CSU vs. SFBU

Comparable Facts

Compare California State University Chico in Chico, CA with San Francisco Bay University in Fremont, California on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

California State University Chico is larger than SFBU based on total student enrollment (15,257 students vs. 389 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• California State University Chico is located in Chico, CA (Small City setting); San Francisco Bay University is in Fremont, California (Large Suburban setting).
• California State University Chico is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. San Francisco Bay University is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: California State University Chico 23:1; San Francisco Bay University 10:1.

CSU vs. SFBU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, CSU or SFBU? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at San Francisco Bay University than CSU ($10,294 vs. $14,630).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at San Francisco Bay University are 35.2% lower than at California State University Chico ($10,700 vs. $16,500).
• San Francisco Bay University is 4.2% more expensive for in-state tuition than CSU (about $358 more per year; $8,830.00 vs. $8,472.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 138.6% higher at CSU than at San Francisco Bay University (about $12,242 more per year; $21,072.00 vs. $8,830.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at San Francisco Bay University than at California State University Chico (100% vs. 66%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by San Francisco Bay University students is 2.9% larger than aid received by California State University Chico students ($11,841 vs. $11,509).

CSU vs. SFBU Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, CSU or SFBU? Typical SAT and ACT scores (midpoint estimates from the mid-50% ranges in the table above), enrolled-tester score ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between SFBU and CSU.

• Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) among enrolled freshmen who submitted scores: California State University Chico 970/1170.
• Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) among enrolled freshmen who submitted scores: California State University Chico 18/24.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: CSU - Test-free; SFBU - Test-free.
• Typical fall application deadline: CSU Dec 15, 2026; SFBU Aug 5, 2027.
• Enrolled freshman CSU students have a 0.65 point higher average high school GPA (3.37) than students at SFBU (2.72).
• SFBU has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than CSU (92.7%).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 10.2% at CSU vs. 5.6% at SFBU.

CSU vs. SFBU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for CSU and SFBU? Where federal data is available for both schools, the bullets below compare graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt using the same College Scorecard / IPEDS fields as the comparison table. If a metric is missing for one school, that school is noted separately.

• California State University Chico's six-year graduation rate is 59%. Comparable graduation rate data is not available for SFBU.
• Graduates from California State University Chico have median earnings of about $52,400 about ten years after starting college (College Scorecard). Comparable earnings data is not available for SFBU.

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.