California State University-Chico
Public College in Chico, CA. Six-year graduation rate 63%. Median 10-year earnings $64,172.
Ten-year median earnings of $64,172 are the headline number here, and they are strong ones. Six-year completion sits at 63%, near the national average for undergraduate institutions. Median debt at graduation is $16,552, roughly typical for an undergraduate degree.
Earnings: College Scorecard, median ten years after entry across students who received federal aid — completers and non-completers alike.
- ✓ Debt-to-income ratio 0.26 — healthy (below the 0.40 threshold)
- ✓ 3-year loan default 0.0% — below national benchmark
Admissions
California State University-Chico admits 93% of applicants — effectively open admission, so the application is a formality rather than a hurdle. With 23,322 applications received, this is a school operating at national scale. A 10% yield rate is low: the admitted pool is much larger than the entering class.
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 University-Chico →Academics
Six-year completion sits at 63%, meaning about two in five students who enroll leave without finishing. Retention is strong at 82%, and first-year attrition is where most degrees are lost. Retention and completion are close, which places the gap between entering and finishing almost entirely in year one. The part-time picture is harder: 46% return, against 82% full-time. A 23:1 ratio means students need to be deliberate about getting faculty time.
Financial Aid
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · grant and loan rates against 13,057 degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates
At $14,630 a year on average after grant aid, cost is low here relative to most undergraduate institutions. The income table below is the number that matters — $9,902 at $0–30k versus $23,566 at $110k+. 63% of students receive grant aid, averaging $11,291 — common but not automatic. Federal borrowing reaches 33% of students.
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 · 2,134 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 | $9,902 |
| $30–48k | $10,099 |
| $48–75k | $12,961 |
| $75–110k | $16,506 |
| $110k+ | $23,566 |
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Federal student loans went to 4,264 of these 13,057 students, totalling $23,854,929 — an average of $5,594 each.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Local housing costs
Typical rents near campus (Butte 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)