Enrollment
For several years, enrollment has been “Job One” for us at Chico State, and we are grateful to everyone for doing their part. As our campus community embraced the priorities of recruitment and retention, Chico State has experienced continued enrollment growth, which is critical for our overall budget. Increases in enrollment impact our tuition revenue, which accounts for approximately one-third of the campus budget. Strategic actions and tactical decisions that have built on each other over the previous three academic years created momentum that has led to four consecutive semesters of year-over-year enrollment gains since fall 2023. Our continued prioritization of enrollment is critical to addressing our budget challenges, helping us grow revenue at the same time as we reduce expenses.
Among our most impactful milestones are investments in dynamic, multi-directional marketing and recruitment efforts that resonate with prospective students. Additionally, as of summer 2023, the strengthened partnership between Enrollment Management Services and Business and Finance ensures seamless collaboration in enrollment and budget planning, aligning goals and resources for maximum impact. Our transition of summer courses in 2024 from a self-support model to a state-supported structure was another significant achievement, enhancing accessibility and support for our students.
Meanwhile, partners across campus have been focused on retention, through modifications in course structures, support services, closing equity gaps, first-year experience enhancements, academic advising, and other strategic measures. Retention not only supports our broader enrollment goals but more importantly reflects our overall mission of student success.
Looking ahead, the campus launched an ambitious three-year strategic enrollment management plan in summer 2025, reflecting our dedication to driving innovation and opportunity. The plan also reflects our priority of maintaining our trend of increasing enrollment to prevent any further budget impacts from the California State University.
CSU Enrollment Recalibration
Our focus on enrollment is also influenced by guidance at the systemwide level. The CSU system implemented a multi-year enrollment allocation strategy to address declines in California resident enrollment. The strategy aligns University resources with actual enrollment to support the enrollment growth expectations in the state’s budget and shifts state funding to campuses that are experiencing enrollment growth from campuses that are significantly under-enrolled (such as Chico State).
In 2024–25, Chico State was 10% below our resident FTES target. In 2025–26, this resulted in a reduction of $4.5M of funding and 3% of our resident FTES target. The CSU systemwide office has indicated that revisions in future years may continue until enrollment aligns with state-funded targets. While we continue to plan for budget reductions to address our deficit and reduce deficit spending as much as possible, we continue in equal earnestness our endeavors to grow enrollment to avoid further state cuts and increase tuition revenue and, more importantly, fulfill the reason we exist: Chico State empowers professional success, meaningful lives, and vibrant communities through immersive learning in a beautiful, globally connected location.