California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt
Arcata, California · Also known as Cal Poly Humboldt · Website
$47,626
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$47,626
median earnings, 10 years after starting
California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt is a public 4-year college in Arcata, California with 5,612 undergraduates and 576 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $13,171 a year (tuition and fees $8,250 in-state, $20,850 out-of-state). It admits 98% of applicants and 49% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $47,626 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $18,000 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$13,171
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$8,250
Out-of-state $20,850
Admission rate
98%
US median 78%
Completion rate
49%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$18,000
About $191 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$47,626
Rank 1,691 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $13,171
- Tuition in-state
- $8,250
- Tuition out-of-state
- $20,850
- Cost of attendance
- $25,170
- Students with a need-based grant
- 43%
- Students with federal loans
- 34%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $8,483
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $8,812
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $11,088
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $15,593
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $22,228
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $7,195 in 2015-16 to $8,250 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 98%
- Undergraduates
- 5,612
- Graduate students
- 576
- Part-time students
- 12%
- Women
- 54%
- Students per teacher
- 16
- Completion rate
- 49%
- Retention rate
- 76%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 69
- Endowment
- $39.7M
- Other
- Hispanic-serving
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 1,691 of 5,094 US colleges and 182 of 494 in California (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | CA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $13,171 | $20,161 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $8,250 | $8,086 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 98% | 76% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 49% | 64% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 76% | 80% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $18,000 | $11,537 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $37,382 | $36,048 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $47,626 | $41,472 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 58% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 63% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
69 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 153 | $15,000 | $28,046 | $45,889 | $50,706 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchBachelor's | Bachelor's | 120 | $15,000 | $29,917 | $50,915 | $55,012 |
| Wildlife and Wildlands Science and ManagementBachelor's | Bachelor's | 98 | $21,889 | $26,325 | $47,003 | $45,338 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 91 | $15,448 | $36,586 | $60,005 | $68,257 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 85 | $19,875 | $32,760 | $55,707 | $57,214 |
| Social WorkBachelor's | Bachelor's | 66 | $18,250 | $35,693 | $57,953 | $51,790 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 58 | $19,750 | $24,660 | $55,222 | $54,562 |
| Social WorkMaster's | Master's | 54 | $29,654 | $60,219 | $74,253 | $65,123 |
| Fine and Studio ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 50 | $18,199 | $21,052 | $34,812 | $41,367 |
| ForestryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 44 | $21,000 | $52,810 | $79,849 | $58,784 |
| Computer ScienceBachelor's | Bachelor's | 42 | $17,625 | $37,153 | $74,620 | $107,009 |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 40 | $16,833 | $13,896 | $43,310 | $48,590 |
| Zoology/Animal BiologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 38 | $20,095 | $28,565 | $38,495 | $44,055 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchMaster's | Master's | 37 | $24,185 | $63,768 | $77,785 | $74,607 |
| Environmental/Environmental Health EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 36 | $25,000 | $55,589 | $78,225 | $81,171 |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 33 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherBachelor's | Bachelor's | 32 | $15,901 | $45,490 | $49,706 | $55,693 |
| Psychology, GeneralMaster's | Master's | 30 | $38,684 | $55,522 | $79,429 | $64,711 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 29 | $15,993 | $27,303 | $42,049 | $53,072 |
| Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's | Bachelor's | 28 | $18,300 | $36,079 | $41,994 | $63,293 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/GeosciencesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 27 | $19,940 | $29,476 | $53,371 | $60,190 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 26 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| CriminologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 26 | $16,475 | $29,123 | $55,174 | $55,556 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 24 | $15,000 | $30,844 | $43,064 | $51,710 |
| AnthropologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 23 | $17,986 | $19,868 | $41,464 | $46,676 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Arcata and California on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in California
- Homes: Homes for sale in California
Questions and answers
How much does California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt cost?
$13,171 a year is the average net price at California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $8,250 for in-state students and $20,850 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $25,170. Families earning under $30,000 pay $8,483 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt?
98% of applicants are admitted to California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt. The median admission rate of colleges in California is 76%.
How much do California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt graduates earn?
$47,626 a year is the median pay of former California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt students who work, 10 years after they started ($37,382 after 6 years). That ranks 1,691 of 5,094 US colleges and 182 of 494 in California. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Master's) at $63,768.
How much student debt do California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt graduates have?
$18,000 is the median federal student loan debt of California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt graduates, about $191 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 34% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt?
49% of first-time, full-time students at California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt finish within 6 years. 76% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt?
Psychology, General (153 bachelor's graduates), Natural Resources Conservation and Research (120 bachelor's graduates), Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management (98 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 69 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.