CSU, Chico Listed in Top 25 of CollegeNET’s 2019 Social Mobility Index

Being afforded the opportunity to improve the trajectory of one’s own life through higher education often also means transforming the lives of your family members, too. California State University, Chico has recently been recognized as one of the nation’s best universities at doing just that.

In its 2019 Social Mobility Index (SMI), CollegeNET ranked the higher education institutions that provide its students with the best opportunity to improve their lives and the lives of their families. Out of over 1,450 entries, CSU, Chico was ranked No. 22.

Data for the listings were collected from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard and the Integrated Postsecondary Educational Data System. It strongly considered price of tuition, percentage of economically disadvantaged students, graduation rates, early career net salaries and endowment at the institution.

According to CollegeNET’s listings, CSU, Chico reported the fifth-lowest average student debt ($18,200) of the top 25 ranked colleges and universities—meaning graduates are saddled with significantly less debt than most of the similarly ranked institutions.

“Chico State’s many financial resources, from financial aid and federal grants to scholarships and on-campus employment opportunities, give students the opportunity to minimize their debt,” said Kim Guanzon, director of the Office of Admissions. “And that gives our graduating students a head start when it comes to changing their own trajectory, and that of their families.”

The CSU system occupied 15 of the list’s top 25 spots, including No. 2 Cal State Los Angeles; No. 3 Fresno State; No. 5 CSU, Channel Islands; No. 6 Cal State San Bernardino; No. 7 Cal State Long Beach; No. 8 Stanislaus State; and No. 10 Cal Poly Pomona.

Other schools in the top 25 were CSUN (No. 11): Cal State East Bay (No. 15); CSU, Bakersfield (No. 17); Cal State Fullerton (No. 18); CSU, Monterey Bay (No. 19); CSU, Dominguez Hills (No. 20); and San José State (No. 25).

More than 50 percent of Chico State students are first-generation, and will be the first in their family to complete a four-year degree. Additionally, through programs such as the Educational Opportunity Program, Summer Bridge, and the new Student Transition and Retention (STAR) Center, the University works to ensure all students have the academic and personal resources they need to reach graduation and excel in their chosen fields.

Chico State continues to garner attention for the opportunities it provides its students, as well as the transformative power of a Chico State education. In August, CEO World Magazine listed the University No. 20 on its list of Most Transformative Colleges in the United States for 2019.

In compiling the schools on its list, CEO World Magazine looked at factors like graduation rates, earnings and student loan repayment. Additionally, the Most Transformative Colleges list ranked institutions based on their “value add” scores, an indicator “which signifies when an institution’s graduates perform better than would be expected based on their academic and background.”