California State University-Chico

What is the cost of studying for a year at California State University-Chico?

Tuition is only part of Chico State's annual price. In the 2025-26 reported figures, full-time undergraduate tuition and required fees totaled $8,472 for a California resident and $21,998 for a nonresident. Those figures combine tuition with required fees; they do not include living expenses.

• California-resident undergraduate tuition: $6,084; required fees: $2,388.
• Nonresident undergraduate tuition: $18,684; required fees: $2,388.
• Reported room and board: $16,668 for the academic year.
• Reported books and supplies: $1,122 for the academic year.

Adding the listed room, board, books, and supplies produces a partial annual budget of $26,262 for a resident or $38,862 for a nonresident. It is not a complete cost-of-attendance estimate: transportation, personal spending, and other applicable expenses still matter, and a student living at home or in an off-campus rental could have different costs. Because CSU tuition and campus charges can change, applicants should use the published budget for their actual entry year rather than treat 2024-25 amounts as a current bill.

Financial aid can change the amount a student pays. Reported average net prices varied by family income; for students from families earning $48,000 or less, the figure was $10,099. A net price is an average after grant and scholarship aid, not a quoted price for a particular applicant. Students should complete the applicable FAFSA or California Dream Act Application and review eligibility for federal grants, California grants, university scholarships, loans, and qualifying veterans' benefits. The individual aid offer is more useful for comparing colleges than published tuition alone.

What are the work-study opportunities at California State University-Chico?

Chico State students can seek part-time campus employment, while eligible students may also receive Federal Work-Study as part of a financial-aid offer. Work-Study is a form of aid earned through an approved job; it is not an automatic payment of the full awarded amount and does not guarantee a position.

Students can use campus employment listings and career resources to look for openings. Jobs outside Work-Study may also be available to students who do not qualify for that program. An internship is different again: it may provide academic credit, pay, both, or neither, depending on the position and department; Chico State does not require an internship of every undergraduate.

The Career Center offers individual career planning, résumé assistance, interview preparation, job-search tools, employer recruitment, and career fairs. Those services can help students explore majors or pursue career-related work while enrolled. Students hoping to use Work-Study should first check their aid offer and then confirm a prospective job's eligibility and hiring process.