# California State University, Fresno

California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) is a public university in Fresno, California, United States. It is part of the California State University system. The university had a fall 2020 enrollment of 25,341 students. It offers 60 bachelor's degree program, 45 master's degree programs, 3 doctoral degree programs, 12 certificates of advanced study, and 2 different teaching credentials. The university is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". Fresno is a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) and is eligible to be designated as an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-serving institution (AANAPISI).
The university's facilities include an on-campus planetarium, on-campus raisin and wine grape vineyards, and a commercial winery where student-made wines have won over 300 awards since 1997. Members of Fresno State's nationally ranked equestrian team have the option of housing their horses on campus, next to indoor and outdoor arenas. Fresno State has a 50,000-square-foot (4,600 m$^2$) Student Recreation Center and the third-largest library (by square footage) in the California State University system.

## History

California State University, Fresno was founded as the Fresno State Normal School in 1911 with Charles Lourie McLane as its first president. It was one of about 180 "normal schools" founded by state governments 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.
The original campus was what is now Fresno City College. In 1956, Fresno State moved its campus to its present location in the northeast part of the city; FCC bought the old campus and moved back in. It became Fresno State College in 1949, when it was authorized to grant bachelor's degrees. It became a charter institution of the State College System of California, forerunner of the California State University System, in 1961. In 1972, the name was officially changed to California State University, Fresno.
Even after changing its official name to "California State University, Fresno", the school has long been called "Fresno State" for short, particularly in athletics. The university now recommends the use of "Fresno State' in most contexts, stating "California State University, Fresno is the official name, but should only be used for specific academic audiences or international audiences."

## Campus

The greater campus extends from Valley Children's Stadium on the west boundary to Highway 168 on the east side. The University Agricultural Laboratory designates the northern boundary of the campus, while Shaw Avenue designates the southern edge.

### Fresno State Library

The Fresno State Library is a main resource for recorded knowledge and information supporting the teaching, research, and service functions of Fresno State.
The library was opened in 2009. It houses 1,000,000 books in its 327,920 sq ft (30,465 m$^2$). The shelves amount to over 20 miles (32 km) in length. It is currently the third largest library in the CSU system (in terms of square footage) and the largest academic building on the Fresno State campus. The five-story building features seating areas for almost 4,000 people, group study rooms, wireless Internet access and a Starbucks.
The Fresno State Library features a number of special collections such as the Arne Nixon Center, a research center for the study of children's and young adult literature, and the Central Valley Political Archive.
Michael Gorman, the former dean of the Library, was the president of the American Library Association in 2005–2006.

## Academics

Fall Freshman Statistics :
| | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 |
| Freshman Applicants | 29,936 | 18,682 | 15,231 | 15,488 | 18,122 | 18,476 | 17,920 | 18,735 | 19,938 | 18,956 | 17,580 | 16,242 |
| Admits | 25,671 | 17,703 | 14,816 | 15,446 | 10,501 | 10,630 | 10,646 | 10,031 | 10,406 | 11,256 | 10,523 | 9,444 |
| % Admitted | 85 | 95 | 97 | 90 | 58 | 58 | 59.4 | 53.5 | 59.8 | 59.9 | 58.1 | 60.4 |
| Enrolled | 7,536 | 3,426 | 3,428 | 3,679 | 3,331 | 3,534 | 3,447 | 3,258 | 3,674 | 3,532 | 3,265 | 3,139 |
| Average GPA | 3.45 | 3.52 | 3.49 | 3.48 | 3.57 | 3.53 | 3.46 | 3.46 | 3.34 | 3.35 | 3.31 | 3.30 |
| Average SAT Composite | 1001 | 1023 | 1007 | 1007 | 1041 | 1028 | 949 | 915 | 905 | 915 | 928 | 930 |
Fresno State was the first of all 23 CSU campuses to offer an individual-campus doctorate. At the graduate level, Fresno State also offers the following nationally ranked programs: part-time MBA, Physical Therapy, Nursing, Speech-Language Pathology, and Social Work.
A joint doctoral program in collaboration with San Jose State University for a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree is administered through Fresno State.
In May 2019, the university saw the largest graduating class in its history, with over 6,200 graduates.

### Accreditation

California State University, Fresno is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission. The five engineering programs in the Lyles College of Engineering are each accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. The Craig School of Business is AACSB accredited. The university is classified by the U.S. Federal government as an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI), and a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) because the Hispanic undergraduate full-time-equivalent student enrollment is greater than 25%.

### Schools and colleges

* Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology
* College of Arts and Humanities
* Craig School of Business
* Kremen School of Education and Human Development
* Lyles College of Engineering
* College of Health and Human Services
* College of Science and Mathematics
* College of Social Sciences

### Smittcamp Family Honors College

The Smittcamp Family Honors College is a program providing top high school graduates a fully paid President's Scholarship, which includes tuition and housing, as well as other amenities for the duration of their studies. Admission to the Smittcamp Family Honors College is highly competitive. Candidates must have a minimum 3.8 GPA, rank in the top 10% of their high school graduating class, or have a combined SAT score of 1200 or an average ACT English and Mathematics score of 27.
Smittcamp Honors Scholars must also complete rigorous academic and community service requirements. Smittcamp Honors College students receive priority registration for all courses, regular interaction with the university president, and special honors recognition at commencement.

### Rankings

2023–2024 USNWR Best Regional Colleges West Rankings :
| Top Performers on Social Mobility | 8 |
| Top Public Schools | 101 |
| Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs | 49 (At schools where doctorate not offered) |
| Civil Engineering | 12 (2022-2023 year) |
| Electrical / Electronic / Communications | 12 |
| Best Value Schools | 204 |
| Best Colleges for Veterans | 129 |
| Economics | 254 |
| Nursing | 319 |
2023 USNWR Graduate School Rankings :
| Program | Ranking |
| Rehabilitation Counseling | 19 |
| Nursing Master's | 114 (2022-2023 year) |
| Physical Therapy | 137 |
| Public health | 140 |
| Social Work | 142 |
| Speech–Language Pathology | 159 |
| Public Affairs | 191 |
* In its 2022 rankings, U.S. News & World Report ranked Fresno State 250th out of 443 U.S. national universities and tied for 124th in its ranking of 227 "Top Public Schools".
* In its 2022 rankings, U.S. News & World Report also ranked Fresno State tied for 30th in "Top Performers on Social Mobility" among national universities and tied for 49th in the nation in its "Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs" at schools where doctorates are not offered.
* Money magazine ranked Fresno State 62nd in the country out of 739 schools evaluated for its 2020 "Best Colleges for Your Money" edition and 40th in its list of the 50 best public schools in the U.S.
* In 2024, Washington Monthly ranked Fresno State 22nd out of 438 schools on its National Universities list, and 9th on the social mobility rankings. Washington Monthly assesses the quality of schools based on social mobility, research, and promoting public service.
* In 2025, Forbes magazine's "America's Top Colleges" list ranked Fresno State 185th out of 500 universities, liberal arts colleges, and service academies nationwide. Fresno State was also ranked 82nd among public colleges and 42nd in the west.
* In 2017, U.S. News & World Report ranked Fresno State first in the nation in its list of best public universities in graduation rate performances.

## Student life

Undergraduate demographics as of Fall 2023 :
| Race and ethnicity | Total | Total |
| Hispanic | 61% | 61 |
| White | 16% | 16 |
| Asian | 12% | 12 |
| Two or more races | 2% | 2 |
| Unknown | 3% | 3 |
| Black | 3% | 3 |
| Foreign national | 2% | 2 |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0% | |
| Economic diversity |||
| Low-income | 59% | 59 |
| Affluent | 41% | 41 |

### Student Involvement Center

The Student Involvement Center provides services, programs and co-curricular educational activities. Some key events the Student Involvement Center plan are Convocation, Homecoming Week, and Commencement.

### Fraternity and sorority life

* Fraternities and sororities has been part of Fresno State for nearly one hundred years and includes 42 single-sex fraternities and sororities consisting of over 1,420 men and women. The Student Involvement Center is charged with advising the four Greek Councils at Fresno State: the Interfraternity Council (IFC), the Panhellenic Association (PHA), the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), and the United Sorority & Fraternity Council (USFC).

### Associated Students, Inc. (ASI)

ASI is the recognized student body government at Fresno State. Twenty students are elected each year and serve annual terms. ASI provides funding for student-related projects on campus and grants for graduate and undergraduate student research and projects.

### Student Recreation Center

In February 2006, the Student Recreation Center opened. Construction costs were paid for and operating funds are derived from a semester student-use fee. While an Association entity, the Student Recreation Center is under the direction of the Division of Student Affairs. The Student Recreation Center is adjacent to the Save Mart Center arena. The center has four full-size basketball courts, dance and fitness studios.

### University Student Union

The original student union was opened in 1968; it was built to accommodate a studenty body of 10,000 students. The building is 52,000 square feet and has three levels.

## Athletics

Fresno State is a member of the NCAA Division I Mountain West Conference. The university's 22 varsity sports teams are known as the Bulldogs, and the school's colors are cardinal red and blue. Fresno State has made several runs at NCAA tournaments in basketball, football, soccer, tennis, baseball, softball, and volleyball.
In 2017, Fresno State resurrected its wrestling program after an 11-year hiatus. joining the Big 12 Conference. The Bulldogs added equestrianism, recognized as a women-only sport in the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program, to their Big 12 membership in 2019. Fresno State dropped three sports at the end of the 2020–21 school year—women's lacrosse, men's tennis, and wrestling for a second time. The equestrian program remains in the Big 12.
The Fresno State–San Diego State football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Fresno State Bulldogs football team of Fresno and San Diego State Aztecs football team of San Diego State University. The winner of the game receives the "Old Oil Can" trophy.
* NCAA Division I National Champions, baseball, in 2008
* NCAA Division I National Champions, softball, in 1998.

## Media

FresnoStateNews is an online source of information about current events affecting Fresno State students, faculty and staff.
The FresnoState Magazine is published twice per year from the Office of University Communications. It is both a print and online publication that features current events at Fresno State, Alumni Association events and alumni achievements.
The Collegian is the campus student-run newspaper. It is published during the fall and spring semesters. The online edition features video, podcasts and photo galleries.
KFSR Radio is the campus radio station. KFSR's broadcast license is owned by California State University, Fresno. KFSR is a listener-supported, non-profit, public radio station. It broadcasts at 90.7 FM and streams online at www.kfsr.org. It operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and plays jazz, blues and a wide range of specialty shows.
Fresno State Focus is the campus student-run, weekly broadcast put on by the Media, Communications, and Journalism department. The news team changes each semester, and has been involved in several projects that extend beyond the campus.

## ROTC

Two branches of the military are represented on campus at Fresno State: Army and Air Force. The Army unit on campus is known as the Bulldog Battalion. The Air Force ROTC Detachment on campus, Detachment 35, is one of the oldest in the nation. Founded in 1948, only one year after the signing of the National Defense Act of 1947 which established the U.S. Air Force as a separate branch of the military, Detachment 35 has won numerous awards. In July 2008, Detachment 35 was awarded the "High Flight" award, naming it the top mid-sized detachment in the entire southwest region of the United States. Just a few months later, Detachment 35 was named best mid-sized detachment in the nation and awarded the "Right of Line" award, the highest honor for a detachment.

## Alumni

A number of notable Fresno State alumni have served in state and federal positions, become major athletes, or found their mark in business and media, including Paul George, basketball athlete and Joy Covey, the original CFO of Amazon.com.
* Notable Fresno State alumni include:
* Rick Husband, American astronaut and former fighter pilot
* Timothy P. White, the seventh chancellor of the California State University
* Kenny Guinn, former American businessman and former governor of Nevada
* Cruz Bustamante, former American politician
* Ashley Swearengin, former mayor of Fresno and current president and CEO of the Central Valley Community Foundation
* Lee P. Brown, American criminologist, public administrator, politician, and businessman
* Jim Nielsen, currently serving in the California State Senate
* Jim Costa, American politician
* Gary Soto, poet and novelist
* Devon Mathis, member of the California State Assembly
* David Carr, American former professional football athlete
* Davante Adams, professional football player
* Derek Carr, professional football player
* Trent Dilfer, professional football player and analyst
* Aaron Judge, professional baseball player
* Ryan Mathews, professional football player
* Lane Kiffin, professional football coach