The mission of the California State University is:
- To advance and extend knowledge, learning, and culture, especially throughout California.
- To provide opportunities for individuals to develop intellectually, personally, and professionally.
- To prepare significant numbers of educated, responsible people to contribute to California's schools, economy, culture, and future.
- To encourage and provide access to an excellent education to all prepared for and wish to participate in the collegiate study.
- To offer undergraduate and graduate instruction leading to bachelor's and higher degrees in the liberal arts and sciences, the applied fields, and the professions, including the doctoral degree when authorized.
- To prepare students for an international, multi-cultural society.
- To provide public services that enrich the university and its communities.
The California State University is one of the most ethnically and racially diverse university systems in the U.S.More than 51 percent of CSU employees are women. More than 38 percent of CSU employees and 60 percent of CSU students are people of color.
More than one-third of the CSU's entering freshmen are among the first generation of their families to attend college. At the CSU, we work every day to help ensure one thing for our more than 484,000 students: The timely completion of a rigorous, quality degree in preparation for a lifetime of achievement.
The California State University is committed to educating skills-ready graduates for our state, providing fair compensation to our world-class faculty and staff, and fulfilling our mission of access and opportunity for every qualified student in California. Our commitment to creating a bright California future requires sufficient, predictable, and sustained investment from the state.
Critical to student success at the CSU, the Basic Needs Initiative takes a holistic look at students' well-being both inside and outside the classroom, from housing and food security to mental health. We are working together to find better ways to support our students on their path to graduation.
The CSU is a national leader in studying the prevalence of food and housing insecurity and identifying and implementing solutions to support students' basic needs. Explore some of the work being done to understand better these problems faced by college students at the CSU and across the country.
The California State University prepares more of California's P-12 teachers than all other institutions combined — and nearly 8 percent of the nation's teachers. In preparing educators, CSU is a leader in the state and nation in the quality of its programs, the focus on diversity, and the emphasis on K-12 partnerships.
There are many sources of grants, scholarships, loans, and loan cancellation programs for teacher candidates. The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) grant is a federal financial aid program. The Teacher Loan Forgiveness program aims to encourage more individuals to enter and continue in the teaching profession.
The CSU's teacher preparation program is the largest in the state and among the largest in the nation, awarding 6,500 California teaching credentials annually.
The CSU's programs for educators are designed to enable them to continue on career-long growth trajectories, earning credentials that enable them to enter the profession and master's and doctoral (Ed.D.) programs that provide the skills be transformational leaders. Campuses offer programs that enable teachers to earn National Board Certification. The system's national leadership in professional development includes the Expository Reading and Writing Course, which has played a prominent role in advancing college readiness in English.
The CSU also is deeply involved in Subject Matter Projects that advance teacher expertise in mathematics, science, reading and literature, writing, history/social science, the arts, international studies, world languages, and physical education and health. These projects offer Summer Institutes that afford teachers opportunities for in-depth collaborative learning.
Explore a variety of programs across the CSU that will help you earn your bachelor's degree and teaching credential at the same time. California needs more math and science teachers. Learn how to share your skills in STEM through the CSU's Math and Science Teacher Initiative.
Ready to earn your graduate degree in education? There are plenty of options at campuses across the CSU. Seventeen campuses now offer an Ed.D. or Ph.D. in education, with a particular focus on educational leadership. As the largest producer of teachers in California, the CSU is called upon to expand its teacher preparation programs to meet California's K-12 school districts' staffing needs.
Sustainability in the California State University: The First Assessment of the 2014 Sustainability Policy (2014-2017) In May 2014, the CSU Board of Trustees adopted the first systemwide Sustainability Policy, applying sustainable principles across all areas of university operations. This February 2018 report represents the first CSU-wide assessment of progress toward the goals outlined in the policy.
Working hand-in-hand with California's businesses and communities is essential for the California State University to function and thrive. The CSU's Chancellor's Office offers many opportunities to collaborate with businesses across the state.
California State University oversees the maintenance of more than 2,000 buildings. The full economic impact of direct CSU-related expenditures is estimated at nearly $17 billion. As of spring 2016, the CSU system had 36 LEED-certified projects at the silver, gold, or platinum level.
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