Money Magazine Ranks Chico State Among Nation’s Top Colleges and Universities

As Chico State completes one academic year and looks toward a new one, it has been recognized for its remarkable value.

In its listing of “2022 Best Colleges in America, Ranked by Value,” Money magazine ranked Chico State at No. 48 out of 623 qualifying schools, landing the University within the top 8 percent of all higher education institutions around the country.

“Chico State has a very long tradition of prioritizing high-quality, affordable education for a wide swath of students,” said Director of the Office of Admissions Serge Desir. “We believe everyone who is ready for a college experience should be able to achieve it without financial strain.”

Desir said that when students obtain their degrees without amassing too much debt—as they do at Chico State—their careers get a jumpstart.

“It means that a student is able to quickly see the return on their educational investment,” he said. “They can begin saving and building a successful future much sooner without the burden of debt.”

Money magazine’s recognition adds to an impressive year for Chico State being recognized for its excellence by top-tier publications. At the beginning of the 2021–22 academic year, the University was ranked No. 15 in Washington Monthly’s “Best Bang for the Buck Rankings: West” list. Later that month, US News & World Report recognized the University at No. 24 on its “Top Performers on Social Mobility – Regional Universities West” rankings.

Money magazine’s rankings only include US colleges with sufficient reliable data available to analyze. The publication then ranks institutions based on multiple factors within three categories: quality (the six-year graduation rate and value-added graduation rate, as well as transfer student population), affordability (both short- and long-term affordability) and outcomes (primarily based on earnings and employment data reported in the federal College Scorecard).

Other CSU campuses ranked in the top 50 include Cal Maritime (No. 15); Cal State Long Beach (No. 18); Stanislaus State (No. 19); Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (No. 25); Cal Poly Pomona (No. 28); Fresno State (No. 29); Cal State Fullerton (No. 30); San José State (No. 31); and Sacramento State (No. 49).

The CSU, the nation’s largest university system, remains one of the most affordable when compared to other institutions across the country. CSU tuition and fees for undergraduate education during the 2021–22 academic year averaged $7,439, while the national average is $12,341.