California State University-Bakersfield is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Bakersfield, California. It enrolls 8,577 students (a large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorWestern Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Strong
77/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes47
Value99
Affordability95
Selectivity12
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
California State University-Bakersfield admits 93.9% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.
Acceptance Rate
93.9%
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test PolicyTest OptionalApplicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether California State University-Bakersfield is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
7.5 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $5,652 a year on average, it sits well below what public colleges charge nationally. At that level cost is rarely the reason to rule a college out. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$8,090
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$20,690
Room & Board (on-campus)
$15,076
Room & Board (off-campus)
$17,674
Books & Supplies
$954
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,702
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$6,714
Total Cost of Attendance
$19,522
Application fee: $70 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$3,536
$30,001 – $48,000
$3,817
$48,001 – $75,000
$5,835
$75,001 – $110,000
$9,480
Over $110,000
$16,069
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$2,33310%percentile
$4,50025%percentile
$16,600Medianpercentile
$20,83575%percentile
$31,00090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $11,250
↓ $5,350
No Pell $11,583
↓ $5,017
Dependent students $10,193
↓ $6,407
Independent students $12,500
↓ $4,100
Female students $11,198
↓ $5,402
Male students $11,515
↓ $5,085
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $10,843, less than completers ($16,600), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
31% of students who start here finish within six years, and 79% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
31%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
79%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $59,009 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$59,009
Earning > $25K
78%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$45,900
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$58,600
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$49,000
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$50,500
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$52,900
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $12,700, about 22% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
15.2 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 74% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 8,577 students, a large student community. Worth knowing: 58% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
8,577
Part-Time
17%
First-Generation
58%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
Hispanic 69.6%5,966
White 12.1%1,041
Asian 6.5%554
Black 4.2%360
Other 2.6%226
International 1.3%111
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at California State University-Bakersfield. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
California State University-Bakersfield offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
54 distinct programs across
23 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 16 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.
Student : Faculty
16:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$8,696
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$37M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$92,464
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
337 instructional faculty across 4 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
72
21%
$120,281
Associate Professors
81
24%
$101,044
Assistant Professors
85
25%
$85,558
Lecturers
99
29%
$71,141
Pros & Cons of California State University-Bakersfield
No college is right for everyone. Here is where California State University-Bakersfield is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
Best for:
Based on the data, California State University-Bakersfield is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; families focused on keeping net cost low.
Frequently Asked Questions about California State University-Bakersfield
The questions families ask most about California State University-Bakersfield, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is California State University-Bakersfield hard to get into?
Not especially. California State University-Bakersfield admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 93.9%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at California State University-Bakersfield?
93.9% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does California State University-Bakersfield cost?
Budget around $5,652 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is California State University-Bakersfield worth it?
On the numbers, yes: strong return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $59,009 a year against a net price of $5,652, about 10.4 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is California State University-Bakersfield known for?
Mostly Business Administration, Liberal Arts, Psychology. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do California State University-Bakersfield graduates earn?
About $59,009 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is California State University-Bakersfield accredited?
Yes. California State University-Bakersfield is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission.
How many students attend California State University-Bakersfield?
8,577 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at California State University-Bakersfield?
31% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is California State University-Bakersfield a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is California State University-Bakersfield located?
California State University-Bakersfield is located in Bakersfield, California.
What programs does California State University-Bakersfield offer?
54 different programs, most commonly Business Administration, Liberal Arts, Psychology. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at California State University-Bakersfield?
16 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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