Explore the latest Best Colleges list from Money, where one institution stands out prominently: California State University (CSU). This year, CSU showcases an impressive performance, with fifteen out of its 23 campuses ranking in the top 10% of our evaluations. Notably, nine campuses achieve a prestigious rating of 5 stars, the highest designation on our scale. This remarkable representation means that nearly 25% of the colleges listed among the 5-star institutions belong to the Cal State system. In recent years, CSU has garnered attention for its pivotal role in enhancing social mobility, excelling in the enrollment and graduation of low-income and minority students.
Moreover, California State University offers a comparatively affordable and accessible education. Only two of its campuses have an acceptance rate below 40%, while the majority welcome over 90% of their applicants, making higher education attainable for a broad spectrum of students. This inclusivity is critical in fostering diversity and offering opportunities to those who might otherwise face barriers to college education.
Additionally, CSU’s vast reach is significant, with approximately 460,000 undergraduates currently enrolled across its campuses. This means that 1 in every 20 Americans holding a college degree is a graduate of the California State University system, a fact that the chancellor’s office proudly highlights. Chancellor Mildred García emphasizes the substantial impact the CSU system has in serving and graduating students, showcasing its crucial role in the landscape of higher education.
Key Factors Behind California State University’s Outstanding Performance This Year
It is common for public universities to excel in Money‘s value-focused analysis. For instance, in 2018, the University of California, Irvine secured the top position, while the University of Michigan achieved this feat in 2022. However, the remarkable performance of the California State University system this year is particularly noteworthy. Out of 23 campuses, 22 have made it onto the list, with all scoring in the top half of the 732 institutions evaluated. The sole campus that did not qualify for inclusion fell short of our enrollment threshold, which requires a minimum of 150 freshmen.
The success of the CSU system in Money’s rankings can be attributed to several factors. Primarily, these campuses are incredibly affordable compared to their competitors, with in-state tuition costing less than $7,000 annually. While total expenses vary by campus due to differences in the cost of living—including factors such as housing and meals—the average net price after accounting for federal, state, and institutional financial aid is typically under $15,000 per year, as per federal education statistics. Students hailing from families with incomes below $48,000 often pay significantly less, with costs ranging from approximately $3,000 to $7,000 annually depending on the campus.
To put this into perspective, the average net price across all 732 colleges rated by Money this year stands around $24,000 annually. For families earning under $48,000, the net price exceeds just $15,000, highlighting the affordability advantage offered by the California State University system.
All CSU campuses also shine in Money’s value-added metrics, which assess the actual graduation rates and typical alumni earnings against expected outcomes based on the academic and socioeconomic profiles of the students. Each California State University institution reviewed has a positive value-added graduation rate, indicating they are surpassing predictions for student graduation rates.
For instance, at California State University, Dominguez Hills, around 60% of undergraduates qualify for need-based federal Pell Grants, with the average incoming freshman GPA at 3.2. Money reports that the six-year graduation rate of nearly 69%, which includes transfer students, exceeds the predicted rate by over 20%, showcasing the institution’s commitment to student success and graduation.
Furthermore, while certain campuses like Cal State Long Beach and Cal Poly Pomona have consistently ranked near the top of Money’s Best Colleges list in recent years, the overall improvement across the system gained momentum after the incorporation of a new measure of economic mobility into our evaluation framework.
The Economic Mobility Index developed by the think tank Thirdway, which we added to our assessment criteria in 2022, gauges how effectively a college serves lower-income students and the duration it takes these students to earn back their educational investment. This index is a critical strength for many Cal State institutions within Money’s methodology. In the 2024 edition published by Thirdway, California State University, Los Angeles achieved the highest score in the nation, while 16 additional Cal State campuses made it into the top 50, underscoring their commitment to enhancing economic mobility.
Challenges and Opportunities for California State University to Enhance Student Success
Despite these impressive accolades, the California State University system faces several challenges that require attention. Funding remains a persistent concern, as both the University of California and Cal State systems narrowly avoided significant budget cuts in the upcoming state budget. However, leaders express ongoing apprehension regarding potential reductions in federal funding.
While the schools are recognized for their affordability in Money’s</b analysis, it is essential to remember that affordability is a relative concept. Many CSU students juggle multiple jobs to meet living expenses while pursuing their education, as noted by García. Although over 60% of students graduate without debt, a considerable number of lower- and middle-income families still encounter difficulties affording a California State University degree, or any degree, for that matter.
The system is also dedicated to increasing graduation rates across diverse student populations. The results of the Graduation Initiative 2025, a comprehensive ten-year strategy aimed at enhancing completion rates and addressing equity gaps, demonstrated partial success. While nearly all campuses recorded improvements in their graduation rates, the overall increase fell short of the ambitious system-wide goals, leaving disparities for specific student groups, particularly Black students and Pell Grant recipients.
Nevertheless, various Cal State campuses have made remarkable progress, doubling their on-time completion rates over the past decade. This advancement has contributed to an increase in the four-year completion rate for first-time students from 19% in 2015 to 36% last year. As a result of these higher graduation rates, an additional 160,000 individuals now hold bachelor’s degrees, according to García.
These improvements stemmed from identifying barriers that hinder students’ progress, such as challenging prerequisite courses that limited access. A crucial aspect of this effort involved enhancing data collection and sharing, allowing faculty to provide better guidance to students and target those requiring assistance. When students were on the verge of completing their degrees, this data facilitated “intrusive advising” to ensure they reached their goals, as García describes.
“The work is never done in student success,” she states, emphasizing that the mission continues until they achieve 100% graduation rates and eliminate all equity gaps.
As the graduation initiative draws to a close, the CSU system is redirecting its focus towards a new vision for student success: not only helping students complete their degrees but also securing quality employment. Although some CSU campuses perform exceptionally well in Money’s</b outcomes category, many others rank in the middle concerning metrics like the percentage of graduates earning more than high school graduates and the average salaries a decade post-enrollment.
García underscores the importance of guiding students toward favorable career outcomes, especially since many lack the social networks that wealthier peers can leverage for job opportunities. Specific details of this new initiative are set to be released in the fall, with one potential strategy being to facilitate more paid internships, allowing students to gain valuable work experience while managing their financial responsibilities.
Additionally, the system aims to enhance tracking of graduates’ transitions into their post-college careers and monitor their long-term professional success.
The overarching goal for California State University is to become “the national model” for delivering a quality, accessible education that leads to meaningful outcomes, as articulated by García.
Explore Additional Resources from Money:
Discover the Best Colleges in America
Guidelines for Selecting a Major in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
The Comprehensive Guide to Reducing College Expenses
