Cal State East Bay vs. Sacramento State

Comparable Facts

Compare California State University East Bay in Hayward, CA with California State University Sacramento in Sacramento, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the tables above.

California State University Sacramento is larger than Cal State East Bay based on total student enrollment (31,943 students vs. 12,326 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• California State University East Bay is located in Hayward, CA (Midsize City setting); California State University Sacramento is in Sacramento, CA (Large City setting).
• California State University East Bay is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. California State University Sacramento is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: California State University East Bay 22:1; California State University Sacramento 24:1.

Cost details

• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University East Bay are 7% lower than at California State University Sacramento ($17,831 vs. $19,174).
• Out-of-state tuition is 2.2% higher at Sacramento State than at California State University East Bay (about $435 more per year; $20,618 vs. $20,183).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at California State University Sacramento than at California State University East Bay (82% vs. 79%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Sacramento students is 3.2% larger than aid received by California State University East Bay students ($12,767 vs. $12,369).

Admissions details

• SAT or ACT scores are test-free at both Cal State East Bay and Sacramento State.
• Typical fall application deadline: Cal State East Bay Oct 1, 2026; Sacramento State Nov 30, 2026.
• Enrolled first-year students at Sacramento State average a 3.42 high school GPA, 0.22 higher than at Cal State East Bay (3.2).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 6.9% at Cal State East Bay vs. 15.3% at Sacramento State.

Loans and repayment

• Among federal student loan borrowers, California State University Sacramento graduates have a $582 lower median loan debt than Cal State East Bay graduates ($15,750 vs. $16,332).
• Among borrowers, Sacramento State graduates have an estimated $6 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Cal State East Bay graduates ($162 vs. $168).
• More Sacramento State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Cal State East Bay students, three years after graduation (64% vs. 61%).

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS and College Scorecard. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.