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California State University-Fullerton
Admission at California State University-Fullerton is close to open (90.5%), which shifts the homework to outcomes: check the $62,951 median earnings below before the application.
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California State University-Fullerton occupies suburban Fullerton, CA — a public campus quieter than a downtown one, closer to one than a rural seat.
Its highest-earning path is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, where graduates median $119,353 four years out. 48.1% of undergraduates carry Pell grants — a plain read on who the campus actually serves. Most of its 38,546 undergraduates commute — campus empties by evening — yet 82.4% of first-years return, which says something about what daytime here is worth.
California State University-Fullerton 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-Fullerton received 48,591 applications and admitted 42,149 (86.7%), with 7,070 enrolling.
Leave the SAT prep out of this one — test scores are disregarded entirely. California State University-Fullerton's 90.5% admission rate turned on grades and application strength.
How California State University-Fullerton compares
| California State University-Fullerton | California median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 90.5% | 75.7% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $7,470 | $23,000 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $62,951 | $64,778 | $53,781 |
At $62,951, ten-year earnings trail the state median ($64,778). Look at California State University-Fullerton's major-level rows below before reading too much into the campus-wide number.
Cost, size & completion
In-state students pay $7,470 in tuition; crossing a state border raises that to $20,070. For non-residents, California State University-Fullerton's $20,070 is the number to weigh against private options before assuming public means cheaper.
California State University-Fullerton is a big school: 38,546 undergraduates at last count.
70.2% of California State University-Fullerton students finish a bachelor's within six years — 15.3 points above the national 54.9% — and the single best predictor that the $7,470 price above buys a degree, not just enrollment.
Top majors by earnings at California State University-Fullerton
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $119,353 |
| Computer Engineering | $101,408 |
| Civil Engineering | $95,854 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $92,618 |
| Computer Science | $87,460 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $86,808 |
| Physics | $86,504 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | $83,878 |
| Mathematics | $80,055 |
| Information Science/Studies | $76,482 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $71,646 |
| Economics | $71,595 |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | $71,185 |
| Public Administration | $68,497 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | $68,170 |
| Chemistry | $64,857 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | $63,798 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | $62,436 |
| International Business | $60,832 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | $58,891 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $58,082 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $57,408 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $57,135 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | $54,244 |
| Anthropology | $54,092 |
| Political Science and Government | $53,966 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | $53,518 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $51,845 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $51,787 |
| Psychology, General | $51,661 |
| Statistics | $51,298 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | $51,261 |
| Sociology | $50,922 |
| Area Studies | $50,739 |
| Geography and Cartography | $48,979 |
| History | $48,309 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | $48,094 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $47,581 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | $46,384 |
| Philosophy | $44,533 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $44,365 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $42,455 |
| Music | $39,590 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | $29,715 |
Median earnings for these 44 California State University-Fullerton programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $62,951 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 17 additional California State University-Fullerton programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for California State University-Fullerton?
California State University-Fullerton doesn't look at test scores; its 90.5% admission rate turned on transcripts, coursework rigor and the application itself.
What is California State University-Fullerton's acceptance rate?
86.7% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 42,149 admitted from 48,591 applicants.
How much does California State University-Fullerton cost?
In-state tuition is $7,470; out-of-state students pay $20,070. Fees, housing and aid move the real total in both directions.
What do California State University-Fullerton graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $62,951 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in California
- California State University-East Bay — 97.4% admitted
- California State University-Fresno — 95.3% admitted
- California State University-Dominguez Hills — 93.3% admitted
- California State University-Chico — 92.7% 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.