Getting Into College Is Easier Than You Think

Two major trends are converging: CSU campuses staying open for months, and nationwide college admission rates climbing. Here's what this means for your family.

CSUs Still Wide Open—Into May and June

Half of CSU campuses remain open with surprising deadlines:

• Cal State LA: Open until March 31st for engineering, business administration, pre-nursing, and most majors

• Cal State Northridge: Open until May 15th (including impacted majors like kinesiology)

• San Francisco State & Sonoma State: Open until June

• Other open campuses: Bakersfield, Channel Islands, Chico, East Bay, Humboldt, San Marcos

This is unprecedented. CSUs were supposed to close February 1st. Instead, they're staying open 2-4+ months longer.

Nationwide: College Admission Is a Buyer's Market

According to the Hechinger Report, admission rates are climbing across the country:

Only 33 colleges nationwide (out of 4,000+) accept 10% or fewer applicants. Those are the ultra-selective schools everyone applies to—but they're not representative of college admission reality.

For almost all other colleges:

• 50% or more of applicants get accepted

• 7 in 10 applicants to private colleges get in

• 8 in 10 applicants to public universities get in

Why Is This Happening?

1. Demographic decline: College enrollment is down by 1.5 million students since 2010. The number of 18-year-olds is projected to continue declining.

2. Students opting out: Post-pandemic, many young people are choosing work over college. With minimum wages at $25-$27/hour for fast food and hotel work (vs. $17 for office work requiring degrees), college seems less essential.

3. Colleges adapting:

   • Waiving application fee

   • Accepting students who haven't even applied

   • Offering automatic admission (California will start next year)

     CSU already auto-admits students who earn a C in required high school courses

45% of 18-29 year-olds think getting into college is harder than it was for their parents. That's not true. It's actually easier—but the stress comes from focusing only on those 33 ultra-selective schools.

What This Means for You

Getting in is easier. Paying for it is still hard.

CSUs offer the best return on investment:

• Graduate with manageable debt

• Move out and start your life

• Avoid $1,700-$2,200/month loan payments

Selective private schools are also easier to get into—but with new student loan rules shifting burden from parents to students, the real question isn't "Can I get in?" It's "Can I afford to graduate without crushing debt?"

If you're serious about college and willing to look beyond the 33 ultra-selective schools, admission is not your problem. Affordability is.

CSUs are staying open because enrollment is declining nationwide. That's your opportunity—high-quality, affordable education with multiple chances to apply.

Juniors and seniors: If you haven't applied to CSU yet, you still have time. With housing crunches at some campuses, apply sooner rather than later—but the door is open far longer than anyone expected.

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