Humboldt State University is a public university located in Arcata, a college town 275 miles north of San Francisco. The institution is part of California State University’s 23-campus system.
Humboldt typically charges considerably lower tuition fees than private universities. For undergraduates starting in the academic year 2016 to 2017, full-time undergraduate tuition was $7,210 a year.
Humboldt State was founded in 1913 as a teacher training college. The university has expanded over the years to cover a range of academic disciplines and has gone by the name Humboldt State University since 1974. Humboldt now has three academic colleges offering 51 undergraduate majors programmes and 12 graduate programmes.
The university has a good reputation for its programmes in natural resources and sciences as well as visual and performing arts. Humboldt is also famous for its commitment to environmental responsibility and this focus is reflected in curriculums across the different academic programmes.
Humboldt State has a number of scientific resources for undergraduates to gain research experience. The university’s R.V. Coral Sea is an outdoor classroom and teaching vessel available for students to undertake their own marine research. A state-of-the-art Fire Lab allows students to study forest fires and their properties. Outside the lab, the ancient redwood forest forests that surround the campus are on hand for students to explore and study with experts in sustainable energy systems.
There is a range of activities for students to get involved with outside of their studies, including 180 campus clubs and Greek societies as well as 12 NCAA Division II athletics teams. The campus offers plenty of opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors, with residence halls and apartments just a stone’s throw from a 2,500-acre Redwood forest. The wild coastline is also just five miles away from campus, so studying at Humboldt can include surfing and kayaking as well as biking and camping.
