What is California State University, Bakersfield's acceptance rate?

California State University, Bakersfield admitted 12,230 of 14,532 first-year applicants for 2025-26, an acceptance rate of 84.2%, according to its Common Data Set.

Does California State University, Bakersfield have early decision?

No. California State University, Bakersfield does not offer early decision, per its 2025-26 Common Data Set.

What SAT score do you need for California State University, Bakersfield?

The middle 50% of California State University, Bakersfield's enrolled first-years scored 875–1135 on the SAT and 19–23.75 on the ACT.

How much does California State University, Bakersfield cost?

Tuition is $6,838 in-state, plus $17,432 for food and housing, before aid. The average need-based grant is $13,595.

What is California State University, Bakersfield's graduation rate?

48.2% of students graduate within six years.

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California State University, Bakersfield Common Data Set 2025-26

CATest policy: Test-blind for admission: C8A answered No, SAT/ACT not used in admission decisions; AP and CLEP used for placementCompare with other schools

Acceptance rate

84.2%

12,230 of 14,532

Early decision rate

No ED

SAT middle 50%

875–1135

ACT middle 50%

19–23.75

Admissions

AppliedC1	14,532
AdmittedC1	12,230
EnrolledC1	1,366
YieldC1	11.2%
Early decisionC21	Not offered
Early actionC22	Not offered

Waitlist

Offered a placeC2	—
Accepted a placeC2	—
Admitted from waitlistC2	—
Odds if you stay on the listC2	—

Test scores and GPA

Submitted SATC9	6%
Submitted ACTC9	1%
SAT Reading & Writing (25th–75th)C9	470–595
SAT Math (25th–75th)C9	400–535
Average high school GPAC12	3.44
GPA of 4.0C11	15.7%
GPA 3.75–3.99C11	14.3%
GPA 3.50–3.74C11	19.1%
GPA below 3.50C11	50.9%

Cost and financial aid

Tuition, in-stateG1	$6,838
Tuition, out-of-stateG1	$18,142
Required feesG1	$2,105
Food and housingG1	$17,432
Need fully met (first-years)H2	2.7%
Average % of need metH2	67%
Average need-based packageH2	$15,605
Average need-based grantH2	$13,595

What admissions looks at

Rigor of secondary school recordVery important
Class rankNot considered
Academic GPAVery important
Standardized test scoresNot considered
Application essayNot considered
Recommendation(s)Not considered
InterviewNot considered
Extracurricular activitiesConsidered
Talent/abilityConsidered
Character/personal qualitiesNot considered
First generationNot considered
Alumni/ae relationNot considered
Geographical residenceNot considered
State residencyConsidered
Religious affiliation/commitmentNot considered
Volunteer workNot considered
Work experienceNot considered
Level of applicant's interestNot considered

From item C7.

Outcomes

UndergraduatesB1	9,897
First-year retentionB22	80.9%
4-year graduation rateB	—
6-year graduation rateB	48.2%

Notes on this filing

Year 2025-26 inferred from Fall 2025 enrollment and admissions data.
C2: waitlist policy answered No; waitlist count fields are blank.
C21 and C22: early decision and early action both answered No; no counts reported.
C8A: answered No (SAT/ACT not used for admission), C8F clarification is blank, yet C9 reports SAT/ACT submission rates and score percentiles for enrolled students. Policy recorded as test-blind based on C8A.
C10: high school class rank data left blank.
B22: 1023 of 1263 computes to 81.0%, but the filing prints 80.90%; the printed value was used.
B4-B11 (2019 cohort): 4-year graduation rate not printed (427 of 1545 completed in four years); left null, not computed. 6-year rate taken as printed in total column (0.481553398).
H2: percent of need-based aid recipients with any aid is not printed; left null. pct_need_fully_met computed as 25/914 (line h / line d, first-time full-time first-year column).
G1: public institution with separate in-district and out-of-state tuition; tuition field left null and in-state figure ($6,838) and out-of-state figure ($18,142) entered. Room and board is on-campus food and housing ($17,432) for first-year students.
H2 avg_need_based_package uses line J (average financial aid package, $15,605) and avg_need_based_grant uses line K ($13,595).

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California State University, Bakersfield admissions FAQ

What is California State University, Bakersfield's acceptance rate?: California State University, Bakersfield admitted 12,230 of 14,532 first-year applicants for 2025-26, an acceptance rate of 84.2%, according to its Common Data Set.
Does California State University, Bakersfield have early decision?: No. California State University, Bakersfield does not offer early decision, per its 2025-26 Common Data Set.
What SAT score do you need for California State University, Bakersfield?: The middle 50% of California State University, Bakersfield's enrolled first-years scored 875–1135 on the SAT and 19–23.75 on the ACT.
How much does California State University, Bakersfield cost?: Tuition is $6,838 in-state, plus $17,432 for food and housing, before aid. The average need-based grant is $13,595.
What is California State University, Bakersfield's graduation rate?: 48.2% of students graduate within six years.

Source: California State University, Bakersfield Common Data Set 2025-26 . “—” means the college left the item blank.