Opportunities For All: The benefits of being a SCU

California State University, Fresno is a proud member of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), an organization made up of more than 400 public colleges, universities and systems across the nation.

Like all state colleges and universities – called SCUs – we have a student-focused culture that centers on learning and teaching. Members of AASCU also share a long-standing commitment to underserved student populations and a dedication to research and creativity that makes them uniquely different from land grant or research universities and community and technical colleges. Fresno State is also an important part of the economic progress and cultural development of Central California.

We and our fellow state colleges and universities foster a value system centered around the concept of “Opportunities for All”– that SCUs are the education choice that creates bright futures for all of the region’s students, and thus become economic, cultural and social drivers for their regions and states.

Every SCU shares three core values: Quality, Accessibility and Responsibility.

High Quality: We have a student-centered focus that emphasizes learning and teaching as a core institutional belief. Our students are taught and mentored by a faculty of scholars and are exposed to a full range of educational opportunities in smaller class sizes. We support a broad range of different learning styles and opportunities – from our Smittcamp Family Honors Program to hands-on applied undergraduate research with our faculty, both in the lab and out in the field.

Accessible: As a state university, Fresno State provides a viable, high quality educational experience to a diverse cross-section of the region’s residents,  including nontraditional students or groups that historically have been underrepresented in higher education. We celebrate diversity, build inclusiveness and enable partnerships that help students succeed.

Responsible: We create a skilled workforce that supports the region’s and the state’s business needs while advancing economic progress and cultural development. We prepare our students for a life of leadership and service and enhance their ability to attain financial independence after graduation.

Fresno State, like its peer SCUs, is a smart investment, offering a high quality, accessible and affordable choice to earning a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree. We are proud to share the mission of our SCU peers to make higher education available to anyone who is willing to work hard  to be successful.