California State University

The individual California State Colleges were brought together as a system by the Donahoe Higher Education Act of 1960. In 1972, the system became The California State University and Colleges and in 1982, the system became The California State University. Today, the campuses of the CSU include comprehensive and polytechnic universities and, since July 1995, the California State University Maritime Academy, a specialized campus.

The oldest campus, San José State University, was founded in 1857 and became the first institution of public higher education in California. The newest campus, California State University, Channel Islands, opened in fall 2002, with freshmen arriving in fall 2003.