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CSU Chico

Chico, CA · ~14,000 · Division II — no football

Outdoor-active mid-sized CSU at the cheapest price; Bidwell Park in town; #5 CA party-school ranking; wildfire-smoke risk Aug–Oct.

Out-of-state tuition surcharge: (CA-resident only)

Climate

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Chico — Climate
Chico — Climate

249 sunny days; hot dry summer; wildfire smoke Aug–Oct.

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From the web — at source

Cliffs and Big Chico Creek in Upper Park.
Cliffs and Big Chico Creek in Upper Park. (Wikimedia Commons (2025) ↗)
Foggy winter morning in Upper Park — the rare cold/wet face of Chico's climate.
Foggy winter morning in Upper Park — the rare cold/wet face of Chico's climate. (Wikimedia Commons (2025) ↗)

Activities & Culture

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Chico — Activities & Culture
Chico — Activities & Culture

Bidwell, Sycamore Pool, Adventure Outings, CAVE, Sierra Nevada Brewing.

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Chico — Outdoor Detail
Chico — Outdoor Detail detail

Upper park swim holes, Stonyford OHV, Plumas NF, disc golf.

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From the web — at source

Sycamore Pool — Lower Bidwell Park's WPA-era creek pool.
Sycamore Pool — Lower Bidwell Park's WPA-era creek pool. (Wikimedia Commons ↗)
Big Chico Creek in Upper Bidwell Park.
Big Chico Creek in Upper Bidwell Park. (Wikimedia Commons ↗)
Senator Theatre — anchor of Chico's downtown.
Senator Theatre — anchor of Chico's downtown. (Wikimedia Commons (2020) ↗)

Predominant Academic Programs

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Chico — Predominant Academic Programs
Chico — Predominant Academic Programs

#9 Top Public West (US News 2026) · Mechatronic Eng (1st in CSU) · West's 1st Organic Dairy · 7,835-ac BCCER · The Orion (10× Pacemaker) · AACSB since 1972.

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Transfer Paths

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DPP Savings

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Housing — Off-Campus

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Chico — Off-Campus Housing
Chico — Off-Campus Housing

Cheapest of the three: 1BR $1,200, room in shared house $600–$900.

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From the web — at source

Chico Plaza — downtown center, walking distance from campus.
Chico Plaza — downtown center, walking distance from campus. (Wikimedia Commons ↗)

Housing — On-Campus

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Chico — On-Campus Housing
Chico — On-Campus Housing

App opens Feb 17, priority Apr 17. Multiple hall styles, full meal plan in traditional halls.

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Chico — On-Campus Halls (2026–27)
Chico — On-Campus Halls (2026–27) detail

Trad Double + 7-Day Meal $16,946/yr; Éstom Jámani Single $19,210; Konkow Double $13,058.

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From the web — at source

Kendall Hall — historic CSU Chico administration building.
Kendall Hall — historic CSU Chico administration building. (Wikimedia Commons (2023) ↗)
Trinity Hall from the George Petersen Rose Garden.
Trinity Hall from the George Petersen Rose Garden. (Wikimedia Commons ↗)

Food — On-Campus

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Chico — On-Campus Food
Chico — On-Campus Food

Meal plans $1,144–$3,088/sem. Sutter Dining Marketplace + Éstom Jámani + AS retail.

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Food — Off-Campus

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Chico — Off-Campus Food
Chico — Off-Campus Food

~$443/mo individual food spend. WinCo cheapest, Trader Joe's mid-tier, downtown walkable.

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Employment & Work-Study

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Chico — Employment & Work-Study
Chico — Employment & Work-Study

CA min wage $16.50/hr. Career Center + Handshake. Spring Job Fair Mar 25, 2026. Sierra Nevada Brewing, Enloe Health top employers.

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Travel from Aptos

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Chico — Travel from Aptos
Chico — Travel from Aptos

250 mi · 4–5 hr drive. No flying needed. Any-3-day-weekend frequency.

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Source

KB page: CSU Chico — Off-Campus Living in the LogSeq graph. Citation links from each cluster's sidecar markdown live alongside the infographic files in /college-infographics/.