The California State University system has the highest enrollment rate over any higher education system in the country, according Chancellor's Office. The growth spurt will continue into the next decade, officials predict.
Enrollment peaked in the CSU system in 1990 with 369,053 total students. More recently, CSU experienced an enrollment growth of 2 percent from 336,803 last fall to 343,479 this fall.
This is the third consecutive year the number of students has increased for CSU enrollment.
"Enrollment is expected to continue to rise even more substantially over the next decade with the onset of Tidal Wave II," said Chancellor Barry Munitz.
Tidal Wave II describes the anticipated 500,000 additional students expected to seek higher education in California within the next ten years. The CSU system is expected to absorb 100,000 of these college-bound people.
For the fall 1997 semester, Cal State Long Beach has the second highest enrollment rate in the CSU system at 27,810.
San Diego state is at the top, with 30,593 students enrolled this semester. Northridge, San Francisco and San Jose respectively follow in the top CSU enrollment rates for fall 1997.