California State University-Fresno vs. California State University-Northridge

Should I go to California State University Fresno or California State University Northridge? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if California State University-Fresno 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 Fresno vs. California State University Northridge comparison
California State University Fresno California State University Northridge College 3 College 4
California State University Fresno California State University Northridge
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Overview

California State University-Fresno California State University-Northridge
Location Fresno, CA Northridge, CA
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 23,999 37,579
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #891 #900
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website csufresno.edu csun.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

California State University-Fresno California State University-Northridge
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $17,622
Room & Board $11,080 $11,848
Avg Net Price $7,507 $8,936
Avg Grant Aid $9,968 $10,511
% Receiving Grant Aid 85% 82%

Admission

California State University-Fresno California State University-Northridge
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 18,551 25,965
Admitted 17,703 23,687
Acceptance Rate 95.4% 91.2%
Enrolled % 19.5% 21%
Avg High School GPA 3.12 3.38
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 16/21 16/22
SAT Range 890/1100 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

California State University-Fresno California State University-Northridge
Student to Faculty Ratio 21:1 24:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (17%)
  • Health Professions (12%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Business (21%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)

Outcomes

California State University-Fresno California State University-Northridge
Graduation Rate 49% 46%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $46,500 $47,500
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 59%
Median Student Loan Debt $15,000 $14,196
Median Loan Payment $155 $146

Diversity

California State University-Fresno California State University-Northridge
% Men 40% 44%
% Women 60% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 21% 23%
% Black 3% 5%
% Hispanic 48% 44%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 5% 9%
% Unknown Race 4% 4%

Students

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

Campus

California State University-Fresno 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 California State University-Fresno based on total student enrollment (37,579 students vs. 23,999 students)

California State University-Fresno vs. California State University-Northridge Cost Comparison

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

  • California State University Fresno 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 California State University-Fresno 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 Fresno than California State University-Northridge ($7,507 vs. $8,936)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Fresno are 6.9% lower than costs at California State University Northridge ($11,080 vs. $11,848)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University Fresno than California State University Northridge (85% vs. 82%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Northridge students is 5.4% larger than aid received California State University Fresno ($10,511 vs. $9,968)

California State University-Fresno vs. California State University-Northridge Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, California State University-Fresno 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 California State University-Fresno .

  • The average SAT score at California State University Northridge (902) is 5 points higher than at California State University-Fresno (897)
  • Incoming California State University-Fresno students have at the same average ACT score (19) as students at California State University-Northridge (19)
  • Accepted freshman California State University-Northridge students have a 0.26 point higher average high school GPA (3.38) than students at California State University-Fresno (3.12)
  • California State University-Fresno has a higher acceptance rate (95.4%) than California State University-Northridge (91.2%)

California State University-Fresno vs. California State University-Northridge Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, California State University-Fresno 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 California State University-Fresno.

  • The graduation rate at California State University-Fresno is higher than California State University Northridge (49% vs. 46%)
  • Graduates from California State University Northridge earn on average $1,000 more per year than California State University-Fresno graduates after ten years. ($47,500 vs. $46,500)
  • California State University Northridge students graduate with a $804 lower median federal student loan debt than California State University-Fresno graduates. ($14,196 vs. $15,000)
  • California State University-Northridge graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than California State University-Fresno graduates. ($146 vs. $155)
  • More California State University-Fresno graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California State University-Northridge students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 59%)

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