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California State University

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California State University Reviews

3.9

68% would recommend to a friend

(384 total reviews)

Timothy P. White

80% approve of CEO

52% positive business outlook

California State University has an employee rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars, based on 384 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The California State University employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Education industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

384 reviews
1.0
4 Mar 2019

Run

Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

-Pay is decent for a government job if you know your worth. -Great benefits as expected from a government job. -Generous vacation policy, comparable to public accounting. -Pay for CIA certification study materials and test fees if passed. -Auditors are nice, easy to get along with. -Not stressful if you plan correctly. -Free coffee and filtered water?

Cons

-Travel to sometimes the middle of nowhere M-F with no real flexibility. Be prepared to get home late Friday nights. -Management expects a lot of face time at the campuses. Most of the work can be done remotely. It is unnecessary to travel to campuses for 5 weeks per audit when all documentation is received electronically anyway. -Top-down hierarchy and micromanagement. -Their way is the only right way to do things. Don't bring any new suggestions or ideas, just nod your head and agree with everything. -Paragraphs of word-by-word interview notes are expected. No bullet points with main ideas because efficiency is frowned upon. -Getting caught up in little insignificant details rather than looking at the big picture.

1.0
23 Mar 2025

Look elsewhere for fair pay

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The physical office at Catalina Landing is nice, with pleasant walking paths and free coffee and tea. But beyond that, the frustrations outweigh the perks.

Cons

If you value work-life balance, think twice before accepting an offer here. The culture subtly—yet persistently—encourages employees to be available beyond normal hours. Senior leaders frequently email staff on weekends, despite there being no real urgency. It’s an unspoken expectation rather than an actual necessity. Compensation & Career Growth: The pay is below market for the workload, and raises are inconsistent and minimal—if they happen at all. Before signing, insist on seeing pay structures in writing, including when raises occur and how much they typically are. Recruiters likely won’t provide concrete answers because compensation is not competitive. If you do move forward, negotiate aggressively. Ask for conference access, office stipends, or executive coaching—these have been granted to select new hires before. If career growth is a priority, ask how often employees are promoted internally. Chances are, you won’t get a promising answer. Exit interview feedback also seems to go nowhere, indicating a lack of commitment to meaningful change. Workplace Culture: Expect to attend excessive on-camera Zoom meetings on WFH days, contribute money to holiday parties and coworker celebrations, and sit through long, unproductive staff meetings. If recruiters contact you outside regular hours, take note—that could be a red flag of poor time management or an unnecessary culture of busyness.

Viewing 1 - 3 of 384 Reviews

Glassdoor has 437 California State University reviews submitted anonymously by California State University employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if California State University is right for you.