employer cover photo
employer logo
employer logo

California State University

Is this your company?

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
1.0
Mar 23, 2025

Look elsewhere for fair pay

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The physical office at Catalina Landing is nice, with pleasant walking paths and free coffee and tea. But beyond that, the frustrations outweigh the perks.

Cons

If you value work-life balance, think twice before accepting an offer here. The culture subtly—yet persistently—encourages employees to be available beyond normal hours. Senior leaders frequently email staff on weekends, despite there being no real urgency. It’s an unspoken expectation rather than an actual necessity. Compensation & Career Growth: The pay is below market for the workload, and raises are inconsistent and minimal—if they happen at all. Before signing, insist on seeing pay structures in writing, including when raises occur and how much they typically are. Recruiters likely won’t provide concrete answers because compensation is not competitive. If you do move forward, negotiate aggressively. Ask for conference access, office stipends, or executive coaching—these have been granted to select new hires before. If career growth is a priority, ask how often employees are promoted internally. Chances are, you won’t get a promising answer. Exit interview feedback also seems to go nowhere, indicating a lack of commitment to meaningful change. Workplace Culture: Expect to attend excessive on-camera Zoom meetings on WFH days, contribute money to holiday parties and coworker celebrations, and sit through long, unproductive staff meetings. If recruiters contact you outside regular hours, take note—that could be a red flag of poor time management or an unnecessary culture of busyness.

5.0
Mar 3, 2025

Great place to work

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Flexible, nice work environment, mission driven

Cons

Bureaucratic, Hard to be promoted or get bonuses

Viewing 10 - 12 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.