California State
Polytechnic University-Humboldt
Public College in Arcata, CA. Six-year graduation rate 49%. Median 10-year earnings $47,626.
The median ten-year earnings figure of $47,626 sits near the national middle rather than at either extreme. 49% finish within six years — respectable, though a meaningful share still leave without a credential. Debt at graduation runs to a median of $18,000, neither a bargain nor a burden.
Earnings: College Scorecard, median ten years after entry across students who received federal aid — completers and non-completers alike.
- ✓ 3-year loan default 0.0% — below national benchmark
Admissions
With an acceptance rate of 98%, California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt takes nearly everyone who applies. 15,725 students applied, a pool deep enough to make the acceptance rate meaningful. Only 6% of admitted students enroll — the great majority of admits go elsewhere or nowhere.
Test score bands (middle 50% of submitters)
These bands describe the enrolled first-years who submitted a score, not the entering class. Where most students apply test-optional the submitters are a self-selected, higher-scoring group.
| Test | 25th–75th percentile | Submitted |
|---|---|---|
| SAT Evidence-Based Reading | — | — |
| SAT Math | — | |
| ACT Composite | — | — |
IPEDS Admissions · 2024
Apply at California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt →Academics
Completion is middling: 49% finish inside six years. First-year retention is 76% — the single largest point of attrition on this campus. Retention runs well ahead of completion, which means students are not leaving immediately; they are leaving somewhere between the second year and the finish line. The part-time picture is harder: 39% return, against 76% full-time. A 16:1 ratio is unremarkable; expect a mix of lecture halls and seminars.
Financial Aid
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · grant and loan rates against 5,491 degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates
Average net price is $14,090 a year after grant aid — low for a four-year institution, though your own figure depends on aid eligibility. The income table below is the number that matters — $8,483 at $0–30k versus $22,228 at $110k+. About 66% get grants averaging $10,739, so plan on the possibility of paying closer to full price. About 34% borrow federally, roughly the national pattern.
Entering first-year students
A different, smaller group than the rates above: full-time students in their first year of college anywhere. The grant series here also excludes the "other sources" counted in the all-undergraduate figure, so the two are not comparable.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · 937 students
Net price by family income
The same students as the headline above, limited to those who received Title IV federal aid — a narrower group, with a lower overall average. IPEDS publishes no combined figure across these bands, so they should not be averaged into one.
| Family income band | Average net price |
|---|---|
| $0–30k | $8,483 |
| $30–48k | $8,812 |
| $48–75k | $11,088 |
| $75–110k | $15,593 |
| $110k+ | $22,228 |
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Federal student loans went to 1,891 of these 5,491 students, totalling $12,274,267 — an average of $6,491 each.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Local housing costs
Typical rents near campus (Humboldt County) — budget these against any cost-of-attendance housing estimate.
HUD Fair Market Rents (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities) · FY2026
Veterans & GI Bill
VA GI Bill Comparison Tool (Veterans Affairs GIDS)