Skip to content

Sonoma

Sonoma State University

Campus Profile

CSU SonomaSonoma State University (Sonoma State) is located in Northern California and has a campus enrollment of over 8,000 students. Sonoma State is located in the North San Francisco Bay Area in California's premier wine country and is dedicated to providing high-quality undergraduate education and professional graduate programs. With a tradition of promoting intellectual and personal growth, leadership opportunities, and technological proficiency, Sonoma State offers its students a friendly, safe, and informal atmosphere on a beautiful park-like campus. The Sonoma State educational experience fosters intellectual, cognitive, social, and personal growth with a small student-to-faculty ratio. The faculty and staff provide collaborative relationships with students and an education that fosters ethical exploration, civic engagement, social responsibility, and global awareness combined with a solid foundation in an academic discipline. View our international brochure here

In line with the campus’ emphasis on global awareness, Sonoma State engages in many high-quality, internationally focused opportunities. Sonoma State is the only CSU campus that hosts Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistants (Fulbright FLTAs) and offers the Sonoma International Teaching Experience (SITE) for international students. SITE offers German exchange students the opportunity to gain hands-on teaching experience while attending Sonoma State. Example classes that SITE students have taken in the past can be viewed here, and all classes available at Sonoma State can be found in our course catalog

Many classes average fewer than 40 students, allowing close interaction between students and faculty. International students can choose from a wide array of classes offered at Sonoma State, which can be viewed in our course catalog, and get priority registration to enroll in classes. Sonoma State’s world class Green Music Center blends professional performances with educational opportunities for students, staff, faculty, and the local community. Sonoma State offers some of the best state university housing in the country. The region boasts a Mediterranean-like climate with average temperatures of 27°C in the summer and 12°C in winter. Sonoma State offers 46 undergraduate majors, 47 minors and 15 graduate programs including such high interest programs as Biology, Business, Education, Computer Engineering Science, Psychology, and Wine Business.

Sonoma State offers many opportunities to enrich the lives of their students both on and around the campus.

Below are samples of what this campus offers:                           To learn more about Sonoma State, click on the links below.
- Clubs and Organizations         - Outdoor Adventures                - Video: Sonoma State Overview         - Video: Student testimonials
- Community Involvement          - Campus Recreation                - Video: Sonoma State Virtual Tour     

Information for Exchange Students

​​Campus Information
  • Academic calendar dates: Click on this link to view the most recent calendar under "Quick Links" or visit the campus website.
  • Campus-based fees charged to student: Approximately $1,224 per semester is charged. Fees for some courses, depending on the course, may be charged (e.g. lab fees). The majority of lecture courses will not require additional fees. Fee amounts and fees charged are subject to change.
  • Campus health insurance charged to student: Estimated cost is $310 per semester. Cost is subject to change.
  • Housing: Click on this link to view campus housing information.
  • Transportation: Click on this link to view information about transportation.
Admission Criteria
  • Minimum English proficiency score requirements: Click on this link to view.
  • Minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) to apply: 2.00 (based on 4.0 scale) or equivalent.

Impacted (Closed) and Restricted (Limited) Subject Areas

Impacted (Closed) Subject Areas which are not available to exchange students: Chemistry (CHEM); Nursing (NURS).

Restricted (Limited) Subject Areas where limited places are available and are highly competitive: Biology (BIOL); Communications (COMS); Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies (CCJS); Early Childhood Studies (ECS); Education (selected areas); Human Development (HD); Kinesiology (KIN); Liberal Studies Hutchins (LIBS); Political Science (POLS); Psychology (PSY); Sociology (SOCI).

Impacted and restricted subject areas are subject to change at any time.