Humboldt State University is a public institution that was started in 1913. It has a undergraduate enrollment of 6,443, its environment is rural, and the campus size is 144 acres. It uses a semester-based academic year. Its in-state tuition/fees are $7,858; out-of-state tuition/fees are $19,738
Situated among redwood forests and just a few miles from the Pacific coast, the Humboldt State University campus is situated in the city of Arcata, Calif., about 275 miles north of San Francisco. The university, often abbreviated to HSU, 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 HSU has an impressive oceanography research institute, which is home to a fully equipped marine lab and an oceanic vessel specifically for undergraduate research. HSU also has nearly 20 other research institutes, including one that specializes in redwood forests, and another, named the Schatz Energy Research Center (SERC), where learners look for clean, renewable energy options.

Outside of academics, learners can join more than 180 campus clubs, or play for one of the 12 Humboldt State Jacks (short for lumberjacks) varsity sports teams, which participate in the NCAA Division II Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Notable HSU 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.