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California State University-Channel Islands
Admission at California State University-Channel Islands is close to open (94.8%), which shifts the homework to outcomes: check the $62,152 median earnings below before the application.
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California State University-Channel Islands anchors the college town of Camarillo, CA, where the public campus and town largely share a footprint.
Its highest-earning path is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, where graduates median $112,691 four years out. 46.6% of undergraduates carry Pell grants — a plain read on who the campus actually serves. Most of its 5,013 undergraduates commute — campus empties by evening — yet 72.4% of first-years return, which says something about what daytime here is worth.
California State University-Channel Islands won't look at test scores — here the GPA calculator is the tool that matters. Bring your saved semester numbers and see what they average.
Admissions
In the Fall 2023 cycle, California State University-Channel Islands received 10,082 applications and admitted 9,382 (93.1%), with 568 enrolling.
Leave the SAT prep out of this one — test scores are disregarded entirely. California State University-Channel Islands's 94.8% admission rate turned on grades and application strength.
How California State University-Channel Islands compares
| California State University-Channel Islands | California median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 94.8% | 75.7% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $7,159 | $23,000 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $62,152 | $64,778 | $53,781 |
At $62,152, ten-year earnings trail the state median ($64,778). Look at California State University-Channel Islands's major-level rows below before reading too much into the campus-wide number.
Cost, size & completion
In-state students pay $7,159 in tuition; crossing a state border raises that to $19,759. For non-residents, California State University-Channel Islands's $19,759 is the number to weigh against private options before assuming public means cheaper.
At 5,013 undergrads, California State University-Channel Islands is a mid-sized campus by U.S. standards.
51.3% graduate within six years. Roughly 49% don't — ask a California State University-Channel Islands tour guide what happens to them and watch the answer carefully.
Top majors by earnings at California State University-Channel Islands
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $112,691 |
| Computer Science | $100,887 |
| Economics | $71,662 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $71,183 |
| Mathematics | $70,628 |
| Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | $67,558 |
| Biology, General | $62,384 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $59,332 |
| Chemistry | $58,498 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | $58,396 |
| Political Science and Government | $58,306 |
| Sociology | $56,855 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $54,015 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $53,200 |
| Anthropology | $51,951 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $50,202 |
| Education, Other | $49,106 |
| Psychology, General | $48,789 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $45,548 |
| History | $42,229 |
Median earnings for these 20 California State University-Channel Islands programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $62,152 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 9 additional California State University-Channel Islands programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for California State University-Channel Islands?
California State University-Channel Islands doesn't look at test scores; its 94.8% admission rate turned on transcripts, coursework rigor and the application itself.
What is California State University-Channel Islands's acceptance rate?
93.1% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 9,382 admitted from 10,082 applicants.
How much does California State University-Channel Islands cost?
In-state tuition is $7,159; out-of-state students pay $19,759. Fees, housing and aid move the real total in both directions.
What do California State University-Channel Islands graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $62,152 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in California
- University of California-Merced — 90.5% admitted
- Los Angeles College of Music — 87.7% admitted
- Providence Christian College — 100% admitted
- California State University-Monterey Bay — 97.4% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.