CSU vs. California State University-Northridge

Should I go to California State University Chico or California State University Northridge? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if CSU or California State University-Northridge is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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California State University Chico vs. California State University Northridge comparison
California State University Chico California State University Northridge College 3 College 4
California State University Chico California State University Northridge
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Overview

 CSU California State University-Northridge
Location Chico, CA Northridge, CA
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 14,183 37,579
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #659 #900
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website csuchico.edu csun.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 CSU California State University-Northridge
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $17,622
Room & Board $15,212 $11,848
Avg Net Price $15,517 $8,936
Avg Grant Aid $9,162 $10,511
% Receiving Grant Aid 62% 82%

Admission

 CSU California State University-Northridge
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 21,417 25,965
Admitted 20,347 23,687
Acceptance Rate 95% 91.2%
Enrolled % 9.9% 21%
Avg High School GPA 3.37 3.38
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/24 16/22
SAT Range 970/1170 900/1110
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Dec 15, 2023 Nov 30, 2023

Academics

 CSU California State University-Northridge
Student to Faculty Ratio 20:1 24:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (17%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Business (21%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)

Outcomes

 CSU California State University-Northridge
Graduation Rate 59% 46%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,400 $47,500
Making Student Loan Payments 70% 59%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,000 $14,196
Median Loan Payment $175 $146

Diversity

 CSU California State University-Northridge
% Men 45% 44%
% Women 55% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 46% 23%
% Black 2% 5%
% Hispanic 29% 44%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 3%
% International 3% 9%
% Unknown Race 7% 4%

Students

 CSU California State University-Northridge
% In-State 97% 96%
% Out-of-State 2% 1%

Campus

 CSU California State University-Northridge
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • California State University Northridge is larger than than CSU based on total student enrollment (37,579 students vs. 14,183 students)

CSU vs. California State University-Northridge Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, CSU or California State University-Northridge?

  • California State University Chico and California State University-Northridge cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($5,742.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is the same at CSU as California State University Northridge ($17,622.00 vs. $17,622.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California State University Northridge than CSU ($8,936 vs. $15,517)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Northridge are 28.4% lower than costs at California State University Chico ($11,848 vs. $15,212)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University Northridge than California State University Chico (82% vs. 62%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Northridge students is 14.7% larger than aid received California State University Chico ($10,511 vs. $9,162)

CSU vs. California State University-Northridge Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, CSU or California State University-Northridge? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between California State University-Northridge or CSU .

  • The average SAT score at California State University Chico (1003) is 101 points higher than at California State University-Northridge (902)
  • Incoming CSU students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at California State University-Northridge (19)
  • Accepted freshman California State University-Northridge students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.38) than students at CSU (3.37)
  • CSU has a higher acceptance rate (95%) than California State University-Northridge (91.2%)

CSU vs. California State University-Northridge Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, CSU or California State University-Northridge? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between California State University-Northridge and CSU.

  • The graduation rate at CSU is higher than California State University Northridge (59% vs. 46%)
  • Graduates from California State University Chico earn on average $4,900 more per year than California State University-Northridge graduates after ten years. ($52,400 vs. $47,500)
  • California State University Northridge students graduate with a $2,804 lower median federal student loan debt than CSU graduates. ($14,196 vs. $17,000)
  • California State University-Northridge graduates are paying $29 less per month on federal student loans than CSU graduates. ($146 vs. $175)
  • More CSU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California State University-Northridge students, three years after graduation. (70% vs. 59%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/