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University or college · Public

California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt

Arcata, CA560 online only

California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt is a public university in Arcata, CA, with about 5,596 students on campus.

Visit www.humboldt.edu ↗Directions
Students on campus
5,596
plus 560 studying only online
Admission rate
98%
higher than at 93% of 4-year colleges
Net price a year
$13,171
lower than at 80% of 4-year colleges
Graduation rate
49%
lower than at 64% of 4-year colleges
Earnings, 10 yrs later
$47,626
higher than at 67% of U.S. colleges
In brief

What to know about California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt

What you study here makes a big difference to pay

Among California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt’s biggest bachelor’s programs, forestry graduates earn a median $79,849 four years out. Fine and studio arts graduates earn $34,812. Majors ↓

Students are a big part of Arcata

29% of Arcata’s 19,047 residents are enrolled in college. Median rent runs 35% below the state. Living in Arcata ↓

This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

★ What stands out · Majors

What students study, and what it pays

Share of degrees by field

Natural resources 22%Biology 11%Social sciences 9%Psychology 9%Business 7%Visual & performing arts 6%Everything else 36%

Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates

And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).

Psychology, General153 graduates a year · typical debt $15,000
$46k4 yrs out
Natural Resources Conservation and Research120 graduates a year · typical debt $15,000
$51k4 yrs out
Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management98 graduates a year · typical debt $21,889
$47k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations91 graduates a year · typical debt $15,448
$60k4 yrs out
Biology, General85 graduates a year · typical debt $19,875
$56k4 yrs out
Social Work66 graduates a year · typical debt $18,250
$58k4 yrs out
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness58 graduates a year · typical debt $19,750
$55k4 yrs out
Fine and Studio Arts50 graduates a year · typical debt $18,199
$35k4 yrs out
Getting in

How hard is it to get into California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt?

98%

of applicants admitted

About 20 of every 20 applicants get in.

Test scores of admitted students

No SAT or ACT ranges reported. California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt is likely test-optional and admits nearly everyone who applies.

What it costs

The sticker price, and what families really pay

Sticker price: $25,170 a year

Before any grants · out-of-state tuition $20,850

Tuition & fees (in state) $8,250Room & board $14,118Books & supplies $870Other costs $1,932

After grants, the average family on aid pays $13,171.

Your family’s price

Average net price after grants, by family income

$11,088

About $44,352 over 4 years · 56% off the sticker price

Under $30k$30–48k$48–75k$75–110kOver $110k
Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay off?

Graduate
49%
within 6 years · Pell students 43%
Come back for year two
76%
full-time first-year students
Earnings, 10 years later
$47,626
median, students on federal aid
Typical debt
$18,000
about $191 a month over 10 years

Debt vs. the paycheck

The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting

6.1%
0%10%: a common comfort line25%

$191 a month against about $3,115 a month in pay.

Paying back loans

Federal student loans, this college

58%

of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 71% of U.S. colleges.

Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).

Earnings by family background

Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment

Lower incomeunder $30k
$46k
Middle income$30–75k
$47k
Higher incomeover $75k
$51k
Who goes there

The students

5,612 degree-seeking undergraduates.

By race and ethnicity

White 52%Hispanic 29%Black 3%Asian 3%Two or more 7%

Women and men

Women 54%Men 46%
16 : 1
students per teacher
43%
get Pell grants (lower income)
34%
take federal loans
23%
undergrads 25 or older
12%
study part time
The town around it

Living in Arcata

29% of Arcata’s 19,047 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Arcata pages.

Arcata →
ArcataArcata, CA
$1,327/momedian rent · 35% below the state$468Ktypical home valueC−Safety Grade42° / 65°January low / July highB+Health GradeAll colleges in and near ArcataCompare prices, admissions and outcomes
Nearby

Other colleges within 30 miles

Straight-line distances from California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.

College of the RedwoodsCommunity college · Public · Humboldt Hill
13.8 mi3,209 students

Ask around

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.