In 1957, Cal State Fullerton became the 12th state college in California to be authorized by the Legislature as a degree-granting institution. The following year, a site was designated for the campus to be established in northeast Fullerton. The property was purchased in 1959. This is the same year that Dr. William B. Langsforf was appointed as the founding president of the school.

Today, Cal State Fullerton is a comprehensive, regional university with a main campus that consists of 29 permanent buildings, a picturesque 26-acre Arboretum and student residence halls. The campus also features the Student Recreation Center, a $40.6-million, two-story 95,000-square-foot facility located west of Titan Gym.