by our College Data Analytics TeamThis overview lays out the cost of attending California State University-Bakersfield, including attendance costs, projected four- and two-year degree costs, average net price, debt outcomes, and how aid is distributed across income levels.
If you want to dig into a particular figure, jump to any section below:
Published attendance costs at California State University-Bakersfield fell between $18,815.00 ranging to $31,415.00 across residency tiers.
The lower figure reflects the in-state rate and the higher figure the out-of-state rate: roughly $18,815.00 in-state compared with $31,415.00 for non-residents.
Here the cost is broken out three ways: no aid, average aid, and the aid a low-income student typically receives.
| Tuition and fees | $8,090.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $10,725.00 |
| Total cost | $18,815.00 |
| That is 2% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $18,815.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$13,870.00 |
| Net price | $4,945.00 |
| That is 74% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $18,815.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$15,986.00 |
| Net price | $2,829.00 |
| That is 85% below the national average net price. |
| Tuition and fees | $20,690.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $10,725.00 |
| Total cost | $31,415.00 |
| That is 63% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $31,415.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$13,870.00 |
| Net price | $17,545.00 |
| That is 9% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $31,415.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$15,986.00 |
| Net price | $15,429.00 |
| That is 20% below the national average net price. | |
| Want the line-by-line detail? Dig into the tuition & fees page and living costs. |
The reported cost series has been increasing at a recent average of 2.1% annually, so the projections below total more than one year of attendance. The detailed projections below compare a degree for a low-income aided student, an average-aid student, and a no-aid student. The repayment figures use a ten-year loan at 6.8%.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.1% |
| Freshman year | $2,888.00 | $5,049.00 | $19,210.00 |
| Senior year | $3,074.00 | $5,373.00 | $20,444.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $11,922.00 | $20,839.00 | $79,289.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $4,542.00 | $7,939.00 | $30,206.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $137.00 | $240.00 | $912.00 |
| Total amount paid | $16,464.00 | $28,778.00 | $109,495.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.1% |
| Freshman year | $2,888.00 | $5,049.00 | $19,210.00 |
| Senior year | $2,949.00 | $5,155.00 | $19,612.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $5,837.00 | $10,203.00 | $38,822.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $2,224.00 | $3,887.00 | $14,790.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $67.00 | $117.00 | $447.00 |
| Total amount paid | $8,061.00 | $14,090.00 | $53,612.00 |
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.1% |
| Freshman year | $15,753.00 | $17,913.00 | $32,074.00 |
| Senior year | $16,764.00 | $19,064.00 | $34,134.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $65,020.00 | $73,937.00 | $132,387.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $24,770.00 | $28,167.00 | $50,435.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $748.00 | $851.00 | $1,524.00 |
| Total amount paid | $89,790.00 | $102,105.00 | $182,822.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.1% |
| Freshman year | $15,753.00 | $17,913.00 | $32,074.00 |
| Senior year | $16,083.00 | $18,289.00 | $32,746.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $31,835.00 | $36,201.00 | $64,820.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $12,128.00 | $13,791.00 | $24,694.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $366.00 | $417.00 | $746.00 |
| Total amount paid | $43,964.00 | $49,993.00 | $89,514.00 |
For the complete net-price picture, see the Net Price section.
The net price is the real out-of-pocket cost — what families pay after grant and scholarship aid is applied. For most prospective students, net price gives a more realistic estimate than sticker tuition.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $5,652.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $5,825.00 |
Net price is far from uniform: lower-income families typically pay much less after aid. The breakdown below splits average net price across income brackets:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $3,070.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $3,977.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $6,183.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $10,935.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $16,810.00 |
Estimate your specific net price using the school’s California State University-Bakersfield Net Price Calculator, or contact the financial aid office.
Want to know how that aid is awarded? See the grants & scholarships detail.
Median graduate debt at California State University-Bakersfield amounts to $11,270.00, which the Department of Education classifies as a Low ($10-20k) debt-burden category.
Across borrowers, debt at graduation distributes like this:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $2,333.00 |
| 25th | $4,500.00 |
| Median (50th) | $11,270.00 |
| 75th | $20,835.00 |
| 90th | $31,000.00 |
The spread between the 10th and 90th percentiles reflects how variable debt outcomes are at this school.
For the full borrowing and repayment picture, see the student loan debt detail.
Debt at graduation is far from uniform across income levels. The breakdown below segments borrowers by family income at entry:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $11,000.00 |
| Middle income | $11,000.00 |
| High income | $13,000.00 |
Debt at graduation often differs for first-generation students.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $11,000.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $12,767.00 |
The Pell Grant is the largest federal grant for undergraduates from low-income families. The Pell vs non-Pell debt gap reveals how borrowing differs by need.
The median debt difference between Pell-eligible and non-Pell graduates of California State University-Bakersfield is $-333.00.
The default-rate category at California State University-Bakersfield is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 6.6% |
To put the rates in context, Stafford loans at California State University-Bakersfield reach $465,942,897.00 over 24,820 borrowers.
Veterans and current servicemembers may be eligible for major federal education benefits including the GI Bill and Department of Defense tuition support.
| GI Bill recipients | 102 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $3,830.00 |
| DoD Tuition Assistance recipients | 4 |
| Avg DoD Tuition Assistance | $2,563.00 |
Read more about military and veteran aid on the veterans benefits detail.
The data above is a foundation; round it out by asking yourself about California State University-Bakersfield, consider the following:
For a closer look at any of these topics, follow the links below:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.