Cal Poly Humboldt, formerly Humboldt State University, is the newest addition to the Cal Poly trio of schools, having been converted in 2022 (the other two are Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Cal Poly Pomona – all three are part of the 23-campus California State University system).
Located in Arcata, California, nestled between the Redwoods forest and Humboldt Bay, this woodsy campus is approximately 5 hours north of San Francisco. The campus is now more accessible to many students thanks to direct flights from Burbank and Las Vegas. Students here experience cool temperatures and a lot of rain throughout the year, so bring waterproof shoes!
As part of the Cal Poly conversion, Humboldt is expected to grow from 5,500 students to over 7,000 students by 2024. This change brings investment in more STEM education and research offerings, including new majors (Environmental Engineering, Energy Systems Engineering and Cannabis Studies), new residence halls and more hands-on learning.
Known for its specialty majors such as zoology, fish and wetlands management, botany, environmental science, forestry, fire management and biology, Cal Poly Humboldt also has a strong visual and performing arts department as well, making them a true STEAM school. Nursing is Humboldt’s only impacted major and the school is thematically committed to sustainability. Cal Poly Humboldt is on the semester system.
Students here are generally progressive, creative and outdoorsy and the school is designated a Hispanic-serving institution, which means over 25% of students are Hispanic or Latino. Students here often spend their weekends hiking, camping or kayaking, with all gear available for rent at the on-campus adventure store. Over 70% of students receive financial aid and the campus is committed to affordability with free groceries, many on-campus jobs, free movies, free bus transportation and bike repairs.
There is enough housing for all first year students to live on campus, and 45-50% of upperclassmen also live on campus in a variety of housing options, many sitting on the Redwood-covered hillsides. The campus houses the largest collection of taxidermy birds and fish species in the West, as well as live animal and fish collections.
If you love the outdoors but don’t mind rain, Cal Poly Humboldt is a laid-back campus filled with students eager to learn and improve the world around them.
This write-up was contributed by Carrie Adelman, a past Magellan client who is training to be a college counselor. Carrie recently visited Cal Poly Humboldt and wanted to share what she learned.