California Polytechnic State University -- Humboldt

California Polytechnic State University — Humboldt is a public institution that was founded in 1913. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 5,308 (fall 2022), and the campus size is 144 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. California Polytechnic State University — Humboldt's ranking in the 2024 edition of Best Colleges is Regional Universities West, #32. Its in-state tuition and fees are $7,864; out-of-state tuition and fees are $19,744.

Situated among redwood forests and just a few miles from the Pacific coast, the California Polytechnic State University -- Humboldt campus is located in the city of Arcata, Calif., about 275 miles north of San Francisco. The university, often called Cal Poly Humboldt, offers about a dozen master’s programs and nearly 50 undergraduate degrees, which fall into the colleges of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; Professional Studies; and Natural Resources and Sciences. Given its location near the ocean and the Arcata Bay, it’s no surprise that the school has an impressive oceanography research institute, which is home to a fully equipped marine lab and an oceanic vessel specifically for undergraduate research. Cal Poly Humboldt also has nearly 20 other research institutes, including one that specializes in redwood forests, and another, named the Schatz Energy Research Center, where students look for clean, renewable energy options.

Outside of academics, students can join more than 180 campus clubs, or play for one of the dozen Cal Poly Humboldt Jacks (short for lumberjacks) varsity sports teams, which compete in the NCAA Division II Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Notable alumni include Stephen Hillenburg, who studied marine resource planning, and then used what he learned to create Nickelodeon’s ocean-themed, animated series SpongeBob SquarePants.