Oil fields and almond orchards surround Bakersfield, and CSU Bakersfield trains a good share of the people who run them. The campus opened in 1970 at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley. Business, engineering, computer science, nursing and agricultural business are popular. It also runs a satellite centre in Lancaster, in the Antelope Valley, and the cost of living is among the lowest of any CSU campus.
Bakersfield, California, United States
Official website: csub.edu
1970
Public, California State University system
Bakersfield, plus Antelope Valley centre in Lancaster
Roadrunners
$17,000 – $20,000
International students, tuition plus nonresident fees
$12,000 – $16,000
Rent, food and local transport
Approximate figures for 2026-27, please verify. Fees change every year and vary by course, so check the latest amount on csub.edu before you apply.
BS Computer Science
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Aug
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.0, TOEFL: 61
BS Business Administration
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Aug, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.0, TOEFL: 61
BS Engineering Sciences
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Aug
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.0, TOEFL: 61
MBA
Masters DegreeDuration
24 Months
Intake
Aug
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 80
MS Administration
Masters DegreeDuration
24 Months
Intake
Aug, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 80
Some of the lowest living costs in the CSU system.
Close links to Kern County's energy and farming industries.
Small upper-level classes for a public university.
Graduates join energy companies, agribusiness and Kern County public agencies.
Engineering and computer science students find roles in energy and local manufacturing.
Eligible F-1 graduates can apply for OPT after the degree.
Undergrad
Oct to early Dec
Postgrad
Spring deadlines
Undergrad
Limited
Postgrad
Selected programmes
Bakersfield is a working city of around 400,000 people, hot and dry in summer, with country music roots and plenty of Mexican and Basque restaurants.
Rent is cheap for California. Los Angeles is about two hours south over the Grapevine, and Sequoia National Forest is closer.
Form I-20 issued by the institution
Proof of funds for one academic year
SEVIS I-901 fee payment receipt
Completed DS-160 online application
US embassy or consulate interview
Passport valid six months beyond stay
Undergraduates apply through Cal State Apply, typically between October 1 and early December for fall. Graduate programmes set their own deadlines, usually in spring for fall entry.
Most programmes start in the fall semester in late August. Some admit in spring as well.
International students come in on an F-1 visa. The I-20 comes from California State University - Bakersfield after you confirm your place and show you can cover a year of costs; you then pay the SEVIS fee, fill in the DS-160 and book your consulate interview.
Business, computer science, engineering sciences, nursing and the MBA are popular. Undergraduates are assessed on school grades; graduate applicants need a bachelor's degree and around IELTS 6.5.
CSU Bakersfield offers limited scholarships through its general application once you enrol. Most international students fund the full cost themselves.
