Chico State graduation Countdown

From cherry orchard to comeback story

Chico State opened in 1887 as the Northern Branch State Normal School, built on eight acres of cherry orchard donated by town founder John Bidwell. Its rowdier chapter is real: Playboy named it America's No. 1 party school in 1987, the same spring the 70-year-old Pioneer Days festival ended in riots and was canceled for good. The decades since have been a steady comeback — U.S. News has named Chico State a top public school in the West 21 times, and its agriculture, construction management, and AACSB-accredited business programs carry real weight across Northern California.

What commencement weekend looks like

Commencement takes over University Stadium for a full late-May stretch: six ceremonies grouped by college, more than 3,700 graduates, and upwards of 26,000 friends and family in the stands. Around the main events, Chico State holds a constellation of smaller celebrations — the Nurses Pinning Ceremony, the Lavender Celebration, Latinx and Black graduation celebrations, and Project Rebound's ceremony for formerly incarcerated graduates. Expect North Valley sunshine and real heat; the morning start times are a mercy in Chico's May weather.

Graduates, class by class

The Class of 1958 sent Don Young to Washington, where he became Dean of the House after 49 years representing Alaska; around the same time, a young Raymond Carver studied writing here under John Gardner from 1958 to 1960. The Class of 1975 gave tech Sandy Lerner, co-founder of Cisco Systems. Congressman Mike Thompson earned his bachelor's in 1982 and a master's in 1996, actress Amanda Detmer took her theatre arts degree in the early 1990s, and Chris Wondolowski left for the 2005 MLS draft and became the league's all-time leading scorer.

Planning the trip — and sharing the date

Chico is a college town of about 100,000, and commencement weekend books it solid — reserve rooms downtown or along the Esplanade months ahead, and watch for graduate registration to open in February. University Stadium seating is generous but not unlimited, so confirm guest details for your specific ceremony. If you're graduating, drop this countdown in your class group chat: everyone's family is planning the same weekend, and one shared link keeps the whole crew pointed at the same date.

Quick facts

• Founded in 1887, Chico State is the second-oldest of the 23 California State University campuses
• About 14,000 students are enrolled across roughly 300 academic programs
• The Chico State Alumni Association counts nearly 190,000 alumni worldwide
• Commencement fills University Stadium with six ceremonies, 3,700+ graduates, and 26,000+ guests
• The May 2027 ceremonies mark Chico State's 137th commencement
• Washington Monthly rated Chico State the No. 1 U.S. university for a Master of Social Work