Chico Facts

Quick Facts | Students | Ten Largest Majors | Faculty & Staff | Academic Programs | Fees | CSU, Chico's History | Programs, Facilities, and Services | Chico Geographical Facts | Chico Community

 

Quick Facts

California State University, Chico
(popularly called "Chico State")

Founded: 1887

President: Paul J. Zingg

Student/Faculty ratio: 24 to 1

Average Undergraduate Class Size: 30

Campus Acreage: Main campus 119 acres; University Farm 800 acres; Ecological Reserves 2,330 acres

Total General Fund Budget, including revenue: $162,076,067

Location: 90 miles north of Sacramento; 174 miles northeast of San Francisco

Service Counties: Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Shasta, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Yuba

School Mascot: Wildcat

School Colors: Cardinal and White

Alumni/ae: 128,000

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Students (Fall 2009)

Full-time Equivalent students 15,797
(FTE: total number of course hours enrolled in during a particular semester, divided by 15 for undergraduates; divided by 12 for graduate students)

Number of total students 16,934
Freshmen 3,903 (2,505 first-time; 1,398 transfer or continuing) (23%)
Sophomores 2,388 (14%)
Juniors 3,852 (23%)
Seniors 5,366 (32%)

Postbaccalaureate Students 1,425 (8%)

Age
CSU, Chico Average (undergraduate and graduate) 24
Undergraduate Average 22

Ethnicity
American Indian 0.9%
Asian 4.8%
Black/African American 2.1%
Hispanic/Latino 13.5%
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.4%
White 63.9%
Two or More Races/Ethnicities 1.8%
Declined to State 9.6%
Non-resident Aliens 3.0%

Gender
Female 52%
Male 48%

Student Profile
Our students come from 42 nations, 41 states, and 2 U.S. territories.

95% of the total student population comes from California: 34.7% from CSU, Chico's service area; 33.8% from the rest of Northern California; 23.2% from Central California; 13.6% from Southern California. 4.8% are out-of-state or international students.

All students are members of the Associated Students of CSU, Chico, a multi-million dollar corporation managed by students. The AS is responsible for the Student Government, the Student Bookstore, Campus Information Services, Adventure Outings, the student union (Bell Memorial Union), AS Events Programming, and other services for students, including CAVE (student volunteer program), Children's Center (campus daycare), CLIC (community legal services), and EARC (Environmental Action and Resources Center).

Student publications include The Chico Historian academic journal; The Orion newspaper; Studium, student essays in political science; Spark, the Women's Center newsletter; and Watershed literary magazine.

Freshman Profile
Average High School GPA 3.22 (admits) / 3.11 (enrolled)
Mean SAT Scores (Composite) 1034 (admits) / 1012 (enrolled)

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Ten Largest Majors

Based on current number of students officially declaring majors.

1. Business Administration
2. Liberal Studies (elementary school teaching)
3. Psychology
4. Construction Management
5. Prenursing/Nursing
6. Recreation Administration
7. Kinesiology
8. Criminal Justice
9. Art & Art History
10. Civil Engineering

Bachelor's Degrees Granted

Based on actual number of degrees granted during the 2008-09 academic year.

1. Business Administration 527
2. Liberal Studies (elementary school teaching) 227
3. Psychology 194

4. Construction Management 133
5. Communication Design   122
6. Recreation Administration 118
7. Communication Studies  100  
   
8. Journalism  93
   
9. Nursing 93
   
10. Social Science 74

 

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Faculty & Staff
(Fall 2009)

Instructional Faculty 888*

• Full-time Faculty 56%
• Part-time Faculty 44%

Full-time Faculty with Doctorates/Terminal Degrees 83%

Staff 978*

* Coaches, librarians, and others who have faculty status but primarily engage in non-instructional functions are counted as Staff rather than Instructional Faculty.

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Academic Programs

CSU, Chico has 7 colleges, 6 schools, and 28 centers:

College of Agriculture

College of Behavioral and Social Sciences

• School of Social Work

College of Business

College of Communication and Education

• School of Communication
• School of Education

College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Construction Management

College of Humanities and Fine Arts

• School of the Arts

College of Natural Sciences

• School of Nursing

School of Graduate, International, and Interdisciplinary Studies
(not affiliated with a specific college)

Centers and Institutes:
Agribusiness Institute
Agricultural Teaching and Research Center
American Language and Culture Institute
California Pavement Preservation Center
Center for Applied and Professional Ethics
Center for Bilingual/Multicultural Studies
Center for Communication Disorders
Center for Corporate Governance and Values-Based Leadership
Center for Economic Development
Center for Ecosystem Research
Center for Entrepreneurship
Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching
Center for Information Systems Research
Center for Mathematics and Science Education
Center for Multicultural and Gender Studies
Center for Nutrition and Activity Promotion
Center for Regional and Continuing Education
Community Legal Information Center
Geographical Information Center
Humanities Center
Institute for Research in Intelligent Systems
Institute for Sustainable Development
McLeod Institute of Simulation Sciences
Northeast Information Center
Northern California Local Government Leadership Institute
Passages Adult  Resource Center
Peace Institute
Reading Center
Religion and Public Education Resource Center

Fall 2009:

• Bachelor of Arts Programs 38
• Bachelor of Science Programs 32
• BA and BS Options (within the Major) 85
• Master of Arts Programs 16
• Master of Science Programs 12
• MA and MS Options (within the Major) 19
• Minors 96
• Certificate Programs 31
• Professional Education Credential Programs 15


• Other Programs Offered:
  
  • Bachelor of Fine Arts
  • Master of Business Administration
  • Master of Fine Arts
  • Master of Public Administration
  • Master of Social Work
  • Pre-Professional Programs in Dental Hygiene, Dentistry, Forensic Science, Forestry, Law, Medicine, Optometry, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Theology, and Veterinary Medicine
  
  
• The General Studies Thematic program: 36 first-year students enroll in a two-semester common curriculum of 33 units of intensive study in the humanities, arts, and social sciences.
• The Honors Program offers special opportunities for motivated undergraduate students with high grade point averages. These opportunities range from specially designed courses in general education (Honors in General Education Program) and in selected majors (Honors in the Major Program) to many honors societies that students can join.
• CSU, Chico is accredited by the Western Association of Colleges and Schools, as well as 25 professional associations covering all seven colleges within CSU, Chico.

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Fees

Undergraduate (Spring 2010):
0 - 6 units: $1,822 Total Per Semester
6.1 + units: $2,668 Total Per Semester

Graduate (Spring 2010):
0 - 6 units: $2,095 Total Per Semester
6.1 + units: $3,136 Total Per Semester

Credential (Spring 2010):
0 - 6 units: $2,011 Total Per Semester
6.1 + units: $2,992 Total Per Semester

(Nonresident tuition: $372 per unit, in addition to fees)

Estimated Costs for Academic Year

Residence Hall rates (Spring 2010): $9,404 (double occupancy room and board)

Thematic Living Program: $6,398 (double occupancy, room only); $7,722 (single occupancy, room only)

University Village (off-campus): $6,398-7,722 (room only)

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CSU, Chico's History

In 1887, General John Bidwell, pioneer, statesman, and founder of Chico, donated eight acres of cherry orchard, and construction began on Chico State Normal School. The campus opened in 1889 with 90 students and five faculty members. The first class of teachers graduated in June 1891. Chico State Normal School became Chico State Teachers College in 1921. The legislature converted its teachers colleges to state colleges in 1935, and Chico State Teachers College became Chico State College. In 1972, the College became California State University, Chico. The campus proper is 119 acres. The University also manages 800 acres of farm land and 240 acres of range land.

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Programs, Facilities, and Services

Academic Technologies: Technology and Learning Program, Instructional Media Center, Classroom Technology Support, Distributed Learning, Presentation Graphics Lab, Library Copy Center, and Web Services.

Art Galleries and Museums: The Turner Print Museum features a collection of over 3,000 prints, while the Humanities Gallery and the University Gallery host exhibitions of art by faculty, students, alumni, and guest artists from throughout California. The Department of Art galleries in Ayres Hall exhibits student work. The Museum of Anthropology offers exhibits and a lecture series, and the Gateway Science Museum creates educational programs to teach school children about our region's rich natural heritage.

Athletics: There are 13 Division II men's and women's athletic teams, with an all-weather track, putting green, jogging trails, two gyms, a soccer stadium, softball fields, Nettleton Stadium (for baseball), tennis, basketball, and handball courts, weight room, diving pool, and other facilities. CSU, Chico's Soccer Stadium is home to the Chico Rooks, a semiprofessional soccer team, and Nettleton Stadium has been home to the Chico Outlaws professional baseball team since summer 2005.

Housing: The University provides more than 1,700 living spaces in six on-campus residence halls and one off-campus apartment complex (University Village). See Fees for housing costs.

Institute for Sustainable Development: The institute manages several land preserves for the primary purposes of protection, enhancement, research, and education. These include the 3,950-acre Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve, the 300-acre Butte Creek Ecological Reserve, and the 80-acre Eagle Lake Field Station.

Laboratories: Agriculture, Anthropology, Archeology, Art, Biology, Bio-Psychology, Chemistry, Child Development, Computer Science, Consumer Science, Counseling Psychology, Dietetics/Food Nutrition, Engineering, Exercise Physiology, Foreign Language, Kinesiology, Geosciences, Manufacturing, Physics, Physical Anthropology, Psychology, and Agriculture and Biology greenhouses are among the many labs on campus. In addition there are many student computing facilities (three university open-access labs, including a 24-hour lab; 40+ department labs; and six residence hall labs).

Meriam Library: The university library is a four-story building housing close to a million print volumes. Through the Library ReSEARCH Station, users can access more than 90 electronic databases leading to full-text articles in over 21,000 journals. Special Collections house the northeastern California collection of books, photographs, and manuscripts pertaining to Chico and the 12 northeastern counties of California, as well as the University Archives and the Rare Book Collection.

Northstate Public Radio: KCHO/KFPR, a National Public Radio affiliate, is located at the corner of Third and Main Streets in downtown Chico.

Performing Arts and Public Events: The School of the Arts presents an active calendar of students performing in dance, theatre, musical theatre, and musical events of all kinds, including the North State Symphony (a three-city symphony); the annual spring musical in Laxson Auditorium; and three different galleries showcasing work of students, faculty, and invited artists. The Humanities Center hosts an eclectic calendar of speakers and faculty symposia. Chico Performances presents a variety of professional touring artists in music, dance, and theatre. It also hosts the Chico World Music Festival and the President's Lecture Series, which has included Mikhail Gorbechev, Desmond Tutu, Jane Goodall, and Shimon Peres. Home games for our intercollegiate athletic teams draw thousands of fans. More than 150,000 people from the region attend activities on campus each year. The University has three theatres, one auditorium, two gyms, and three athletic stadiums.

Regional Education: As the anchor institution in Northern California, CSU, Chico serves a 12-county service area, the largest in the 23-campus California State University system. CSU, Chico’s Center for Regional and Continuing Education provides higher education access to this distributed population through distance education programs, Open University, lifelong learning programs, and continuing education courses and conferences for professionals. To extend the resources of the University, Continuing Education administers the American Language and Culture Institute (ALCI Chico), an intensive English language program for international students.

Student Activities: The University recognizes almost 240 student organizations each year, including fraternities, sororities and special interest, social, and professional groups.  The Student Activities Office also sponsors the Campus Drug and Education Center and the Cross-Cultural Leadership Center.

Student Newspaper: The Orion has won numerous awards, including 11 National Pacemaker awards—widely considered the top prize for general excellence in college journalism. The Orion won the award six times in the 1990s and was inducted into the Associated Collegiate Press Hall of Fame in 2005. In 2009, the paper was also awarded its second Online National Pacemaker Award in three years, and its print edition placed second in the Best of Show competition. Nine times since 1994, the California Newspaper Publishers Association has selected The Orion as the state's number one university paper among all dailies and weeklies. The National Newspaper Association and the Society of Professional Journalists have each named The Orion the nation's best university weekly in recent years.

Student Services: The University offers the following support programs: Academic Advising Program; AS Children's Center; Career Center; Disability Support Services; Educational Support Program; Financial Aid; International Student Advising; Learning Assistance Center; Counseling & Wellness Center; Student Computing Services; Student Employment Center; Student Health Center; Student Learning Center; and the University Writing Center.

University Farm: The 800-acre Agricultural Teaching and Research Center (University Farm) offers lab experience in beef, swine, and sheep production; meat lab; ag mechanics; orchard management, crops, soils, and sustainable agriculture.

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Chico Geographical Facts

• Chico is 90 miles north of Sacramento.
• Chico is 174 miles northeast of San Francisco.
• Chico is 8 miles from the Sacramento River.
• Chico is 2 miles from the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.
• Bidwell Park has a total of 3,670 acres, making it one of the largest municipal parks in the United States.
• Chico is 230 feet above sea level.
• Average annual rainfall is 25.75 inches.
• Chico has an average of 219 clear days in a typical year.

• Population of Butte County (July 2008 estimate) is 220,337.
• Population density of Butte County is approximately 124 persons per square mile, compared to 217 for the state of California.

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Chico Community

City of Chico Government: City Council and City Manager

Date of City Incorporation: January 8, 1872

Population within Chico City Limits (January 2008 estimate): 87,713

Total Population of "Chico Urban Area": 106,966

Communications: Ten local radio stations, three local television stations, one daily newspaper, four weekly newspapers

Transportation and Shipping: Chico is served by the Greyhound bus line and Amtrak trains. United Express provides air service. Chico Municipal Airport is within 10 minutes of downtown. A municipal bus line, CATS, provides bus service throughout the community, and Butte County Transit provides service throughout Butte County. The Chico Clipper provides transportation for seniors and persons with disabilities.

Recreation: The Chico Area Recreation and Park District (CARD) offers free or inexpensive recreational programs for about 40,000 participants annually. About 340 adult softball teams play in CARD leagues. Chico has more than 50 tennis courts, over a dozen racquetball courts, a bowling alley, a roller-skating rink, four golf courses, and six gymnasiums. Bicycle magazine named Chico "America's Best Bike Town" in 1997. Snow skiing is two hours away. Three recreational lakes are within a few hours' distance. Bidwell Park has barbecue pits, swimming pools, softball diamonds, a children's playground, and horseback and jogging trails. Bidwell Nature Center and Chico Creek Nature Center offer educational experiences for children and adults.

Arts and Entertainment: There are several movie theatres in town, and 18 music and dance clubs in the area. Community theatre productions run year round. Over a dozen local art galleries/exhibit halls display local and international artists' work. The Chico Museum, Bidwell Mansion, and Stansbury House are open to the public. Chico was rated #10 by author John Villani in his book Top 100 Best Small Art Towns in America and listed in USA Today’s “10 Great Places for Big-City Art, Small-Town Feel.”

Education: Chico Unified School District enrolls about 12,500 students in grades K-12. Butte Community College enrolls about 20,000 students on its main campus in Oroville and its centers in Chico and Glenn County.

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