Tuition and mandatory student fees across the 23 campuses within the California State University system are largely standardized for baseline state residents by the system's board of trustees, meaning base instruction costs hover tightly around the same baseline range across most institutions. However, overall net costs vary depending on localized campus fees and regional cost-of-living differences. Campuses situated in areas with lower housing expenses or minimal campus-wide fee structures often offer the most affordable overall annual attendance bills for students.