California State University-Northridge vs. Sacramento State

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

California State University-Northridge Sacramento State
Location Northridge, CA Sacramento, CA
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 37,579 31,818
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #900 #850
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website csun.edu csus.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

California State University-Northridge Sacramento State
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $17,622
Room & Board $11,848 $16,278
Avg Net Price $8,936 $11,596
Avg Grant Aid $10,511 $9,590
% Receiving Grant Aid 82% 78%

Admission

California State University-Northridge Sacramento State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 25,965 25,276
Admitted 23,687 23,559
Acceptance Rate 91.2% 93.2%
Enrolled % 21% 16.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.38 3.42
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 16/22 17/23
SAT Range 900/1110 930/1130
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

California State University-Northridge Sacramento State
Student to Faculty Ratio 24:1 24:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (21%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)
  • Business (24%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Health Professions (7%)

Outcomes

California State University-Northridge Sacramento State
Graduation Rate 46% 42%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,500 $51,000
Making Student Loan Payments 59% 64%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,196 $15,750
Median Loan Payment $146 $162

Diversity

California State University-Northridge Sacramento State
% Men 44% 43%
% Women 56% 57%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 23% 29%
% Black 5% 6%
% Hispanic 44% 29%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 3% 6%
% International 9% 2%
% Unknown Race 4% 6%

Students

California State University-Northridge Sacramento State
% In-State 96% 98%
% Out-of-State 1% 1%

Campus

California State University-Northridge Sacramento State
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 Sacramento State based on total student enrollment (37,579 students vs. 31,818 students)

California State University-Northridge vs. Sacramento State Cost Comparison

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

  • California State University Northridge and Sacramento State 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-Northridge as California State University Sacramento ($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 Northridge than Sacramento State ($8,936 vs. $11,596)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Northridge are 37.4% lower than costs at California State University Sacramento ($11,848 vs. $16,278)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University Northridge than California State University Sacramento (82% vs. 78%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Northridge students is 9.6% larger than aid received California State University Sacramento ($10,511 vs. $9,590)

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

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

  • The average SAT score at California State University Sacramento (948) is 46 points higher than at California State University-Northridge (902)
  • Incoming Sacramento State students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (20) than students at California State University-Northridge (19)
  • Accepted freshman Sacramento State students have a 0.04 point higher average high school GPA (3.42) than students at California State University-Northridge (3.38)
  • Sacramento State has a higher acceptance rate (93.2%) than California State University-Northridge (91.2%)

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

Which is better, California State University-Northridge or Sacramento State? 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 Sacramento State and California State University-Northridge.

  • The graduation rate at California State University-Northridge is higher than California State University Sacramento (46% vs. 42%)
  • Graduates from California State University Sacramento earn on average $3,500 more per year than California State University-Northridge graduates after ten years. ($51,000 vs. $47,500)
  • California State University Northridge students graduate with a $1,554 lower median federal student loan debt than Sacramento State graduates. ($14,196 vs. $15,750)
  • California State University-Northridge graduates are paying $16 less per month on federal student loans than Sacramento State graduates. ($146 vs. $162)
  • More Sacramento State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California State University-Northridge students, three years after graduation. (64% vs. 59%)

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