The California State University has unveiled its
2025 Fact Book with the university’s latest data and highlights, demonstrating its value and significance across the higher education landscape.
With more than 460,000 students across its 23 universities, the CSU provides opportunities for upward mobility to a broadly diverse student body and empowers those students to become leaders in the changing workforce.
It also continues to have a major economic impact on California, returning nearly $7 for every $1 invested by the state; and generating $26.9 billion in industry activity.
Read on for more highlights from the 2025 CSU Fact Book.
Students Representative of California’s Population
The CSU enrolled 461,612 students in fall 2024, 94% of whom are from California. More than half of the CSU’s students come from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds, and nearly one-third are the first in their families to attend college.
A closer look at the statistics around the CSU’s student body reveals that it is closely representative of California’s diverse population. When studied by race and ethnicity, 48.9% of CSU students are Hispanic/Latinx, 20.1% are white, 15.5% are Asian, 4.7% are two or more races, 4.1% are Black or African American, 0.3% are Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and 0.2% are American Indian or Alaskan Native.
While just over three-quarters (75.6%) of the CSU’s students are between the ages of 18 and 24—a more traditional age for college students—nearly one-fifth are adult learners between the ages of 25 and 39. Finally, the CSU’s student body is 56% female and 44% male.
Affordability Providing Access to All
The CSU provides an affordable, quality education, with one of the lowest tuitions in the country. For the 2025-26 academic year, tuition for full-time undergraduate students is just $6,450—with campus fees adding an average of $1,961 to student costs.
The CSU continues to help students earn a life-changing degree with myriad
financial aid opportunities, including grants, scholarships, fellowships, loans, veterans aid and work study. In 2023-24, nearly $5 billion in financial aid was distributed to more than 369,000 students, with an average award of $13,523 to help cover tuition and other expenses. In general, CSU undergraduate students who qualify for financial aid will not pay any tuition fees
if their family’s total income is less than $70,000. Plus, nearly half of the CSU’s undergraduates receive the Pell Grant, a need-based federal financial aid award that does not require repayment.
And perhaps most importantly, 64% of the CSU’s bachelor’s degree recipients in 2023-24 graduated with zero student loan debt.
The CSU also offers
supportive financial services to help offset the academic and non-academic costs of attending college, such as the
Basic Needs Initiative, the
Affordable Learning Solutions (AL$) program and assistance for students facing
housing insecurity.
Degrees Valuable to California Workforce
With more than 4,000 degree programs that align with workforce demands, the CSU plays a critical role in equipping the next generation of leaders who will propel the state and nation forward to a better future.
In 2023-24, the university system awarded a total of 125,186 degrees, of which 103,795 were bachelor’s degrees, 20,670 were master’s degrees and 721 were doctoral degrees.
Although doctoral programs are still relatively new to the CSU system, its Doctor of Audiology, Doctor of Education, Doctor of Nursing Practice, Doctor of Occupational Therapy, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Doctor of Public Health and other doctoral programs serve 2,649 students from diverse backgrounds, preparing them for much-needed workforce positions and top leadership roles.
Research Powering California’s Knowledge Base
From improving public health and mitigating climate change to amplifying diverse voices through artistic expression, CSU students engage in hands-on learning that drives innovation and social impact while enhancing their education and preparing them for leadership in a rapidly evolving world.
The CSU’s research enterprise continues to expand, with extramural funding increasing by $164 million over the past five years. In 2022-23, CSU research expenditures reached $812 million, a $104 million increase from the previous year.
New Carnegie classifications announced in February 2025 recognize 21 CSUs for their research. San Diego State now holds the Carnegie R1 (Very High Research Activity) designation, while eight CSUs hold the R2 (High Research Activity) classification and 12 CSUs hold the new RCU (Research Colleges and Universities) designation, reinforcing the system’s growing research prominence.
In addition, CSU faculty published more than 43,000 articles between 2019 and 2023, many of which were co-authored by students. And, 83.2% of 2023-24 bachelor’s degree recipients participated in research, creative activity or internships.
Finally, during the 2023-24 academic year, campus centers for community engagement and service learning, in partnership with 1,000 faculty and 3,723 community organizations, enabled
72,000 CSU students to participate in an academic community-engaged learning or hands-on community service experience.
Check out the 2025 CSU Fact Book to learn more about the university.