Since its founding in 1965, California State University, Bakersfield has become one of the best colleges at vaulting diverse students up the socioeconomic ladder as 65% of students on campus are the first in their families to go to college. CSU Bakersfield has roughly 10,000 students, and it's a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution.
The university offers 35 undergraduate programs, 17 master’s programs and two doctoral programs. The university couples strong STEM offerings with wide-ranging humanities courses and a flexible interdisciplinary major program, which lets students meld two or more fields into a customized academic path.
Located in one of the most oil-rich counties in California, the university also houses a renowned petroleum geology program that prepares students for the energy industry. CSU Bakersfield has a reputation as a commuter school — about 95% of students live off campus. But the school's 100 or so student organizations and 16 Division I sports teams ensure there's always an event to attend or a game in which you can cheer on the Roadrunners — "Runners," as students call them.
