Public California State University in Sonoma County offering 62 bachelor's and 13 master's degrees.
Sonoma State offers 62 bachelor's degree programs, 13 master's degree programs, and 24 teaching credentials across three colleges. The university is home to the Hutchins School of Liberal Studies, an interdisciplinary learning community, and the Wine Business Institute (founded 1996), which leverages the university's location in California Wine Country to offer specialized degrees and certifications in wine marketing, finance, production, and operations. The School of Business is accredited by AACSB, and the Mental Health Counseling master's program is accredited by MPCAC.
The 269-acre campus in Rohnert Park features the Jean and Charles Schulz Information Center (completed 2001), housing over 400,000 volumes and an advanced Automated Retrieval System with 750,000 additional volumes. The Green Music Center, a $120 million complex completed in phases (2008–2014), includes the 1,400-seat Joan and Sanford I. Weill Hall with lawn seating for 4,000 additional guests, the 250-seat Schroeder Recital Hall, and Music Education Hall. The university also operates two off-campus natural science research sites: the 411-acre Fairfield Osborn Preserve on Sonoma Mountain and the 3,200-acre Galbreath Wildlands Preserve in Mendocino County. In January 2025, the athletics department was eliminated due to budget constraints.
Fall 2025 undergraduate admission data shows a 95% admit rate for first-time freshmen (9,529 admits from 10,075 applicants) with a 4% yield rate, and an 88% admit rate for transfer applicants (3,244 admits from 3,682 applicants) with a 21% yield rate. The university is accredited by WASC Senior College and University Commission and is a federally designated Hispanic-serving institution.
In early 2025, the university announced a $24 million deficit due to declining enrollment and increasing costs. In response, leadership announced plans to eliminate numerous positions, including 46 tenured and adjunct faculty members, and to eliminate approximately two dozen academic programs and six academic departments. The athletics department was also eliminated in January 2025.