Cal State Fullerton vs. California State University-Northridge

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

Cal State Fullerton California State University-Northridge
Location Fullerton, CA Northridge, CA
Setting Midsize City Large City
Enrollment 40,386 37,579
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #699 #900
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website fullerton.edu csun.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Cal State Fullerton California State University-Northridge
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $17,622
Room & Board $16,702 $11,848
Avg Net Price $7,925 $8,936
Avg Grant Aid $9,194 $10,511
% Receiving Grant Aid 74% 82%

Admission

Cal State Fullerton California State University-Northridge
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 48,748 25,965
Admitted 32,527 23,687
Acceptance Rate 66.7% 91.2%
Enrolled % 16.2% 21%
Avg High School GPA 3.77 3.38
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Very Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 18/23 16/22
SAT Range 1000/1180 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 Nov 30, 2023 Nov 30, 2023

Academics

Cal State Fullerton California State University-Northridge
Student to Faculty Ratio 24:1 24:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (25%)
  • Communication (14%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Health Professions (7%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Business (21%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)

Outcomes

Cal State Fullerton California State University-Northridge
Graduation Rate 50% 46%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,000 $47,500
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 59%
Median Student Loan Debt $15,000 $14,196
Median Loan Payment $155 $146

Diversity

Cal State Fullerton California State University-Northridge
% Men 42% 44%
% Women 58% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 22% 23%
% Black 2% 5%
% Hispanic 40% 44%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 6% 9%
% Unknown Race 4% 4%

Students

Cal State Fullerton California State University-Northridge
% In-State 99% 96%
% Out-of-State 1% 1%

Campus

Cal State Fullerton 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 Fullerton is larger than than California State University-Northridge based on total student enrollment (40,386 students vs. 37,579 students)

Cal State Fullerton vs. California State University-Northridge Cost Comparison

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

  • California State University Fullerton 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 Cal State Fullerton 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 Fullerton than California State University-Northridge ($7,925 vs. $8,936)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Northridge are 41% lower than costs at California State University Fullerton ($11,848 vs. $16,702)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University Northridge than California State University Fullerton (82% vs. 74%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Northridge students is 14.3% larger than aid received California State University Fullerton ($10,511 vs. $9,194)

Cal State Fullerton vs. California State University-Northridge Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Cal State Fullerton 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 Cal State Fullerton .

  • The average SAT score at California State University Fullerton (1024) is 122 points higher than at California State University-Northridge (902)
  • Incoming Cal State Fullerton students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at California State University-Northridge (19)
  • Accepted freshman Cal State Fullerton students have a 0.39 point higher average high school GPA (3.77) than students at California State University-Northridge (3.38)
  • California State University-Northridge has a higher acceptance rate (91.2%) than Cal State Fullerton (66.7%)

Cal State Fullerton vs. California State University-Northridge Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Cal State Fullerton 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 Cal State Fullerton.

  • The graduation rate at Cal State Fullerton is higher than California State University Northridge (50% vs. 46%)
  • Graduates from California State University Fullerton earn on average $1,500 more per year than California State University-Northridge graduates after ten years. ($49,000 vs. $47,500)
  • California State University Northridge students graduate with a $804 lower median federal student loan debt than Cal State Fullerton graduates. ($14,196 vs. $15,000)
  • California State University-Northridge graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Cal State Fullerton graduates. ($146 vs. $155)
  • More Cal State Fullerton graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California State University-Northridge students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 59%)

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