Humboldt State University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Chico, California · Public · Open access · CDS 2025-2026
Humboldt State University is a public institution located in Chico, California. For the most recent reporting cycle, Humboldt State University admits the majority of qualified applicants, with an overall admission rate of 94%. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $14,838 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Humboldt State University 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 Humboldt State University?
Humboldt State University 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.
What does Humboldt State University weight in admissions?
Humboldt State University reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2025-2026). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Academic GPA
- • Standardized test scores
- • Geographical residence
- • State residency
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Class rank
- • Application essay
- • Recommendations
- • Interview
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Talent/ability
- • Character/personal qualities
- • First generation status
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
- • Volunteer work
- • Work experience
- • Level of applicant's interest
SAT and ACT scores Humboldt State University typically admits
Many applicants to schools in this tier submit test scores, though the policy varies by year — check the latest test-optional status before deciding.
| 25th percentile | 940 |
| 50th percentile | 1055 |
| 75th percentile | 1170 |
| % submitting SAT | 3% |
| 25th percentile | 19 |
| 50th percentile | 20 |
| 75th percentile | 26 |
| % submitting ACT | 0.5% |
- • Test-optional: Standardized test scores are not required, but may be submitted and considered.
- • Policy detail: Considered if submitted
Where admitted students ranked in their high school class
Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort — often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.
| Top 10% of class | 35% |
| Top 25% of class | 75% |
| Top 50% of class | 100% |
| % submitting class rank | 50% |
How much does Humboldt State University actually cost?
Published tuition is $8,064 for in-state students and $19,944 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $16,020 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $14,838 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 40% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | $6,450 |
| Out-of-state tuition | $19,552 |
| Room and board | $16,668 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $14,838 |
| Application fee | $70 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for Humboldt State University
| Regular deadline | 12/15 |
| Notification date | Rolling, beginning December 1 |
| Reply deadline | May 1 or within 2 weeks of notification |
| Rolling admissions | Yes |
Will my child graduate from Humboldt State University?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
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 Humboldt State University
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Humboldt State University 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 Humboldt State University
What GPA do I need for Humboldt State University?
Humboldt State University 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 Humboldt State University typically admit?
Humboldt State University does not publish standardized test ranges in the most recent reporting cycle. Test-optional policies have made scores less universally required, but submitting strong scores still helps when available.
How much does Humboldt State University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Humboldt State University after grants and scholarships is $14,838 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 Humboldt State University 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, Humboldt State University is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
Data sourced from the 2025-2026 Common Data Set submitted by Humboldt State University, and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.