California State University-Fresno vs. SHSU

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

 California State University-Fresno SHSU
Location Fresno, CA Huntsville, TX
Setting Large City Remote Town
Enrollment 23,999 21,480
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #891 #778
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website csufresno.edu shsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 California State University-Fresno SHSU
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $5,856
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $15,648
Room & Board $11,080 $10,908
Avg Net Price $7,507 $13,632
Avg Grant Aid $9,968 $10,499
% Receiving Grant Aid 85% 73%

Admission

 California State University-Fresno SHSU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 18,551 16,316
Admitted 17,703 13,809
Acceptance Rate 95.4% 84.6%
Enrolled % 19.5% 24.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.12 3.25
Typical High School Grades B B
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Very Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 16/21 18/24
SAT Range 890/1100 960/1140
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Dec 15, 2023 Aug 1, 2024

Academics

 California State University-Fresno SHSU
Student to Faculty Ratio 21:1 20:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (17%)
  • Health Professions (12%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Business (27%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (16%)
  • General Studies (12%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Communication (5%)

Outcomes

 California State University-Fresno SHSU
Graduation Rate 49% 50%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $46,500 $47,800
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 57%
Median Student Loan Debt $15,000 $21,500
Median Loan Payment $155 $222

Diversity

 California State University-Fresno SHSU
% Men 40% 36%
% Women 60% 64%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 21% 53%
% Black 3% 19%
% Hispanic 48% 20%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 5% 1%
% Unknown Race 4% 2%

Students

 California State University-Fresno SHSU
% In-State 97% 98%
% Out-of-State 1% 1%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • California State University Fresno is larger than than SHSU based on total student enrollment (23,999 students vs. 21,480 students)

California State University-Fresno vs. SHSU Cost Comparison

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

  • Sam Houston State University is 2% more expensive to attend than California State University-Fresno for in-state tuition ($5,856.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 12.6% higher at California State University-Fresno than Sam Houston State University ($17,622.00 vs. $15,648.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California State University Fresno than SHSU ($7,507 vs. $13,632)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Sam Houston State University are 1.6% lower than costs at California State University Fresno ($10,908 vs. $11,080)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University Fresno than Sam Houston State University (85% vs. 73%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Sam Houston State University students is 5.3% larger than aid received California State University Fresno ($10,499 vs. $9,968)

California State University-Fresno vs. SHSU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Sam Houston State University (997) is 100 points higher than at California State University-Fresno (897)
  • Incoming SHSU students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at California State University-Fresno (19)
  • Accepted freshman SHSU students have a 0.13 point higher average high school GPA (3.25) than students at California State University-Fresno (3.12)
  • California State University-Fresno has a higher acceptance rate (95.4%) than SHSU (84.6%)

California State University-Fresno vs. SHSU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, California State University-Fresno or SHSU? 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 SHSU and California State University-Fresno.

  • The graduation rate at SHSU is higher than California State University Fresno (50% vs. 49%)
  • Graduates from Sam Houston State University earn on average $1,300 more per year than California State University-Fresno graduates after ten years. ($47,800 vs. $46,500)
  • California State University Fresno students graduate with a $6,500 lower median federal student loan debt than SHSU graduates. ($15,000 vs. $21,500)
  • California State University-Fresno graduates are paying $67 less per month on federal student loans than SHSU graduates. ($155 vs. $222)
  • More California State University-Fresno graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SHSU students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 57%)

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