California State University, Bakersfield
83%
Acceptance rate
$21,861
Tuition/yr
9,000
Enrollment
About California State University, Bakersfield
Public CSU in Bakersfield, CA. Strong engineering, business, and health sciences programs serving Central Valley.
California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) is a public university established in 1970, part of the 23-campus California State University system. Located on a 375-acre campus in Bakersfield, it enrolls approximately 10,664 students across undergraduate and graduate programs, organized into four colleges: Arts and Humanities; Business and Public Administration; Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Engineering; and Social Sciences and Education.
CSUB offers 39 bachelor's and 17 master's degree programs, plus one doctoral program (Ed.D. in Educational Leadership). The university is home to the only petroleum geology program offered by a public university west of the Rocky Mountains, reflecting Bakersfield's history as a major oil-producing region. Computer science, business administration, psychology, and nursing are among the most enrolled undergraduate programs.
Bakersfield is California's ninth-largest city, situated in the San Joaquin Valley approximately 110 miles north of Los Angeles. CSUB is federally designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, with 69% of its undergraduate population identifying as Hispanic. The university has been recognized for upward mobility, ranking third nationally in that metric by The New York Times in 2017, and consistently appears in U.S. News regional university rankings for the Western United States.
World University Rankings
Campus & Location
CA
Suburban
Optional Practical Training (OPT)
All graduates qualify for 12-month OPT. STEM-designated programs (CS, Engineering, Data Science, Mathematics, Sciences) qualify for 24-month STEM OPT extension — 36 months total work authorisation.
For Nepali students
- CSUB's annual international undergraduate tuition of approximately $21,000–$22,000 (2025-26 estimate) places it among the more affordable public universities in California, making it a cost-accessible option for Nepali students compared to UC system schools that can exceed $40,000 per year.
- International students graduating from CSUB's STEM-designated programs in computer science, engineering, and biology are eligible to apply for a 24-month OPT extension (total 36 months), giving Nepali graduates significantly more time to gain US work experience and build a path toward longer-term immigration options.
- CSUB's open-access admissions (approximately 85% acceptance rate) and institutional scholarship programs lower the barrier to entry for Nepali students who may not have attended highly competitive secondary schools, while the university still carries regional accreditation and produces graduates competitive in California's job market.
- The university's proximity to Los Angeles (about two hours by road) and its location in California's agricultural and energy hub means internship and employment connections in sectors such as petroleum engineering, agriculture technology, and logistics, industries where Nepali international graduates can apply STEM OPT work authorization.
Admission requirements — Nepali equivalents
A rough translation of the published minimums for Nepali applicants:
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