Sacramento State, often called “Sac State,” was founded as Sacramento State College in 1947 during a time of intense demand for higher education after World War II. The permanent location was moved on the banks of the historic American River in 1953. In 1972 the university was renamed California State University, Sacramento.

Academics
Sacramento State offers 60 undergraduate degrees and 40 graduate degrees. Teacher education is the largest academic program, followed by business, criminal justice, communication studies, psychology and computer science. Sacramento State has the largest cooperative education program in California. Moreover, the university, in cooperation with UC Santa Barbara, has one of only 10 public history doctorate programs in the nation. Besides, the university’s criminal justice program is the largest one west of the Mississippi.

The majors are offered through the 8 university colleges:
1. College of Arts & Letters
2. College of Business Administration
3. College of Continuing Education
4. College of Education
5. College of Engineering & Computer Science
6. College of Health & Human Services
7. College of Natural Sciences & Mathematics
8. College of Social Sciences & Interdisciplinary Studies

The student-to-faculty ratio is 21 to 1, and more than 70 percent of classes have fewer than 30 students. About 80 percent of the full-time faculty hold a doctorate.

The College of Continuing Education offers online classes in synchronous, asynchronous and blended modes utilizing the latest e-learning and meeting technologies. The following six programs are available completely online through the College of Continuing Education: American Sign Language, Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, Contract Management Certificate Program, Masters Degree in Accountancy, Project Management Certificate Program for Transportation Professionals, and Technical Writing Certificate Program.

Financial Aid
Four main types of financial aid programs available in Sacramento State are:
* Grants – Federal or State gift assistance with no obligation for work or repayment
* Scholarships – Gift assistance with no obligation for work or repayment
* Loans – Providing funds now, but with a future repayment obligation
* Federal Work Study – Part-time work while attending Sac State