Enrollment at the California State University rose for the sixth consecutive year. The headcount on opening day for fall 2000 was 368,252 students, or 8,533 more students than fall 1999. In the last six years the CSU has grown by almost 49,000 students.

This year's growth was widespread. Of the system's 22 campuses, 18 recorded enrollment increases. The largest gains were at Sacramento with an increase of 1,235 students and at Fullerton with an increase of 1,214 students. Other campuses with large increases were Northridge (+ 1,119), and Long Beach (+909) and Chico (+651).

The two lines in the graph above indicate the relationship between enrollment numbers and numbers of full-time equivalent students (FTES).

The number of FTES is derived by dividing total student credit units attempted by 15, the normative workload for students pursuing a degree in 4 years. The average CSU student now enrolls in 11.7 units, just under the minimum 12-unit workload for full-time students on financial aid. So the current number of FTES, 286,931, is roughly three-fourths the size of the headcount.

The CSU is on track to serve its budgeted college year (CY) FTES target of 291,980. The 22 CSU campuses and special programs (i.e., International Programs, Summer Arts, and CalStateTEACH) estimate that they will serve 290,978 full-time equivalent students by the end of this school year - almost 9,200 FTES (3.3 percent) more than the 281,782 FTES served during CY 1999-00.