Here you’ll find key operating fund budget information about Cal State Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV. Our goal is to offer transparency and keep our community informed about the university's fiscal health and strategic financial planning.
Explore reports, data, and frequently asked questions to better understand the university’s budget and finances.
Our budget outlines how our operating funds are allocated across various university units, ensuring alignment with our mission to support student success and institutional excellence.
Most of Cal State Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV’s operating revenue comes from tuition and state support. Our main expenses include salaries, benefits, and other essential campus costs.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Operating Budget | The financial plan for the operating budget which includes planned revenue and expenses for the upcoming fiscal year. |
| Revenue Sources | State Appropriations, Tuition & Fees |
| Expenditures | Salaries, Benefits, Operational Costs |
Cal State Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV’s 2024–25 operating budget plan reflects the university’s current financial priorities and the realities of our projected structural deficit. This section offers a snapshot of our planned operating deficit this year and the steps we’ve taken to reduce the budget gap while supporting student success.
The following chart shows our operating budget and how it is divided into the following categories: State Appropriation, Tuition and Other Fees, and Projected Budget Deficit.
| Revenue Sources | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total Operating Budget | $245.2M |
| State Appropriation | $134.7M |
| Tuition and Other Fees | $96.3M |
| Projected Starting Deficit | ($14.2M) |
| Deficit Reductions Underway | Amount |
|---|---|
| Projected Starting Deficit | ($14.2M) |
| Identified Reductions to Date | $4.4M |
| Projected Updated Budget Deficit | ($9.7M) |
All numbers are rounded to the nearest million.
As we prepare for the 2025–26 fiscal year, Cal State Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV is planning for a larger budget shortfall driven by rising costs and ongoing enrollment challenges. This section outlines our projected deficit, early planning efforts, and the strategies we're exploring to ensure financial sustainability while staying focused on our mission.
The current projected deficit assumes flat enrollment and includes preliminary cost data from the Chancellor’s Office. Updates will be made to this site as information becomes available--please note that these preliminary projections will change.
For Fiscal Year 2024–25, CSU Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV’s projected budget deficit began at $14 million, but after reductions and savings, the updated permanent deficit is $9.7 million.
Looking ahead, the projected deficit for FY 2025–26 is $23 million, driven by continued enrollment challenges, rising mandatory costs, and reductions in state funding.
These figures reflect the base structural deficit, meaning the gap between ongoing revenues and ongoing expenses—not one-time costs. The university continues to explore permanent reductions and sustainable strategies to address this gap.
Some reserves may be used to soften the impact in the short term, but reserves are limited and often earmarked for specific purposes. Using them as a long-term solution would be unsustainable.
The university has used various methods to close $16 million in permanent base reductions over the past 3 years:
2022-23: Elimination of open positions in Academic Affairs, Admin and Finance and Student Affairs
2023-24: Permanent reductions to all Divisions based on share of marginal cost and aligning course sections offered with enrollment
2024-25: Voluntary Separation Incentive Program (VSIP), elimination of 11 MPP positions from operating budget, elimination of a sports team, decommissioning of Robinson Hall, aligning course sections offered with enrollment
In some cases, cost-saving efforts have included reductions in management positions and consolidations. Any future decisions will be made thoughtfully, with input from shared governance groups and a commitment to protecting student success.
Following the Chancellor’s directive in AY2023-24 to review low degree conferring programs, we will continue to closely review all degree programs, minors, and concentrations that have consistently low enrollments, and we will recommend a path forward for those programs. A new advisory committee, the Focused Program Review Advisory Task Force, has been formed (which includes elected faculty) to assist with this review. In a somewhat parallel process, University Extension is conducting its own review of self-support programs with a focus on meeting current workforce needs.
