND getting there early if you want a good parking space. Solution: If you're a commuter, buy a bus pass at the school's police station and park your car at the Amtrak station in Camarillo. It's $25 per semester (save $155 on regular pass for car) and you never have to worry about parking! If you don't want to pay for transportation at all, there are bike lanes on Lewis Rd. If you do decide to go the bike route, take caution to your surroundings and wear protective bike gear! - It is a commuter school, meaning that people come in and get out when they're done, so making friends may not be as easy as one is lead to believe unless you try to join some club or start talking to people the first week of class until you make friends. - No national chain restaurants like Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Domino's, Subway, etc. on campus like in other universities. The choices that they do have are either okay or terrible. Most of the places are overpriced for what you get as well. BOTTOM LINE: No place is perfect and I knew what I was getting myself into when I enrolled at this school. By the end of day, I have no regrets choosing this school as the school to complete my education. This is a school with plenty of potential and it shows as this campus has only been getting bigger since I've been here! GO DOLPHINS! read more

Went to this school for my business degree and it was the best decision. It's close to the beach and the housing was all new (I stayed in Anacapa).. I made new friends and the cafe always had great food. Overall great experience and small classes. Professors were always there to help as well. read more

I visited this campus last weekend and was impressed with how well it has been converted into a university. It has a look and feel similar to a Mission however some of the buildings can be creepy inside. The library is very large and does not fit in with the design scheme of the rest of the school. I am told that the class sizes are very small. I am also told that some of the rooms have not yet been converted and that the campus is haunted. There are a few times when walking through the halls that you start to feel like you are in a horror movie. Overall the campus is very nice with the exception of parking and accessability. read more

The campus is worth exploring. The location's history and landscape make your mind run wild. I've been taught by various professors at this campus and yes there are newbies and foreigners (that lack skills or have strong accents) but thats not the majority and if one were to stay and experience a full schedule then they would be able to see that every professor is different regardless of the nationality or experience. In the real world not all bosses, clients or co-workers are white, english only speaking males with perfect accents! Its ignorant to think that the rest of the world isn't "catching-up". This is a friendly 4-year university with a bright future. Due to graduate this MAY!!! Might miss it but might come back for my MBA. CSUCI! Haters aren't wanted here! read more

Went here about 2 1/2 years ago to check It out. I wanted to ask someone for a tour but it seemed like there was no staff around that day for some reason. Call ahead if you want a tour. The way to enter into this school was weird and scary at the same time (to me that is) You definitely have to know how to drive to get here! It's a nice campus, very tranquil and small- no way you can get lost here. This college has an old fashioned sense to it- it used to be a mental institute and supposedly it's haunted.. anyways, I didn't end up going here, but if you like a small campus, quite and nature, this school is for you. The dorms are nice btw. read more