According to the Friendliest Students survey by Niche.com, HSU is the 12th friendliest college in the U.S. It’s the only California State University campus that made the Top 20 and one of two CSU schools in the Top 100 (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is No. 99).
“I think this survey reflects not only the type of students we have here but also the overall mission of the university to provide an environment where students can thrive,” said Craig Wruck, Vice President for University Advancement.
HSU’s place on the list doesn’t surprise Bryan Kraus. Currently a gift processing specialist for University Advancement, Kraus transferred to HSU in Fall 2012 at the age of 29 and graduated this past May with a B.A. in psychology.
“As an older student, I wasn’t sure how I would fit into the campus culture,” Kraus recalled. “However, I quickly made friends and established working relationships with the professors. In a few week weeks, Humboldt State felt like home.”
Here are the Top 20 Friendliest Schools:
1. Brigham Young University (Provo, Utah)
2. Brigham Young University – Idaho (Rexburg, Idaho)
3. Biola University (La Mirada, Calif.)
4. Whitworth University (Spokane, Wash.)
5. Franciscan University of Steubenville (Steubenville, Ohio)
6. Oral Roberts University (Tulsa, Okla.)
7. Rice University (Houston, Texas)
8. Taylor University (Upland, Ind.)
9. California Baptist University (Riverside, Calif.)
10. Liberty University (Lynchburg, Va.)
11. Azusa Pacific University (Azusa, Calif.)
12. Humboldt State University (Arcata, Calif.)
13. Olivet Nazarene University (Bourbonnais, Ill.)
14. Harding University (Searcy, Ark.)
15. University of Dayton (Dayton, Ohio)
16. University of California, Davis (Davis, Calif.)
17. California Lutheran University (Thousand Oaks, Calif.)
18. Texas A&M University (College Station, Texas)
19. Grove City College (Grove City, Pa.)
20. Oberlin College (Oberlin, Ohio)
The Friendliest Students list from Niche.com is based on the opinions of 55,000 students who weighed in on the friendliness of their peers at traditional four-year colleges and universities in the U.S.
Founded by Carnegie Mellon students in 2002, Niche provides data and rankings on neighborhoods, K-12 schools, and colleges and universities.
To see the full list and read the methodology, go to Niche.com.