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California State University-Fullerton

Public

Fullerton, CA

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Located in Fullerton, CA, California State University-Fullerton is a public very large school with roughly 38,546 undergraduates. Admissions are not highly selective, admitting a majority of applicants here -- roughly 91% of applicants get in. Its highest-earning reported major is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Health Professions and Related Programs), where graduates report median earnings of $119,353/year four years out. Most students arrange their own housing since on-campus living isn't required.

Admissions

Admit rate91%
SAT rangeNot reported
ACT rangeNot reported
Undergrads38,546
Yield (admits who enroll)16%
Next deadlineSingle filing period

Cost & outcomes

Cost of attendance$18,269
4-year grad rate70%
Median earnings, 10yr out$62,951

From the US Dept of Education College Scorecard, most recent year reported. Not every school reports every field.

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How California State University-Fullerton weighs your application

From California State University-Fullerton's own Common Data Set, 2024-25, Section C7 -- not a generic admissions checklist. What is a Common Data Set?

Academic factors
Rigor of secondary school recordNot considered
Class rankNot considered
Academic GPAVery important
Standardized test scoresNot considered
Application essayNot considered
RecommendationsNot considered
Nonacademic factors
Extracurricular activitiesNot considered
Talent/abilityNot considered
Character/personal qualitiesNot considered
First generationNot considered
Alumni relation (legacy)Not considered
Geographical residenceVery important
State residencyVery important
Religious affiliationNot considered
Volunteer workNot considered
Work experienceNot considered
Level of interest (demonstrated interest)Not considered
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Paying it back

Undergrads taking federal loans22%
Loan balance still growing, 3yrs out70%

"Still growing" means a borrower's payments aren't yet covering interest 3 years into repayment -- not a default rate. A high number here can mean real repayment difficulty, or just a lot of grads who deferred for graduate school, so read it alongside the school's typical outcomes above.

Majors & earnings

Area, Ethnic, Cultural, Gender, and Group Studies
Area Studies$50,739/yr
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies$46,384/yr
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences$71,185/yr
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology$68,170/yr
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology$53,518/yr
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods$83,878/yr
Business Administration, Management and Operations$71,646/yr
International Business$60,832/yr
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs
Communication and Media Studies$58,082/yr
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication$48,094/yr
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
Computer Science$87,460/yr
Information Science/Studies$76,482/yr
Education
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas$63,798/yr
Engineering
Computer Engineering$101,408/yr
Civil Engineering$95,854/yr
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$92,618/yr
Mechanical Engineering$86,808/yr
English Language and Literature/Letters
English Language and Literature, General$51,845/yr
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services$51,261/yr
Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics$47,581/yr
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services$29,715/yr
Health Professions and Related Programs
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$119,353/yr
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services$62,436/yr
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General$54,244/yr
History
History$48,309/yr
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services
Criminal Justice and Corrections$57,135/yr
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities$57,408/yr
Mathematics and Statistics
Mathematics$80,055/yr
Statistics$51,298/yr
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, and Fitness Studies
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness$51,787/yr
Philosophy and Religious Studies
Philosophy$44,533/yr
Physical Sciences
Physics$86,504/yr
Chemistry$64,857/yr
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences$58,891/yr
Psychology
Psychology, General$51,661/yr
Public Administration and Social Service Professions
Public Administration$68,497/yr
Social Sciences
Economics$71,595/yr
Anthropology$54,092/yr
Political Science and Government$53,966/yr
Sociology$50,922/yr
Geography and Cartography$48,979/yr
Visual and Performing Arts
Fine and Studio Arts$44,365/yr
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft$42,455/yr
Music$39,590/yr

Median earnings 4 years after graduation, by major, from the US Dept of Education. Only shown where the school reports a real figure for that major -- most schools don't report every major they offer, especially smaller programs.

Campus life

On-campus housingYes
Required to live on campusNo
Dormitory capacity2,277
Typical room charge$13,308
Typical board charge$4,506

Room and board are shown separately from the cost of attendance above -- that total already includes them alongside tuition and fees, this just breaks out the living-cost portion.

What matters in your application

GPARequired
Class rankNot considered
RecommendationsNot considered

From this school's own reporting to the US Dept of Education on what it formally requires, considers, or doesn't use when reviewing applications.

Frequently asked questions

What does California State University-Fullerton look for in applicants?

Per California State University-Fullerton's own Common Data Set (Section C7), it rates geographical residence, state residency, academic GPA as "very important" in admissions decisions -- its own stated top factors, not a generic guess.

What is California State University-Fullerton's acceptance rate?

California State University-Fullerton in Fullerton, CA admits approximately 91% of applicants, based on the US Dept of Education's most recently reported figures.

How much does California State University-Fullerton cost?

California State University-Fullerton's total cost of attendance is reported at $18,269 per year, including tuition, fees, and room and board.

Does California State University-Fullerton require students to live on campus?

No -- California State University-Fullerton doesn't require students to live in on-campus housing.

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