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California State University, Chico
Public university in Chico, California
Public university in Chico, California
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | California State University, Chico |
| image | Caifornia stat univ chico seal.svg |
| image_size | 150 |
| motto | "Today Decides Tomorrow" |
| logo | Chico-State-Single-Line-Wordmark.svg |
| logo_upright | 1.3 |
| established | |
| type | Public university |
| parent | California State University |
| accreditation | WSCUC |
| endowment | $97.9 million (2024) |
| budget | $261.8 million (2024-25) |
| president | Stephen Perez |
| provost | Leslie Cornick |
| administrative_staff | 1,061 (Fall 2024) |
| faculty | 848 (Fall 2024) |
| students | 14,581 (Fall 2024) |
| undergrad | 13,392 (Fall 2024) |
| postgrad | 1,189 (Fall 2024) |
| city | Chico |
| state | California |
| country | United States |
| coordinates | |
| campus | Midsize city |
| campus_size | Central Campus: 119 acre |
| Total: 3,249 acre | |
| former_names | Northern Branch State Normal School of California (1887–1921) |
| Chico State Teachers College (1921–1935) | |
| Chico State College (1935–1972) | |
| sporting_affiliations | NCAA Division II – CCAA |
| colors | Chico red, cornerstone gray, black, and white |
| sports_nickname | Wildcats |
| mascot | Willie the Wildcat |
| free_label2 | Newspaper |
| free2 | The Orion |
| website |
Total: 3,249 acre Chico State Teachers College (1921–1935) Chico State College (1935–1972)
California State University, Chico (Chico State) is a public university in Chico, California, United States. It was founded in 1887 as one of about 180 "normal schools" founded by state governments in the 19th century to train teachers for the rapidly growing public common schools. Some closed but most steadily expanded their role and became state colleges in the early 20th century and state universities in the late 20th century. It is the second oldest campus in the California State University system. As of the fall 2020 semester, the university had a total enrollment of 16,630 students. The university offers 126 bachelor's degree programs, 35 master's degree programs, and four types of teaching credentials. Chico is a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI).
History
On March 12, 1887, a legislative act was enacted to create the Northern Branch of the California State Normal School. Less than a month later, Chico was chosen as the location. In 1887, General John Bidwell donated 8 acre of land from his cherry orchard. On July 4, 1888, the first cornerstone was laid. On September 3, 1889, doors opened for the 90 enrolled students. The library opened on January 11, 1890, with 350 books. On June 20, 1891, the first graduation took place, a class of 15.
In 1910, Annie Kennedy Bidwell donated an additional 2 acre of land to be used for work with elementary agriculture. The next year Mrs. Bidwell donated an orange orchard lot 55 × 440 ft as the children's playground, which is connected to the Training School. In 1921, legislation was enacted to change the school's name to Chico State Teacher's College. In 1922, Chico State Teacher's College added a junior college curriculum and awarded a certificate after two years. Also in 1922, Bidwell Mansion was turned into a women's dormitory. In 1923 the first college paper, The Collegian, was published. In 1924, the state Board of Education allowed the school to grant baccalaureate degrees. Also in 1924, the wildcat was chosen as the mascot. In 1927 a gym was built on the grounds of Bidwell Mansion. In 1929, the cornerstone for the new administration building was laid on top of Normal Building's original cornerstone.
In 1935, Bidwell Hall was turned into a recreation and student center—the first student union. Also in 1935 a legislative act changed the college name from Chico State Teachers College to Chico State College. In 1937 evening classes started on campus and athletic fields were purchased from the Chico Board of Education.
In 1948, dorms for 500 male students were set up on west side of Warner Street. The buildings were built during World War II and were used as bachelor quarters for a Marine Hospital in Klamath Falls, Oregon.
In 1950, California's governor allowed state colleges to grant Master of Arts degrees. In 1951 the college reorganized from 18 departments into seven divisions with chairmen. Then in 1956 a new flagpost and sign in front of Kendall Hall was donated by the class of 1956. In the following year, 1957, a new cafeteria was built and the rose gardens were planted. In 1958 the first "telecourse" was taught, Psychology 51.
In 1972, Chico State College became California State University, Chico.
In 1975, broadcasts of classes through closed-circuit television were used for the first time by residents in Oroville, Marysville and Colusa. Also in 1975,* The Orion*, the campus student newspaper, published its first issue. In 1977, the other campus paper, The Wildcat, changed its name to Chico News and Review and moved off campus to become an independent publication. In 1978 bike riding was restricted on campus.
In 1987, Chico State was ranked as the top party school in the nation by Playboy.
CSU Chico opened its first sub-campus in Redding, affiliated with Shasta College, in 2007.
In 2005, student Matt Carrington was hazed to death at the Chi Tau (local) house, which had previously been expelled from the university in 2001 due to violations. Carrington died as a result of water intoxication during a hazing session involving the victim being forced to exercise and drink large quantities of water.
In 2010, the President of the Associated Student body, Joseph Igbineweka, was stabbed in a racially motivated attack.
In 2011, CSU, Chico received a Civic Learning Initiative Grant from the W. M. Keck Foundation to extend its efforts to establish civic engagement as a key component of students' academic success.
Academics
The university has more than 75 departments and offers more than 150 undergraduate degrees. It is organized into seven colleges and four schools:
- College of Agriculture
- College of Behavioral & Social Sciences
- School of Social Work
- College of Business
- College of Communication & Education
- School of Education
- College of Engineering, Computer Science, & Construction Management
- College of Humanities & Fine Arts
- School of the Arts
- College of Natural Sciences
- School of Nursing
The university's library, the Meriam Library, has several special collections of Native American and Californian history.
Rankings
| a | #FF0000 | 2px}}" | 2025 USNWR Graduate School Rankings | Program | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fine Arts | 110 | ||||
| Social Work | 172 | ||||
| Speech–Language Pathology | 175 | ||||
| Public Affairs | 200 |
According to the U.S. News & World Report 2025 college rankings, Chico State was ranked at 14th for "Best Colleges for Veterans", 11th in Top Public Schools, 23rd in Top Performers on Social Mobility, 62nd in Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs, and 218th in Nursing.
Campus
The California State University, Chico campus consists of a 119-acre main campus, the 800-acre Paul L. Byrne Memorial University Farm, and 2,330-acres of ecological reserves. These reserves include the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve (BCCER) and the Butte Creek Ecological Preserve (BCEP).
Early construction
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The construction of the normal school building was begun in September 1887. It was a large brick building, consisting of three stories and full basement. It was of Romanesque design with Elizabethan gables and artificial stone trimmings. The building was destroyed by a fire in 1927. The current administration building Kendall Hall was built on the site of the normal school in 1929.
Colusa Hall, completed in 1921 is the oldest building on campus. Today it is used as a conference and public events facility.
Alfred E. Warren House, built by noted Californian architect Julia Morgan in 1922–23, serves as the university president's residence.
Arboretum
The Campus Arboretum is located along Big Chico Creek.
Nearby Bidwell Park includes 29 acre of a former arboretum, now run somewhat wild, which contains trees such as English oaks, hawthorn, cherry plum, bay laurel, cork oak, ponderosa, aleppo, and Monterey pines, willow, mulberry, linden, maple, catalpa, pine, and eucalyptus, collected from around the world.
Residence halls
Currently, the university can accommodate 2,150 or approximately 13% of the student body in seven on-campus residential halls. Most buildings on campus are named after California counties.
Meriam library
In 1959, Chico State College Library was built. The library was expanded and renamed to the "Learning Activities Resource Center" (LARC) in 1975. It was in 1985 when the library gained another expansion and its current name, Meriam Library. A fourth floor of the library was constructed in 1985.
Student life
Associated Students, Chico
Main article: Associated Students, Chico
Associated Students, Chico is the student government at California State University, Chico.
Office of Student Life and Leadership
| Race and ethnicity | Total | Economic diversity | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White | {{bartable | 67.9 | % | 2 | background:cyan}} |
| Hispanic | {{bartable | 19.2 | % | 2 | background:green}} |
| Two or more races | {{bartable | 10.1 | % | 2 | background:violet}} |
| Asian | {{bartable | 5 | % | 2 | background:orange}} |
| Black | {{bartable | 2.1 | % | 2 | background:purple}} |
| American Indian/Alaskan Native | {{bartable | 0.8 | % | 2 | background:brown}} |
| Pacific Islander | {{bartable | 0.5 | % | 2 | background:yellow}} |
| Low-income | {{bartable | 42 | % | 2 | background:blue}} |
| Affluent | {{bartable | 58 | % | 2 | background:red}} |
Student Life and Leadership, formally the Student Activities Office, incorporates three programs: Student Organizations and Leadership Education (SOLE), Fraternity and Sorority Affairs (FSA), and Recreational Sports.
Town Hall Meeting
Chico State has an annual event where Chico State students gather in a public area and discuss most current policy issues with their peers. Faculty members are also involved.
The Great Debate
The Great Debate was created to drive members of both the campus and the community to take part in a conversation about important issues. A different topic is chosen every semester.
Greek life
Chico State has 30 fraternities and sororities, making up approximately 12 percent of the student population.
Demographics
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | Applicants | Admits | Admit rate | Enrolled | Yield Rate | Average GPA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23,611 | 22,910 | 22,137 | 19,990 | 19,999 | |||||||
| 21,623 | 20,864 | 20,324 | 17,056 | 18,034 | |||||||
| 91.58% | 91.07% | 91.81% | 85.32% | 90.17% | |||||||
| 2,198 | 2,171 | 2,021 | 1,926 | 2,316 | |||||||
| 10.17% | 10.41% | 9.94% | 11.29% | 12.84% | |||||||
| 3.39 | 3.40 | 3.42 | 3.37 | 3.34 |
Male to Female Percentage: 43:57%
CSU Chico along with CSU Bakersfield has the second largest enrollment percentage of Native Americans in the Cal State system.
Student media
KCSC Radio was founded in 1951. The university's student-run weekly newspaper, The Orion first began publishing in 1975. In 1989, The Orion won the National Pacemaker Award, the first of nine times the paper has won the top prize in college journalism. In 2009, The Orion won a National Pacemaker Award in the four-year non-daily newspaper category at the College Media Convention.
In 1997 Wild Oak Music Group, an independent record company, was founded and is run by the Music Industry students within the College of Humanities and Fine Arts.
Athletics
Main article: Chico State Wildcats
The university's athletic teams are known as the Chico State Wildcats. The school sponsors soccer, basketball, golf, cross country, and track and field for both men and women. The school sponsors softball and volleyball for women, and baseball for men. The school's athletic director was Anita Barker. The school competes in Division II of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Since 1998, Chico State's athletic teams have won 99 NCAA Championship berths, 40 CCAA titles, 24 West Region titles, and 15 NCAA national titles. The Wildcats softball team won the first AIAW Division III national championship in 1980, led by pitcher Kathy Arendsen. Chico excels in cross country and track and field in the California Collegiate Athletic Association.
The Wildcats of Chico State earned six team NCAA championships at the Division II level. NCAA Division II individual championships by Scott Bauhs (2008) Men's cross country and J. J. Jakovac (2002, 2004) and Kyle Souza (2011) Men's Golf Championships.
- Men's Team (6)
- Baseball (2): 1997, 1999
- Golf (1): 1966
- Swimming and diving (3): 1973, 1974, 1976
Sustainability
Chico State made The Princeton Review 2011 "Guide to Green Colleges", honoring campuses that "demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities, and career preparation."
Noted people
Additions without a citation are subject to removal. If a citation link is broken, please replace it with one that works.
A good rule of thumb is to check whether the person has an article on Wikipedia. If not, consider starting an article on the subject before adding him/her to this list.
Notable alumni
| Name | Known for | Relationship to Chico | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annette Abbott Adams | First female Assistant Attorney General of the United States | |||||||||
| Nelson Briles | Former Major League Baseball player | |||||||||
| Donald J. Butz | United States Air Force major general | |||||||||
| John Canzano | Sports Writer | BA in English, 1995 | ||||||||
| Richard Campbell | Musician | |||||||||
| Don Carlsen | Former NFL referee retired 2012 | |||||||||
| Doug Chapman | Actor | BA, 1994 | ||||||||
| Rocky Chávez | served in the California State Assembly | BA in English, 1973 | ||||||||
| Raymond Carver | Author | |||||||||
| Clay Dalrymple | Former Major League Baseball player | |||||||||
| Mark Davis | Owner Las Vegas Raiders | |||||||||
| Amanda Detmer | Actress | |||||||||
| Big Poppa E | Professional slam poet | Attended 1994–2000 (Journalism) | ||||||||
| Clair Engle | United States Senator | BA, 1930 | ||||||||
| Horace Dove-Edwin | Olympian | MA in exercise science, 1999 | ||||||||
| Joddie Gleason | College basketball coach | |||||||||
| Megan Gormley | Director, Events and Corporate Merchandise, Western Golf Association | |||||||||
| Ken Grossman | Co-founder Sierra Nevada Brewing Company | |||||||||
| Brandon Harkins | Professional golfer | |||||||||
| Joseph Hilbe | Statistician and philosopher | BA in Philosophy | ||||||||
| Dominik Jakubek | Goalkeeper for Major League Soccer | BA Liberal Studies 2009 | ||||||||
| Troy Johnson | Food critic, TV judge of Food Network shows | BA Speech Communications and Poetry 1997 | ||||||||
| Mat Kearney | Columbia recording artist | Attended Chico State for 2 years | ||||||||
| Adnan Khashoggi | Saudi businessman | |||||||||
| Sandra Lerner | Co-founder of Cisco Systems | BA Political Science 1975 | ||||||||
| Michael Messner | Sociologist, Professor at the University of Southern California | BA, 1974; MA, 1976 | ||||||||
| Tirin Moore | Neuroscientist and Professor at Stanford University / HHMI | BA, 1990 | ||||||||
| Bob Mulholland | Political strategist | |||||||||
| Troy Neiman | Baseball player | |||||||||
| Matt Olmstead | Writer and television producer | |||||||||
| Kathleen O'Neal Gear | Historian and archaeologist | BA and MA | ||||||||
| Maureen O'Toole | Olympic silver medalist | |||||||||
| Michael Polenske | Entrepreneur & vintner | last=Nalley | first=Richard | title=Napa Valley: The Entrepreneur's Tour | url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardnalley/2012/10/19/napa-valley-the-entrepreneurs-tour/ | work=Forbes Life | access-date=17 April 2013 | archive-date=14 April 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130414010309/http://www.forbes.com/sites/richardnalley/2012/10/19/napa-valley-the-entrepreneurs-tour/ | url-status=live }} |
| Lubna al Qasimi | Minister for Economy and Planning of the United Arab Emirates | BS in Computer Science | ||||||||
| Ed Rollins | Political strategist | BA, 1968 | ||||||||
| Thom Ross | Artist | degree in fine arts, 1974 | ||||||||
| Gene Scott | Ordained minister and religious broadcaster | BA and MA | ||||||||
| Carolyn Shoemaker | Astronomer | |||||||||
| Joshua Singleton | Television installer & video game designer | |||||||||
| (animated series Close Enough character) | ||||||||||
| Glynnis Talken | Author | BA | ||||||||
| Dale Thayer | Major League Baseball player | |||||||||
| Mark Thoma | Economist | BA, 1980 | ||||||||
| Mike Thompson | Member of the United States Congress | |||||||||
| Mark Ulriksen | Painter | |||||||||
| Johannes van Overbeek | Race car driver | |||||||||
| Patrick Vaughan | Historian | |||||||||
| Tamilee Webb | Actress and fitness pioneer | BA, MA 1996 | ||||||||
| Bill Wattenburg | Radio host, author, inventor | |||||||||
| Chris Wondolowski | Forward for Major League Soccer | |||||||||
| Don Young | Former member of the United States Congress | BA, 1958 |
Faculty
| Name | Known for | Relationship to Chico |
|---|---|---|
| John Gardner | Author | Professor of English |
| Michael Gillis | Historian | Lecturer in history |
| Carolivia Herron | Author and scholar | Professor of English |
| Troy Jollimore | Poet | Professor of Philosophy |
| Janja Lalich | Sociologist | Professor of Sociology |
| Carolyn Ringer Lepre | Academic administrator | Professor of Journalism |
| Harold Lang | Dancer and actor | Professor of Dance, 1970–1985 |
| Peveril Meigs | Geographer | Professor of Geography, 1929–1942 |
| Nicholas Nagy-Talavera | Historian | Professor of History, 1967–1991 |
| Michael Perelman | Author | Professor of Economics |
| Sarah M. Pike | Author | Professor of Comparative Religion and Humanities |
| Valene L. Smith | Tourism studies | Professor of Anthropology, 1967–1998 |
| Jane Wells Shurmer | Women's sports | Professor of Physical Education |
| Ivan Sviták | Philosopher, Critic, Poet | Professor of Philosophy, 1970–1990 |
University presidents
The following persons led California State University, Chico:
| No. | Image | Name | Term start | Term end | Refs. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Principals of Chico Normal School | ||||||
| 1 | Edward Timothy Pierce | 1889 | 1893 | |||
| 2 | [[File:Robert-franklin-pennell (cropped).jpg | 70px]] | Robert F. Pennell | 1893 | 1897 | |
| Presidents of Chico State College | ||||||
| 3 | Carleton M. Ritter | 1897 | 1899 | |||
| 4 | Charles C. Van Liew | 1899 | 1910 | |||
| Acting | Elmer Isaiah Miller | 1910 | 1910 | |||
| 5 | Allison Ware | 1910 | 1917 | |||
| Acting | Elmer Isaiah Miller | 1917 | 1918 | |||
| 6 | Charles Osenbaugh | 1918 | December 5, 1930 | |||
| Acting | Clarence Knight Studley | December 6, 1930 | January 31, 1931 | |||
| 7 | Rudolph D. Lindquist | February 1, 1931 | July 31, 1931 | |||
| 8 | Aymer Jay Hamilton | 1931 | July 31, 1950 | |||
| 9 | George Glenn Kendall | 1950 | 1966 | |||
| 10 | Robert Eugene Hill | 1966 | August 31, 1970 | |||
| Acting | Lew Dwight Oliver | September 1, 1970 | June 1971 | |||
| Presidents of California State University, Chico | ||||||
| 11 | Stanford Cazier | 1971 | 1979 | |||
| Acting | Robert L. Fredenburg | August 1, 1979 | June 30, 1980 | |||
| 12 | Robin Wilson | July 1, 1980 | July 31, 1993 | |||
| 13 | Manuel A. Esteban | August 1, 1993 | June 30, 2003 | |||
| Acting | Scott McNall | July 1, 2003 | January 31, 2004 | |||
| 14 | Paul Zingg | February 1, 2004 | June 30, 2016 | |||
| 12 | Gayle E. Hutchinson | July 1, 2016 | June 30, 2023 | |||
| 13 | Stephen Perez | July 1, 2023 | present |
Table notes:
Notes
References
References
- "Chico State Logo Standards Guidelines".
- "Public NCSE Tables".
- "2024-25 Campus Budget Plan".
- "Chico Facts". California State University, Chico.
- "CSUMentor - Explore Campuses - Comparative View". Csumentor.edu.
- "IPEDS-California State University, Chico".
- "Visual Identity Overview".
- "Chico Facts - CSU, Chico".
- link. (2024-05-09 .)
- Bailey, Mary Ellen. "University Archives: Chico State Normal School (1887-1921)".
- ''[https://today.csuchico.edu/arts-and-humanities-building-opens/ New Arts and Humanities Building opens] {{Webarchive. link. (2020-03-26 '', in: Chico State Today, July 28, 2016, retrieved on March 26, 2020.)
- "Cal State, Chico, History".
- (2008). "Playboy's Party Schools". [[Snopes.com]].
- Morrison, Keith. (June 26, 2006). "Hazing death at Chico State". [[NBC News]].
- (April 19, 2010). "California college's student president stabbed; hate crime alleged". CNN.
- (January 31, 2011). "Civic Learning Initiative Receives Grant from W. M. Keck Foundation - CSU, Chico News - CSU, Chico". Csuchico.edu.
- (2008). "Colleges and Departments". Chico State.
- (2008). "Program Search". Chico State.
- (2008). "Library Collections". Meriam Library.
- "California State University–Chico - U.S. News Best Grad School Rankings".
- (2025). "''U.S. News'' Best College Rankings".
- "University Archives - Campus Buildings". Csuchico.edu.
- "Campus Buildings".
- "Campus Grounds - University Archives". Meriam Library -- Special Collections.
- (September 2018). "UHFS Annual Report 2011-2012".
- "History of Meriam Library".
- "College Scorecard: California State University-Chico". [[United States Department of Education]].
- "The CSU, Chico Town Hall Meeting".
- "Chico Great Debate".
- "Fraternity and Sorority Affairs".
- "Common Data Set 2024-25".
- "Common Data Set 2023-24".
- "Common Data Set 2022-23".
- "Common Data Set 2021-22".
- "Common Data Set 2020-21".
- "Ethnicity Enrollment Profile".
- "About". The Orion.
- "ACP - 2009 Newspaper Pacemaker Winners".
- (2006). "Wildcat Athletics". California State University, Chico.
- "Competing with NCAA Elite - Best of Chico State - CSU, Chico". Csuchico.edu.
- "The Hall of Fame Committee Salutes the 1980 Softball Team".
- (October 17, 2020). "CCAA Champions".
- "Championships Summary". [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]].
- "Topping the Green List - Best of Chico State - CSU, Chico". Csuchico.edu.
- Nalley, Richard. "Napa Valley: The Entrepreneur's Tour". Forbes Life.
- Wallace, Tim. (2024-02-07). "In Memoriam: Valene L. Smith".
- "History of University Presidents". Chico State.
- (July 19, 1970). "Chico State President Resigns". [[Oakland Tribune]].
- (July 20, 1970). "Lew Oliver Will Inlead Chico State On Interim Basis". [[Chico Enterprise-Record]].
- (September 3, 1970). "Dumke Confirms It’s Official: Dr Oliver Is CSC’s Acting President". [[Chico Enterprise-Record]].
- (January 28, 1971). "State College Trustees Will Ask Right To Designate Universities". [[The Fresno Bee]].
- (May 8, 1979). "Fredenburg named acting president at CSU Chico". Chico News and Review.
- (March 28, 1980). "Wilson seated as CSU president". Chico News and Review.
- (January 28, 1993). "Rumor Has It: Wilson Set To Retire". Chico News and Review.
- (May 27, 1993). "Esteban Named As New CSUC President".
- (October 17, 2002). "Esteban to take leave before retiring handsomely". Chico News and Review.
- (May 15, 2003). "WHAT PRICE PRESIDENT?". Chico News and Review.
- (November 6, 2003). "It’s Zingg New Chico State president ‘thrilled’ to lead despite budget doldrums". Chico News and Review.
- (May 20, 2016). "Academic Senate CSU Minutes May 19-20, 2016". California State University.
- Murphy, Sean. (October 11, 2022). "President Gayle E. Hutchinson Announces Retirement Planned for End of 2022–23 Academic Year". Chico State.
- (May 24, 2023). "Stephen Perez Appointed President of California State University, Chico". California State University.
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