CSUDH vs. NSU

Deciding between California State University Dominguez Hills and Norfolk State University? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

California State University Dominguez Hills
Norfolk State University

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • CSUDH Carson, CA
  • NSU Norfolk, VA
  • Setting
  • CSUDH Small City
  • NSU Midsize City
  • Total enrollment
  • CSUDH 15,182
  • NSU 6,053
  • Type
  • CSUDH Public 4 Year
  • NSU Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • CSUDH
  • NSU #988
  • Religious Affiliation
  • CSUDH -
  • NSU -
  • Status
  • CSUDH Non-profit
  • NSU Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • CSUDH
  • NSU

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • CSUDH $7,449
  • NSU $10,180
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • CSUDH $20,049
  • NSU $21,682
  • Room & Board
  • CSUDH $18,444
  • NSU $11,591
  • Average Net Price
  • CSUDH $9,175
  • NSU $9,124
  • Average Grant Aid
  • CSUDH $13,951
  • NSU $15,056
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • CSUDH 93%
  • NSU 75%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • CSUDH 19,921
  • NSU 11,247
  • Admitted
  • CSUDH 18,586
  • NSU 9,871
  • Acceptance Rate
  • CSUDH 93.3%
  • NSU 87.8%
  • Enrolled
  • CSUDH 9.3%
  • NSU 13.2%
  • Typical SAT score
  • CSUDH
  • NSU 930
  • Typical ACT score
  • CSUDH
  • NSU 19
  • Average High School GPA
  • CSUDH 3.16
  • NSU 2.9
  • Typical High School Grades
  • CSUDH B+
  • NSU B
  • Admissions Standards
  • CSUDH Unavailable
  • NSU Extremely Easy
  • Applicant Competition
  • CSUDH
  • NSU
  • ACT Range
  • CSUDH
  • NSU 16/22
  • SAT Range
  • CSUDH
  • NSU 823/1030
  • Submit Test Scores
  • CSUDH Test-free
  • NSU Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • CSUDH Dec 4, 2026
  • NSU May 31, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • CSUDH 21:1
  • NSU 15:1
  • Popular Majors
  • CSUDH
    • Business (21%)
    • Health Professions (13%)
    • Social Sciences (10%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
    • Psychology (9%)
  • NSU
    • Health Professions (21%)
    • Business (16%)
    • Social Sciences (11%)
    • General Studies (10%)
    • Communication (7%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • CSUDH 24%
  • NSU 33%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • CSUDH $46,800
  • NSU $36,700
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • CSUDH 52%
  • NSU 27%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • CSUDH $13,962
  • NSU $31,000
  • Median Loan Payment
  • CSUDH $144
  • NSU $320

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • CSUDH 39%
  • NSU 33%
  • % Women
  • CSUDH 61%
  • NSU 67%
  • Racial Diversity
  • CSUDH High
  • NSU Very Low
  • HBCU
  • CSUDH No
  • NSU Yes
  • % White
  • CSUDH 8%
  • NSU 5%
  • % Asian
  • CSUDH 10%
  • NSU 1%
  • % Black
  • CSUDH 13%
  • NSU 84%
  • % Hispanic
  • CSUDH 59%
  • NSU 3%
  • % Native American
  • CSUDH 0%
  • NSU 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • CSUDH 0%
  • NSU 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • CSUDH 3%
  • NSU 4%
  • % International
  • CSUDH 3%
  • NSU 0%
  • % Unknown Race
  • CSUDH 4%
  • NSU 3%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • CSUDH 99%
  • NSU 65%
  • % Out-of-State
  • CSUDH 0%
  • NSU 2%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • CSUDH Yes
  • NSU Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • CSUDH No
  • NSU No
  • Meal Plan
  • CSUDH No
  • NSU Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • CSUDH Yes
  • NSU No
  • Daycare Facility
  • CSUDH Yes
  • NSU Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare California State University Dominguez Hills in Carson, CA with Norfolk State University in Norfolk, VA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

California State University Dominguez Hills is larger than NSU based on total student enrollment (15,182 students vs. 6,053 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • California State University Dominguez Hills is located in Carson, CA (Small City setting); Norfolk State University is in Norfolk, VA (Midsize City setting).
  • California State University Dominguez Hills is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Norfolk State University is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: California State University Dominguez Hills 21:1; Norfolk State University 15:1.

CSUDH vs. NSU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, CSUDH or NSU? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Norfolk State University than CSUDH ($9,124 vs. $9,175).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Norfolk State University are 37.2% lower than at California State University Dominguez Hills ($11,591 vs. $18,444).
  • Norfolk State University is 36.7% more expensive for in-state tuition than CSUDH (about $2,731 more per year; $10,180.00 vs. $7,449.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 8.1% higher at NSU than at California State University Dominguez Hills (about $1,633 more per year; $21,682.00 vs. $20,049.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at California State University Dominguez Hills than at Norfolk State University (93% vs. 75%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Norfolk State University students is 7.9% larger than aid received by California State University Dominguez Hills students ($15,056 vs. $13,951).

CSUDH vs. NSU Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, CSUDH or NSU? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between NSU and CSUDH.

  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted studentsNorfolk State University 823/1030.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted studentsNorfolk State University 16/22.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: CSUDH - Test-free; NSU - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: CSUDH Dec 4, 2026; NSU May 31, 2027.
  • Accepted freshman CSUDH students have a 0.26 point higher average high school GPA (3.16) than students at NSU (2.9).
  • CSUDH has a higher acceptance rate (93.3%) than NSU (87.8%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 9.3% at CSUDH vs. 13.2% at NSU.

CSUDH vs. NSU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for CSUDH and NSU? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Norfolk State University's six-year graduation rate (33%) is higher than California State University Dominguez Hills's (24%).
  • Graduates from California State University Dominguez Hills earn a median of about $10,100 more per year than NSU graduates about ten years after starting college ($46,800 vs. $36,700), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, California State University Dominguez Hills graduates have a $17,038 lower median loan debt than NSU graduates ($13,962 vs. $31,000).
  • Among borrowers, CSUDH graduates have an estimated $176 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than NSU graduates ($144 vs. $320).
  • More CSUDH graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former NSU students, three years after graduation. (52% vs. 27%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.