California State University is a public university system in California that is the largest in the country with more than 412,000 students and 47,000 faculty and staff members. It is integrated as The Trustees of the California State University. It is committed to providing high quality comprehensive education that is affordable and meets the constantly changing needs of workforce in California. It is nationally renowned for its quality instruction and preparing graduates to succeed in their careers. It is also known for being one of the nation’s most diverse and most affordable university systems.

California State University has achieved academic excellence through its eminent faculty who strive to provide excellent instruction. It offers superior undergraduate and graduation programs to meet professional and personal goals and enable students to acquire a broad liberal education. California State University offers over 1,800 degree programs in approximately 357 academic areas. It is California’s largest producer of bachelor’s degrees granting about half in the state. It also grants about a third of California’s master’s degrees. The university is a driving force of the state’s economy in various industries including health care, business, information technology, agriculture, public administration, media and entertainment, education, and hospitality. It provides a large return of investment for California, for every dollar the state invests in the university; it returns five times that amount.

California State University’s Extended University enables students to complete courses, certificates, and degree programs online. Online courses and programs are offered through Extended/Continuing education offices of the university system. Programs are offered at the credential, bachelor’s degree, and master’s degree levels from nearly all of the system’s campuses. Programs are available in more than 75 disciplines include accounting, history, arts, education, computers, engineering, aviation, banking, business, communications, liberal arts, construction, social science, criminal justice, health services, graphic design, hospitality, law, mathematics, nursing, science, urban studies, and youth studies. The online courses have been developed to provide a high level of interaction among students and classmates and instructors. Students are able to access the course anytime from any type of Internet connection.

California State University was founded in 1857 as the City of San Francisco’s Minns Evening Normal School, which evolved into California State Normal School. Over time the normal school added additional locations and developed into different entities including a branch of the University of California and State Teachers Colleges. The system became California State Colleges in 1935 and the Donahoe Higher Education Act of 1960 brought the individual state colleges together. The system became The California State University and Colleges in 1972. Ten years later in 1982, the system dropped colleges from its name and became The California State University. Today, the headquarters is located in Long Beach, California with 23 additional campuses around the state of California. Since 1961, almost 2.5 million students have graduated from California State University and approximately 95,000 students graduate each year.