California State University in the context of University system

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) is a public university in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States, outside of the city limits of San Luis Obispo. Founded in 1901, it is the oldest of three polytechnic universities within the California State University system. Cal Poly emphasizes a "learn by doing" philosophy, integrating hands-on, practical experiences into its curriculum. As of fall 2022, Cal Poly had approximately 21,000 undergraduate and 800 graduate students.

The university is home to several programs, including in engineering, architecture, and business. Most of the university's athletic teams participate in the Big West Conference.

The Big West Conference (BWC) is an American collegiate athletic conference whose member institutions participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. The conference was originally formed on July 1, 1969, as the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA), and in 1988 was renamed the Big West Conference. The conference stopped sponsoring college football after the 2000 season.

Among the conference's 11 member institutions, 10 are located in California (nine in Southern California alone), and one is located in Hawaii (though the Hawaii member is leaving for the Mountain West Conference, effective July 1, 2026). All of the current schools are public universities, with the California schools evenly split between the California State University and the University of California systems. In addition, one affiliate member plays two sports in the BWC not sponsored by its home conference.

The California Community Colleges is a postsecondary education system in the U.S. state of California. The system includes the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges and 73 community college districts. The districts currently operate 116 accredited colleges. The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the United States, and third largest system of higher education in the world, serving more than 1.8 million students. Despite its plural name, the system is consistently referred to in California law as a singular entity.

Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the California Community Colleges is a part of the state's public higher education system, which also includes the University of California system and the California State University system. Like the two other systems, the California Community Colleges system is headed by an executive officer and a governing board. The 17-member Board of Governors sets direction for the system and is in turn appointed by the governor of California. The board appoints the Chancellor, who is the chief executive officer of the system. Locally elected Boards of Trustees work on the district level with Presidents who run the individual college campuses.

California State University, Northridge (CSUN /ˈsiːsʌn/ or Cal State Northridge), is a public university in the Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. With a total enrollment of 36,960 students (as of Fall 2025), it has the fourth largest total student body in the California State University system. The size of CSUN also has a major impact on the California economy, with an estimated $1.9 billion in economic output generated by CSUN on a yearly basis. As of Fall 2025, the university has 2,085 faculty members, of which around 37% are tenured or on the tenure-track.

California State University, Northridge, was founded first as the Valley satellite campus of California State University, Los Angeles. It then became an independent college in 1958 as San Fernando Valley State College, with major campus master planning and construction. In 1972, the university adopted its current name of California State University, Northridge. The 1994 Northridge earthquake caused $400 million (equivalent to $849 million in 2024) in damage to the campus, the heaviest damage ever sustained by an American college campus.

San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California, United States. Founded in 1897, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system. SDSU is the oldest higher education institution in San Diego; its academic roots were established as a normal school in University Heights, then known as the San Diego Normal School. In the fall of 2025, the university enrolled a record 41,184 students.

SDSU comprises eight colleges and offers over 200 degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. It is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). The university is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity". It is a federally-designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) as well as an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI).

California State University, San Bernardino (Cal State San Bernardino or CSUSB) is a public research university in San Bernardino, California, United States. Founded in 1965, it is part of the California State University system. The main campus sits on 441 acres (178 ha) in the University District of San Bernardino, with a branch campus of 40 acres (16 ha) in Palm Desert, California, opened in 1986. Cal State San Bernardino's fall 2020 enrollment was 19,404. In fall 2019, it had 505 full-time faculty, of which 385 (76 percent) were on the tenure track.

The university is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity", offering bachelor's degrees in 123 programs, master's degrees in 61 programs, two Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) programs (Community College specialization and K–12 specialization), and 23 teaching credentials.

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).

San José State University (San José State or SJSU) is a public research university in San Jose, California, United States. Established in 1857 as the state's first normal school, it is the oldest public university in the western United States and is the founding campus of the California State University system.

Located in downtown San Jose, San Jose State's main campus spans 154 acres (62 ha), or roughly 19 square blocks. It is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission and is classified among "R2: High Research Spending and Doctorate Production". It is a federally-designated Hispanic-Serving Institution as well as an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution.