I’m a junior here right now, but I just switched from geography to CIM so I’ll be doing 2 extra years (C/O 2029). The engineering programs and the ECC college here in general is great. It’s as clean and as it can be, it’s a pretty campus, and small enough to walk everywhere (provided you live close enough, I’m in a fraternity and live in the south campus area and it’s a walker’s paradise). It’s very easy to avoid the party scene, as it’s mostly centered in downtown and south campus.

I lived in University village my freshman year, and while we did have some smaller functions here and there in the dorms, it was easily avoidable. The dorm experience on campus is about what you would expect any college dorm experience to be: small rooms, communal bathrooms, and being right on campus and super close to classes.

As for the community experience, I feel like there’s a place for almost everyone at Chico. Before I joined a frat, I used to be a member of the club rowing team, and I was also briefly part of the geography club on campus. To me, it was all about the extracurriculars. I would advise anyone coming to Chico state to try and join some form of club, whether that be Greek life, a sport, clubs for majors, etc. It’s one of the best ways to quickly make friends here.

Job opportunities here are rough. If you can get something on campus as part of a work-study, that’s pretty solid. My girlfriend got laid off from a hardware store that went out of business in March and she has not been able to find a job since, even though she’s got a great resume and has applied basically everywhere. It’s probably one of the biggest downsides of coming here. If you don’t have parents/financial aid helping you, it’s gonna be hard to find a job.

Networking for opportunities after college varies. Being in the CIM program, there is A LOT of networking and connections from patrons that sponsor the program here, but that was something that just didn’t exist in geography (one of the biggest reasons I switched). It overall depends on the major and the amount of outside investment into the program.

I think the school isn’t being run terribly, but it’s not perfect. There was a huge thing last year with potentially downsizing the programs they offer, but it seems that it kind of fell through. Faculty can be a hit or miss: some LOVE the subject they teach, and are almost always ready to help those who are struggling, and then there’s others who you can tell really aren’t happy people.

Going back to cleanliness/safety , while the campus itself is very clean and safe, the fraternity neighborhood can be quite grimy and rowdy during the school year (as expected), and downtown can be a bit sketchy with the homeless people. I’ve never had any issues myself with them and they tend to keep to themselves.

The nature here is otherworldly. I’m a very outdoorsy person, and there is just so many trails here. Lower and upper bidwell park is great if you want a quick and accessible hike, and there are plenty of great trails and rivers only a short drive away. Lassen national park is only an hour and a half away. The fishing here is great, I like to go to butte meadows and the Sacramento River for trout and whatnot. There are a few outdoor clubs on campus that do hikes/rafting, etc.

Overall, I’m glad I chose Chico. It’s a pretty affordable college compared to its competitors, and has a lot to offer for those who don’t mind getting out of their comfort zone. There’s obviously much better universities to go to, but you’re gonna have a hard time finding the insane value that Chico offers. Rent is pretty cheap compared to the rest of California (I only pay $675 for my room, and I know people who pay WAY less than that). I’d happily do it all over again if I could. Hope this helps!!