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California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt: Humboldt State University Founders Hall
Photo: Jaradpetroske, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

College · Catholic life on campus

California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt

  • LocationArcata, CA
  • Type and sizePublic · 4-year · 6,156 students
Official website

California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt is not a Catholic college. This rating measures Catholic life on campus: campus ministry, priests, Mass and confession, student groups, and nearby parishes.

The Cal Poly Humboldt Newman Center, a Catholic campus ministry at 700 Union Street in Arcata, is listed as a student organization by the university and in the Diocese of Santa Rosa's parish finder. It publishes a Sunday Student Mass at 5:30 PM at St. Mary's Catholic Church, and Thursday adoration and confession at 5:30 PM at the Newman Center, with weekly dinners, discipleship meetings, and a Saturday Bible study.

Mass, confession, and adoration

Confirm with the parish

Mass 1

  • Sunday5:30 PMSt. Mary's Catholic Church, 1690 Janes Road, Arcata (Student Mass)

Confession 1

  • Thursday5:30 PMNewman Center, 700 Union Street, Arcata

Adoration 1

  • Thursday5:30 PMNewman Center, 700 Union Street, Arcata

Times come only from official parish, chaplaincy, or school pages, and can change with the season. Last verified Oct. 12, 2026.

Sources for these times (1)
  1. The Newman Center | Cal Poly Humboldthumboldtnewman.org · verified Oct. 12, 2026
    “Sundays at St. Mary's at 5:30 pm”
    The Newman Center's Student Mass is listed on Sundays at 5:30 PM at St. Mary's.
    “Adoration & Confession Thursdays 5:30 pm at the Newman Center”
    Adoration and confession are listed on Thursdays at 5:30 PM at the Newman Center.
    “Adoration & Confession Thursdays 5:30 pm at the Newman Center”
    Adoration and confession are listed on Thursdays at 5:30 PM at the Newman Center.

Catholic churches nearby

Map of California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt, its Catholic center and nearby Catholic churches0.25 mi0.5 mi1 miHSU Newman Catholic Center: 0.8 mi1Saint Mary's Catholic Parish: 1.2 mi2Cal Poly Humboldt Newman Center: 0.9 miCalifornia State Polytechnic University-Humboldt (campus)N0.5 mi
CampusCatholic centerCatholic church (numbered below)Open a street map ›
  1. HSU Newman Catholic Center — 0.8 mi · 700 Union Street, Arcata
  2. Saint Mary's Catholic Parish — 1.2 mi · 1690 Janes Road, Arcata

Within 3 miles, as mapped by OpenStreetMap contributors. The map may be incomplete. Confirm with the parish or diocese.

Catholic life scorecard

Each line is one thing we looked for. A check means yes, a half means partly, a dash means no. “Not enough information” means official sources did not say.

BCatholic life on campus: Good (grade B): 70 to 100 points out of 100 on what official sources document. Grades need sources for at least 60% of the checklist.

Catholic life on campus

82 of 100 points on what we could document.

  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Catholic campus ministry serving this campus (Catholic center, campus ministry, or chaplaincy)Yes
    Sources (3)
    1. Clubs List | Cal Poly Humboldthumboldt.edu/clubs/clubs-list · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Newman Catholic Center (RSOs)”
      The Newman Catholic Center is listed in the university's registered student organization directory.
    2. The Newman Center | Cal Poly Humboldthumboldtnewman.org · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Sundays at St. Mary's at 5:30 pm”
      The Newman Center's Student Mass is listed on Sundays at 5:30 PM at St. Mary's.
    3. Parish Finder | Diocese of Santa Rosasrdiocese.org/parishfinder · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Cal Poly Newman Center”
      The Diocese of Santa Rosa lists the Cal Poly Newman Center in Arcata.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Dedicated Catholic center or chapel on or next to campusYes (The Newman Center is about 0.87 mile from the campus (computed from its published address).)
    Sources (2)
    1. About | The Newman Centerhumboldtnewman.org/about.html · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Newman Center 700 Union Street Arcata, CA, 95521”
      The Newman Center's published address is 700 Union Street, Arcata, CA 95521.
    2. Parish Finder | Diocese of Santa Rosasrdiocese.org/parishfinder · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Cal Poly Newman Center”
      The Diocese of Santa Rosa lists the Cal Poly Newman Center in Arcata.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Priest chaplain assigned to campus ministryFull-time priest chaplain (Presented as the Newman Center chaplain; no page states his weekly time commitment; the classification follows the chaplain title.)
    Sources (2)
    1. The Newman Center | Cal Poly Humboldthumboldtnewman.org · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Fr. Gnanaprakash ThummaChaplain”
      Fr. Gnanaprakash Thumma is named as the Newman Center's chaplain.
    2. Upcoming events | The Newman Centerhumboldtnewman.org/events.html · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Join us for a reverent and community-centered experience at the Sunday Student Mass with Father Gnanaprakash Thumma.”
      The Sunday Student Mass is led with Father Gnanaprakash Thumma at St. Mary's Catholic Church.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Weekday Mass at the campus ministryNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Partly: the school meets some of this item and earns part of the points.
    Sunday Mass at the campus ministry or a campus chapelOne weekend Mass (One Sunday Mass, the Student Mass at 5:30 PM, which the Newman Center runs at St. Mary's Catholic Church.)
    Sources (2)
    1. The Newman Center | Cal Poly Humboldthumboldtnewman.org · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Sundays at St. Mary's at 5:30 pm”
      The Newman Center's Student Mass is listed on Sundays at 5:30 PM at St. Mary's.
    2. Upcoming events | The Newman Centerhumboldtnewman.org/events.html · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Join us for a reverent and community-centered experience at the Sunday Student Mass with Father Gnanaprakash Thumma.”
      The Sunday Student Mass is led with Father Gnanaprakash Thumma at St. Mary's Catholic Church.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Scheduled confession at the campus ministryWeekly or more often (Adoration and confession are listed for Thursdays at 5:30 PM at the Newman Center.)
    Sources (1)
    1. The Newman Center | Cal Poly Humboldthumboldtnewman.org · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Adoration & Confession Thursdays 5:30 pm at the Newman Center”
      Adoration and confession are listed on Thursdays at 5:30 PM at the Newman Center.
  • Partly: the school meets some of this item and earns part of the points.
    Catholic student groups and missionary outreach (e.g., FOCUS, Saint Paul's Outreach, Knights of Columbus, Bible studies)One (The Newman Catholic Center is the only Catholic student group found on the university's pages. The Saturday Bible study is run by the Newman Center itself.)
    Sources (2)
    1. Newman Catholic Center | Cal Poly Humboldthumboldt.edu/clubs/newman-catholic-center · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “We meet weekly on Thursday at 5:30 pm at the Newman Center. We have adoration and prayer, followed by dinner and an event like a discussion or games.”
      The Newman Catholic Center meets weekly on Thursdays at 5:30 PM with adoration, prayer, and dinner.
    2. Clubs List | Cal Poly Humboldthumboldt.edu/clubs/clubs-list · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Newman Catholic Center (RSOs)”
      The Newman Catholic Center is listed in the university's registered student organization directory.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Formation programs (retreats, OCIA/RCIA, service, small groups)Two or more kinds (Kinds found: Bible study and discipleship meetings (formation), community service opportunities, and retreats.)
    Sources (2)
    1. About | The Newman Centerhumboldtnewman.org/about.html · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “including the celebration of Mass, Bible studies, Discipleship Meetings, and the sacraments”
      The Newman Center offers Bible studies and discipleship meetings.
    2. Newman Catholic Center | Cal Poly Humboldthumboldt.edu/clubs/newman-catholic-center · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “We have a Saturday bible study and host other events throughout the year like community service opportunities, outdoors events, and retreats.”
      The Newman Catholic Center runs a Saturday Bible study and hosts community service opportunities and retreats.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Catholic church within walking distance (computed from OpenStreetMap)Within 1 mile of campusComputed from OpenStreetMap church locations.
  • Partly: the school meets some of this item and earns part of the points.
    Published weekly schedule of Mass, confession, and adoration1 to 5 times a week (3 weekly times documented: 1 Mass, 1 confession, 1 adoration.)Computed from the verified Mass, confession, and adoration times listed on this page (each day a time is offered counts once).

Grades come from the documented indicators under the published rubric. “Not enough information” does not mean the school lacks it.

Strengths

  • Adoration and confession are listed weekly, on Thursdays at 5:30 PM, at the Newman Center.
    Sources (1)
    1. The Newman Center | Cal Poly Humboldthumboldtnewman.org · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Adoration & Confession Thursdays 5:30 pm at the Newman Center”
      Adoration and confession are listed on Thursdays at 5:30 PM at the Newman Center.
  • A named chaplain, Fr. Gnanaprakash Thumma, is listed on the Newman Center's site.
    Sources (1)
    1. The Newman Center | Cal Poly Humboldthumboldtnewman.org · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Fr. Gnanaprakash ThummaChaplain”
      Fr. Gnanaprakash Thumma is named as the Newman Center's chaplain.
  • A weekly Sunday Student Mass and a range of recurring student programs are published.
    Sources (3)
    1. The Newman Center | Cal Poly Humboldthumboldtnewman.org · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Sundays at St. Mary's at 5:30 pm”
      The Newman Center's Student Mass is listed on Sundays at 5:30 PM at St. Mary's.
    2. Newman Catholic Center | Cal Poly Humboldthumboldt.edu/clubs/newman-catholic-center · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “We meet weekly on Thursday at 5:30 pm at the Newman Center. We have adoration and prayer, followed by dinner and an event like a discussion or games.”
      The Newman Catholic Center meets weekly on Thursdays at 5:30 PM with adoration, prayer, and dinner.
    3. Upcoming events | The Newman Centerhumboldtnewman.org/events.html · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Join us for our Friday Fun Nights at the Newman Center (700 Union Street, Arcata).”
      Friday Fun Nights are a recurring social event at the Newman Center.

Concerns

  • Only one Sunday Mass is listed, and no weekday Mass appears.
    Sources (1)
    1. The Newman Center | Cal Poly Humboldthumboldtnewman.org · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Sundays at St. Mary's at 5:30 pm”
      The Newman Center's Student Mass is listed on Sundays at 5:30 PM at St. Mary's.
  • The Sunday Mass is held at St. Mary's Catholic Church rather than at a campus chapel.
    Sources (1)
    1. Upcoming events | The Newman Centerhumboldtnewman.org/events.html · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Join us for a reverent and community-centered experience at the Sunday Student Mass with Father Gnanaprakash Thumma.”
      The Sunday Student Mass is led with Father Gnanaprakash Thumma at St. Mary's Catholic Church.

Know something we missed? Suggest a correction.

The Catholic center

Cal Poly Humboldt Newman Center

  • Address: 700 Union Street, Arcata, CA 95521
  • Distance from campus: 0.9 mi (straight line from the campus point in federal IPEDS data)

View on map ↗

Source: humboldtnewman.org, verified Oct. 12, 2026, srdiocese.org, verified Oct. 12, 2026

Catholic clubs and student life

10 groups and regular activities · 0 on campus, 0 off campus, 10 location not published

Faith formation 2

  • Disciples (discipleship meeting)
    Wednesdays, 6:00 PM
    Discipleship meeting listed on the Newman Center events calendar.
    humboldtnewman.org, humboldtnewman.org
  • Saturday Bible study
    Saturdays
    Bible study run by the Newman Catholic Center.
    humboldt.edu

Clubs and groups 1

  • Newman Catholic Center (student club)
    Thursdays 5:30 PM
    Registered student organization for Catholic students that meets weekly with adoration, prayer, and dinner.
    humboldt.edu, humboldt.edu

Liturgy and prayer 3

Retreats 1

  • Retreats
    Retreats hosted by the Newman Catholic Center during the year.
    humboldt.edu

Service 1

  • Community service opportunities
    Community service opportunities offered throughout the year.
    humboldt.edu

Social life 2

  • Dinner and faith discussion
    Sundays, after the 5:30 PM Mass
    Home-cooked meal and a faith discussion on the homily and readings.
    humboldtnewman.org
  • Friday Fun Nights
    Fridays, 6:00 PM
    Recurring Friday social evenings with activities such as games and movies.
    humboldtnewman.org

Everything listed is published by the school, its campus ministry, or the parish. Ask the campus minister what’s happening this semester.

Catholic campus ministry

Sources (4)
  1. The Newman Center | Cal Poly Humboldthumboldtnewman.org · verified Oct. 12, 2026
    “Sundays at St. Mary's at 5:30 pm”
    The Newman Center's Student Mass is listed on Sundays at 5:30 PM at St. Mary's.
    “Fr. Gnanaprakash ThummaChaplain”
    Fr. Gnanaprakash Thumma is named as the Newman Center's chaplain.
  2. Clubs List | Cal Poly Humboldthumboldt.edu/clubs/clubs-list · verified Oct. 12, 2026
    “Newman Catholic Center (RSOs)”
    The Newman Catholic Center is listed in the university's registered student organization directory.
  3. About | The Newman Centerhumboldtnewman.org/about.html · verified Oct. 12, 2026
    “Newman Center 700 Union Street Arcata, CA, 95521”
    The Newman Center's published address is 700 Union Street, Arcata, CA 95521.
  4. Parish Finder | Diocese of Santa Rosasrdiocese.org/parishfinder · verified Oct. 12, 2026
    “Cal Poly Newman Center”
    The Diocese of Santa Rosa lists the Cal Poly Newman Center in Arcata.

Reach out

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Academic Excellence

CAcademic Excellence: Mixed (grade C): 55 to 100 points out of 100 on what official sources document. Grades need sources for at least 60% of the checklist.
63 of 100
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.49%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.76%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.Not reported
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.16 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$18,064

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

Cost and value

Federal data, shown separately. Cost, debt, and earnings are never part of any grade.

Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
5,594
Total students6,156
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$13,171
Cost of attendance (per year)$25,170
Median federal debt at graduation$18,000
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
49%
First-year retention76%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$47,626
Admission rate98%
Students receiving Pell grants43%

Value index: 56 / 100 (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Local Church

Diocese of Santa Rosa

The Most Reverend Robert F. Vasa, Bishop of Santa Rosa

Formal address: “Your Excellency”

Source: usccb.org, verified Oct. 7, 2026.

Diocese determined from the county, using the diocese’s county list (Wikipedia). Confirm with the diocese.

About this school’s data

Questions families ask

Is California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt a Catholic college?
No. California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt is not a Catholic college. Catholic School Compass rates the Catholic life on its campus instead. Catholic students are served by Cal Poly Humboldt Newman Center.
What is California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt’s Catholic Life Score?
77 out of 100 (grade B). It measures Catholic life on campus: campus ministry, priests, Mass and confession, student groups, and nearby parishes, together with academics.
Where is Mass celebrated at California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt?
Mass is listed at St. Mary's Catholic Church, 1690 Janes Road and Arcata (Student Mass). Days and times are on this page; please confirm with the parish or campus ministry before you go.

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