The California State University (CSU) will begin accepting applications for admission for the fall 2025 term on Tuesday, October 1, 2024. With just one application, students can apply for admission to any of the CSU's 23 universities through the Cal State Apply systemwide portal at Calstate.edu/apply. The priority application period closes on December 2, 2024.
“With 23 universities and thousands of degrees to choose from, the CSU offers more choices and connections than any other public higher education institution in the nation," said April Grommo, CSU assistant vice chancellor for Strategic Enrollment Management. “Low tuition and fees coupled with robust financial aid make the CSU a more accessible and affordable pathway to earning a four-year degree for students from all socioeconomic backgrounds."
As the nation's largest and most diverse four-year public university system, the CSU awards more bachelor's degrees each year than any other institution in the country, paving the way to a more financially secure future for hundreds of thousands of students. As the latest rankings from The Wall Street Journal affirm, the CSU is a national leader in promoting social and economic mobility through higher education.
The CSU remains one of the most affordable university systems in the country. Robust financial aid programs allow the majority of CSU students to graduate without student loan debt. More than 60 percent of CSU's undergraduates have their tuition fully covered by grants and non-loan aid, and approximately 80 percent receive some form of financial aid.
Interested students can apply for fall 2025 admission through the following steps:
Apply: The Cal State Apply online application tool allows incoming first-year, transfer, graduate and international students to apply to multiple CSUs with just one application.
Application fee: The fee is $70 per university. However, the CSU offers a California resident undergraduate application fee waiver, and nearly half of all applicants will qualify to have the $70 fee waived for up to four universities. Learn more by visiting the Application Fee Waiver website.
Determine financial aid need: Learn about financial aid options by visiting the CSU's financial aid website.
In addition, the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Financial Aid (FAFSA) is expected to be available by December 2024. In order to be considered for financial aid, prospective and returning students must submit the FAFSA form each academic year. Students who are classified as AB540 will need to complete the California Dream Act Application (CADAA).
For more information about the application process or details about any of the 23 CSU campuses and their degree programs, visit Cal State Apply.
About the California State University
The California State University is the nation's largest four-year public university system, providing transformational opportunities for upward mobility to more than 450,000 students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. More than half of CSU students are from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds, and more than one-quarter of undergraduates are first-generation college students. Because the CSU's 23 universities provide a high-quality education at an incredible value, they are rated among the best in the nation for promoting social mobility in national college rankings from U.S. News & World Report, the Wall Street Journal and Washington Monthly. The CSU powers California and the nation, sending nearly 127,000 career-ready graduates into the workforce each year. In fact, one in every 20 Americans holding a college degree earned it at the CSU. Connect with and learn more about the CSU in the CSU newsroom.