Sonoma State University 1801 E. Cotati Avenue Rohnert Park, CA 94928 (707) 664-2778

University Control:	Public
Founded In:	1960
Average Costs:	2008-2009 In-state: $3,996; Out-of-state: $12,132

Sonoma State University is a relatively small (8,500 students), residential, public university committed to student retention, graduation and satisfaction. As California's premier public undergraduate institution, SSU has a commitment to graduating students who have the ability to think critically and ethically and can effectively use information technology. Its primary mission is to develop and maintain excellent programs of undergraduate instruction grounded in the liberal arts and sciences. Instructional programs are designed to challenge students not only to acquire knowledge but also to develop the skills of critical analysis, careful reasoning, creativity, and self-expression. SSU offers 41 bachelor's degree programs and 14 master's degree programs. In addition, the University offers a joint master's degree in mathematics with San Francisco State University and a joint doctorate in educational administration with California State University, Sacramento and the University of California, Davis. The University offers nine credential programs and eight undergraduate and graduate certificate programs. The quality of the educational experience at Sonoma State University depends upon close human and intellectual relationships among students and faculty to foster the open exchange of ideas. The university is committed to creating a learning community in which people from diverse backgrounds and cultures are valued for the breadth of their perspectives and are encouraged in their intellectual pursuits. Sonoma's faculty maintain active scholarly lives and the University encourages faculty projects that involve students in research and other creative activities. Currently 2,400 students live on campus and housing for an additional 700 students is underway. The SSU residential community offers a variety of accommodations from shared bedrooms in residential suites to private bedrooms and baths in apartments. SSU's recreation center, complete with a climbing wall, received the Outstanding Sports Facilities Award by the National Intramural Recreational Sports Association. Additionally, a renovated 21st century Darwin Hall, the university's science building, has new laboratories and classrooms supporting the needs of modern science curriculum. Currently under construction is the $110 million Donald & Maureen Green Music Center which includes a 1,400 seat world-class concert hall, Schroeder's Recital Hall (named for one of the characters of the famed cartoonist Charles Schulz) and a music education building. The University was gifted the Fairfield Osborne Preserve, located within a mile of campus, which is dedicated to protecting and restoring natural communities and fostering ecological understanding through education and research. Additionally, the University accepted a 3,500 acre wilderness preserve in northern Sonoma County, called the Galbreath Wildlands Preserve to promote environmental education and research, as well as to steward the diverse landscape of the preserve. The Sonoma State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics sponsors 13 intercollegiate sports, five men's and eight women's: men's baseball, basketball, golf, soccer and tennis; women's basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, volleyball, and water polo. SSU's teams, named the Seawolves, are a member of the NCAA Division II and they compete in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), the premiere intercollegiate athletic association in the country, and have won several national titles.