Cost of Attendance

The Cost of Attendance is not a bill. It is an estimate designed to help you plan for the upcoming academic year and is for informational purposes only. Your actual cost of attendance will vary based on the individual decisions you make.

Your cost of attendance includes both direct expenses payable to Chico State and indirect expenses that are not payable to Chico State. Your actual cost of attending Chico State may be lower if you budget wisely and keep your indirect expenses to a minimum. Students can reduce expenses by having roommates, eating out less frequently, and commuting to campus by foot, bike or public transportation.

To get a more realistic and well-rounded perspective on your Chico State cost of attendance, compare it to the costs of attendance at other colleges. You may discover that the cost of living in Chico is more affordable than in many other college towns.

The estimated budgets below represent a moderate standard of living, or Cost of Attendance, for full-time students attending Chico State. Budgets are for a nine–month academic year. One–semester budgets are half the amounts below. Budgets include direct university charges (fees and on-campus food and housing) and discretionary expenses (transportation, books and supplies, personal expenses, and off-campus food and housing).

2023/2024:

Footnotes

_(1a)  Undergraduate budget chart reflects the  actual cost for tuition and fees. Books/supplies are averaged estimates. The costs for food/housing, transportation, and personal expenses are averaged estimates that vary by student depending on their living arrangements. 

_(1b)  Postbaccalaureate budget chart reflects  weighted averages of actual Credential and Graduate tuition and fees. Books/supplies are averaged estimates. The costs for food/housing, transportation, and personal expenses are averaged estimates that vary by student depending on their living arrangements.

₍₂₎ Tuition/Fees are based on full–time enrollment. All fees are subject to change based on Board of Trustees action. See Student Financial Services for fees and deadlines. There is an additional $270 per unit per semester for MBA and for MS in Accountancy, Business Administration, Health Care Management, Business and Technology, Information Systems, and Taxation.

₍₃₎Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) fees - WUE students pay 150% of the State University Tuition Fee and 100% of the campus fees. The Undergrad WUE additional fees noted above represent 50% of the tuition for 12 units. 

₍₄₎ Non–Resident/International  student fees are calculated by multiplying $396 per unit with the number of full-time units (8 units for postbaccalaureate and 12 units for undergraduate).

About Cost of Attendance

Each college calculates its own Cost of Attendance (COA) or student budget. At Chico State, the student budget is based on the estimated cost of a typical student's tuition fees, books and supplies, food and housing, transportation, and personal expenses for a nine–month academic year (fall and spring semesters). The COA will vary depending on:

• where you live: on or off campus, or with your parents
• whether you are an undergraduate, graduate, or credential student
• whether you are enrolled at least half-time or less than half-time

Knowing the Cost of Attendance is important because the budget helps determine your Financial Need and your financial aid award. Financial Need is defined as the difference between your Expected Family Contribution and the standard Cost of Attendance calculated for each academic year. This is an important point of comparison between colleges.

Net Price Calculator

Use the Net Price Calculator to receive a rough estimate of your eligibility for grants and need-based loans. This calculator assists you in estimating your costs after taking into account your need-based financial aid eligibility. See our Net Price Calculator webpage for more information. 

Exceptional Circumstances Appeal

If you have additional expenses, such as childcare, out-of-town educationally related travel, or non-reimbursed medical expenses you may want to consider submitting an Exceptional Circumstances Appeal. In most cases increasing the cost of attendance will result in additional loans.

Videos for Parents

See our video library for lots of other helpful financial aid videos!

On-Campus Living Expenses (food/housing)

The above on-campus food and housing rates are averages and are used by the Financial Aid & Scholarship Office for the purpose of packaging financial aid. Actual on-campus food and housing rates are available at University Housing.

AB990 Information (average cost of a one bedroom apartment around the Chico State campus)

The average cost to rent a one bedroom apartment within the areas surrounding the Chico State campus is $857. This information is updated yearly on February 1st. It is important to understand the above average cost is for rent only and does not include cost of food, utilities, garbage, rental deposit, and other necessary expenses to rent an apartment.

Our Off-Campus cost of attendance for food and housing is an average amount for a 9-month period. Most students usually share an apartment to reduce their cost of food and housing.

For more information about off-campus housing and services provided by the university for students living off-campus, see Off Campus Student Services.

For additional information on how Cost of Attendance helps determine your financial aid award, see Understanding Your Award.