Which CSU is easiest to transfer into?

Of these five, San José State and Fullerton admit most majors at 70 percent or higher. Cal Poly SLO is the hardest by far, with every listed major under 32 percent.

Why are nursing acceptance rates so low at CSUs?

Nursing is the most impacted major in the system. Fullerton admitted 8 percent of transfer applicants and Long Beach 11 percent in the 2025 data, because clinical spots cap the class size.

Is Cal Poly SLO really under 10 percent for computer science?

Yes. In the 2025 admit data, Cal Poly SLO admitted 9 percent of CS transfer applicants, making it the hardest door on this list, tougher than many UC programs.

Do I still need good grades for the high-rate majors?

Yes. High admit rates reward applicants who finished the required prep classes with a solid GPA. A tool like Transfermatic shows the exact prep list for your major so nothing gets missed.

CSU Transfer Acceptance Rates by Major (5 Campuses)

Everyone obsesses over UC admissions, but CSU transfer acceptance rates are where the real surprises live. The same campus can admit 86% of one major's applicants and 8% of another's. Below are the real numbers by major for five campuses, from the 2025 admit cycle. Before you pick a lane, on our platform you can put in your community college and your CSU, and you get the exact classes your major requires.

CSU transfer acceptance rates: same system, wildly different doors

All numbers below are transfer admit rates by major from the 2025 cycle. Scan your major across campuses and watch the rate triple.

8% vs 86%

Fullerton's transfer admit rate for nursing vs criminal justice. Same campus, different universe.

Cal Poly SLO

The hardest campus on this list, in every major. Here's the full Cal Poly SLO transfer breakdown.

Major	Transfer admit rate
Animal Science	31%
Business Administration	28%
Political Science	25%
Communication Studies	21%
Biological Sciences	16%
Psychology	14%
Mechanical Engineering	13%
Architecture	10%
Computer Science	9%

San Diego State

Friendlier than its reputation, unless you want an impacted major. The SDSU transfer acceptance rate post has the campus-wide picture.

Major	Transfer admit rate
Sociology	69%
Political Science	65%
Biology	49%
Business Administration	46%
Psychology	43%
Mechanical Engineering	42%
Computer Science	37%
Public Health	35%

Long Beach

Major	Transfer admit rate
Sociology	56%
Communication Studies	48%
Criminal Justice	45%
Biology	43%
Business Administration	41%
Psychology	37%
Mechanical Engineering	35%
Computer Science	30%
Nursing	11%

San José State

The tech-adjacent bargain. Most majors admit over half of transfer applicants.

Major	Transfer admit rate
Political Science	82%
Communication Studies	78%
Psychology	74%
Public Health	70%
Biology	66%
Business Administration	57%
Mechanical Engineering	51%
Architecture	39%
Computer Science	32%

CSU Fullerton

The most generous campus here for almost everything, and the most brutal for nursing.

Major	Transfer admit rate
Criminal Justice	86%
Communications	84%
Public Health	80%
Psychology	79%
Biological Science	75%
Business Administration	73%
Kinesiology	72%
Computer Science	67%
Nursing	8%

Found your major? Get the classes it actually requires.

Put in your community college and your CSU. That's it.

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Bottom line

CSU transfer acceptance rates are decided by your major, not the campus name. The same application that gets rejected at Cal Poly SLO sails into San José State or Fullerton. Check your major's rate, line up the exact prep classes it wants, and if nursing is the dream, look at which UCs have nursing programs too before you commit to an 8% door.