California State University-Bakersfield: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Thousand Oaks, California · Private nonprofit · Open access
California State University-Bakersfield is a private institution located in Thousand Oaks, California. For the most recent reporting cycle, California State University-Bakersfield admits the majority of qualified applicants, with an overall admission rate of 89%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1224 and an ACT composite around 26. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $26,433 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether California State University-Bakersfield is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for California State University-Bakersfield?
California State University-Bakersfield has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
SAT and ACT scores California State University-Bakersfield typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 557–660, with an EBRW midpoint near 595. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 23–29. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.
How much does California State University-Bakersfield actually cost?
Published tuition is $50,670 for in-state students and $50,670 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $17,734 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $26,433 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 30% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
Other colleges in California parents ask about
- Stanford University4% acceptance
- University of California-Berkeley12% acceptance
- University of California-Los Angeles9% acceptance
- University of Southern California10% acceptance
- University of California-Davis42% acceptance
- University of California-Irvine26% acceptance
- University of California-San Diego25% acceptance
- University of California-Santa Barbara63% acceptance
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like California State University-Bakersfield
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like California State University-Bakersfield recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about California State University-Bakersfield
What GPA do I need for California State University-Bakersfield?
California State University-Bakersfield has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission.
What SAT or ACT score does California State University-Bakersfield typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 557–660, with an EBRW midpoint near 595. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 23–29.
How much does California State University-Bakersfield actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at California State University-Bakersfield after grants and scholarships is $26,433 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is California State University-Bakersfield realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, California State University-Bakersfield is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.