Feels like family.
Imagine a big family—one that’s warm, welcoming, smart and fun. That’s California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI), a four-year, public university in Camarillo, California. Established in 2002, we’re the youngest of 23 campuses in the CSU family.
Location
While our name suggests we’re surrounded by water, relax. You won’t need a ferry to get here. Camarillo is midway between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles and just 25 miles from Malibu. CSUCI is nestled against the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains—and close to the Pacific Ocean and the Pacific Coast Highway.
Rankings
U.S. News & World Report – CSUCI's ranking in the 2025 edition of Best Colleges in the category of "Social Mobility -- Regional Universities West" which measures how well schools graduate students who are Pell Grant recipients, CSUCI ranked 5th. In the category of "Top Public Schools -- Regional Universities West," CSUCI was ranked 12th based in part on graduation rates, faculty resources, admissions selectivity, financial resources, alumni giving, location, campus life; range of academic offerings, activities and sports; and cost and the availability of financial aid. In the overall category of "Regional Universities West," CSUCI was ranked 22nd.
Washington Monthly – has ranked CSUCI for 2024 as 24th for "Best Bang for the Buck – West." Best value based on cost, graduation rate, Pell performance, first-generation performance, and earnings performance.
CollegeNet -- CSUCI's ranking for the 2023 Social Mobility Index (SMI) is 13th among 1,198 higher education institutions. The SMI measures the extent to which a college or university educates more economically disadvantaged students (with family incomes below the national median) at lower tuition and graduates them into good paying jobs.
Niche – ranked CSUCI for 2023 as 11th for Best Liberal Arts Colleges in California and 16th for Best Value Colleges in the Los Angeles Area.
RegisteredNursing.org– has ranked CSUCI’s Nursing program as the 11th best program (2020) in the state of California out of 126 nursing schools by analyzing current and historical pass rates of students who take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). CSUCI’s Nursing program NCLEX pass rate is frequently 100%, or in the high 90th percentile for each graduating class.
MONEY Magazine – has ranked CSUCI 4th as "Best College for Transfer Students" in the nation (2018) for transfer student success. MONEY selected colleges from the 727 institutions listed in their 2018 Best Colleges ranking, eliminating colleges that ranked in the bottom half and any where transfer students in the fall of 2017 comprised less than 15% enrollment.
Additionally, MONEY named CSUCI as the 15th "Most Transformative College" (2020) in the nation. Money states, "What's impressive is when students beat the odds by doing better than would be expected from their academic and economic backgrounds. Money calls it 'value added' based on graduation rates, earnings and student loan repayment.
College Magazine – has ranked CSUCI 6th among the "Top 10 Colleges for Surfers" across the nation (2018) by College Magazine, a national guide and quarterly magazine edited by students.
Economic Impact
As the only public four-year university in Ventura County, CSU Channel Islands serves as a unique institution in the region. Its economic and fiscal impacts benefit the economies of the local communities in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, the region, and throughout the entire State. These impacts generate significant benefits in the form of increased employment, labor income and economic output. Moreover, CSUCI’s operations generate millions in tax revenue — money that goes toward important public services.
Executive Summary (PDF, 2.5MB)
Fact Sheet (PDF, 683KB)
Infographic (PDF, 240KB)
Our Mission
At CSUCI, everything—and we mean everything—connects to our mission and our “Four Pillars.” Our mission statement boils down to this: No matter which of our academic programs you choose, you’ll be at the center of your educational experience. Your education rests on our Four Pillars:
- Community engagement — valuable experience you need and a chance to make the world better
- Integrative — CSUCI’s signature interdisciplinary approach
- International — an internationalized curriculum, a diverse campus community, and studying abroad opportunities
- Multicultural — a campus that reflects the real world; a curriculum that prepares you for it
