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California State University

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California State University reviews

3.9

68% would recommend to a friend

(384 total reviews)

Timothy P. White

80% approve of CEO

52% positive business outlook

California State University has an employee rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars, based on 384 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The California State University employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Education industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

384 reviews
2.0
Sep 19, 2019

Toxic Politics

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Involved in meaningful work. Great benefits, including health care and work/family balance. Working with colleagues who are smart and care about growth, education, and diversity.

Cons

Toxic relations between managers cause a lot of stress for employees. Micromanagement - lack of respect and trust for managers to run divisions as they see fit, or professionals to do their work with autonomy. Bureaucracy - your performance is often not rewarded based on its merits, so doing excellent work or work that is above and beyond your level is not worth the effort. Not a good place for advancement .

1.0
Mar 5, 2014

THE PAY IS ****!

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I like the job, good department, good colleagues. I enjoy teaching.

Cons

The pay is insulting. $52,000/year for a Ph.D. with 10 years teaching experience. I have to work at another local community college, and teach 3-4 classes over summer, just to support my family. (We have a toddler, mom is stay-at-home, only my income; we have $130,000 in student debt, plus mortgage, personal loans, insurance, taxes, etc.) I am applying to teach at community colleges, which pay a living salary, asap. I literally can't survive here. Either one of 3 things will happen: 1. I'll get a CCC job, 2. I'll quit the extra work and we'll go bankrupt, or 3. I'll run away and join the funny farm.

3.0
Oct 12, 2025

Ok but Not Great

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great mission- helping students succeed.

Cons

Many high level leaders too focused on satisfying political masters.

Viewing 4 - 6 of 384 Reviews

Glassdoor has 437 California State University reviews submitted anonymously by California State University employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if California State University is right for you.