Freshman Requirements

A first-time freshman is a student who has earned no college credit after the summer immediately following high school graduation. You are eligible for admission as a first-time freshman if you:

  • Have or will have graduated from high school or equivalent; AND
  • Meet at least a 2.5 GPA or greater for CA residents and graduates of a CA High School/ 3.0 or greater for non-CA residents and graduates of a non-CA High School; AND
  • Have or will have completed 15 year-long college preparatory courses (see below chart) with a grade of “C-” or better upon graduation from high school (see first bullet point).
    • The CSU will consider course grades of “credit” or “pass” as fulfilling “a-g” requirements for those courses completed during Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall 2020 terms and during Winter, Spring or Summer 2021 terms. All other coursework must be graded and a grade of C- or better must be earned for the course to satisfy “a-g” requirements. Grades of credit/pass or no credit/no pass will not be included in the calculation of high school GPA. 

Years Required Subject
2 years U.S. History and Social Science: (must include 1 year of U.S. History OR 1 semester of U.S. History and 1 semester of Government, AND 1 year of history/social science from either the “a” or “g” subject area)
4 years English: 4 years of college preparatory English composition/literature (including no more than 1 year of Advanced ESL/ELD)
3 years Mathematics: (min. of Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra II OR integrated math sequences)
2 years Laboratory Science: 1 year physical and 1 year biological (one course from the “d” subject area and the other from the "d" or “g” area)
2 years Language Other than English (LOTE): 2 years of the same language; American Sign Language is an acceptable LOTE.
1 year Visual and Performing Arts:one year or two-one semester courses in the same discipline required, chosen from the following disciplines: Dance, Music, Theatre, Drama, & Visual Arts (e.g., painting, web/graphics, design, film/video, inter/multimedia arts)
1 year College Prep Electives:(chosen from the "a-f" courses beyond those used to satisfy the requirements of the "a-g" subjects, or courses that have been approved from the U.C. "a-g" list

Freshmen with Supplemental Factors: 

For California high school graduates or residents of California earning a GPA between 2.00 and 2.49 or Non-CA high school graduates or non-residents of California earning a GPA between 2.47and 2.99, students will be evaluated based upon the below supplemental factors.

    • Supplemental Factor: Academic Achievement
      • CSU Admissions Requirement "A-G" (10th- 12th grade) GPA
      • CSU Admissions Requirement: "A-G" Coursework beyond the minimum 30 semesters
    • Supplemental Factor: Community Commitment
    • Supplemental Factor: Other Applicant Attributes
      • First Generation College Student (either parent/guardian has not obtained a bachelor’s degree)
      • Educational Programs Participation (e.g. AVID, Upward, Bound, Talent Search or Education Opportunity Center, Puente Project, MESA, etc.)

Please note: The California State University (CSU) no longer uses ACT or SAT examinations in determining admission eligibility for all CSU campuses. If accepted to a CSU campus, ACT or SAT test scores can be used as one of the measures to place students in the proper mathematics and written communication courses.


CSU Channel Islands is proud to be part of a system-wide effort to streamline the admissions process for California's future students. As a winner of The Great Admissions Redesign Challenge, the California State University (CSU) system has implemented Automated Admissions. This innovative system will automatically evaluate applications nightly and notify applicants of their admission eligibility status via email. By providing real-time updates, we aim to reduce uncertainty and offer a more efficient and transparent admissions experience.

Please note that Automated Admissions is not a substitute for the traditional admission review process. While it can provide an initial assessment based on self-reported information, it is essential to submit a complete application and meet all required criteria for a final admission decision. For more details on eligibility requirements and the Automated Admissions process please contact our admissions office at admissions@csuci.edu.

CI Campus Preview Days

Admission Preview Days

Admission Preview Days provide future freshman and transfer students an opportunity to visit campus and discover more about CI.

Learn more about Admission Preview Days

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