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FGCU UCF Florida State Nova FIU University of South Florida St. Petersburg UNF USF Main Campus California State University-Fresno UT Cal State Long Beach Cal State East Bay| California State University Northridge | Florida Atlantic University | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
California State University-Northridge | FAU | ||
| Location | Northridge, CA | Boca Raton, FL | ||
| Setting | Large City | Small City | ||
| Enrollment | 37,760 | 30,790 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Public 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #892 | #678 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | csun.edu | fau.edu | ||
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Costs |
California State University-Northridge | FAU | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $5,742 | $2,522 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $17,622 | $14,374 | ||
| Room & Board | $12,648 | $12,536 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $8,222 | $9,839 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $12,000 | $10,786 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 82% | 86% |
Admission |
California State University-Northridge | FAU | ||
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| Applied | 29,789 | 27,612 | ||
| Admitted | 27,748 | 20,279 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 93.1% | 73.4% | ||
| Enrolled % | 20% | 21.8% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.38 | 3.74 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | B+ | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Extremely Easy | Moderate | ||
| Applicant Competition | Low | |||
| ACT Range | 16/22 | 20/26 | ||
| SAT Range | 900/1110 | 1040/1210 | ||
| Submit Test Scores | Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) | Required to be considered for admission | ||
| Application Deadline | Nov 30, 2025 | May 1, 2026 |
Academics |
California State University-Northridge | FAU | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 21:1 | 23:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
California State University-Northridge | FAU | ||
| Graduation Rate | 46% | 43% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $47,500 | $46,200 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 59% | 54% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $14,196 | $16,861 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $146 | $174 |
Diversity |
California State University-Northridge | FAU | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 5% | 9% | ||
| % Women | 9% | 12% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 23% | 43% | ||
| % Black | 5% | 20% | ||
| % Hispanic | 44% | 26% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 3% | 4% | ||
| % International | 9% | 2% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 4% | 1% |
Students |
California State University-Northridge | FAU | ||
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| % In-State | 95% | 72% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 2% | 22% | ||
Campus |
California State University-Northridge | FAU | ||
| 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 Northridge is larger than than FAU based on total student enrollment (37,760 students vs. 30,790 students)
California State University-Northridge vs. FAU Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, California State University-Northridge or FAU?
- California State University Northridge is 127.7% more expensive to attend than FAU for in-state tuition ($5,742.00 vs. $2,522.00)
- Out of state tuition is 22.6% higher at California State University-Northridge than Florida Atlantic University ($17,622.00 vs. $14,374.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California State University Northridge than FAU ($8,222 vs. $9,839)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Florida Atlantic University are 0.9% lower than costs at California State University Northridge ($12,536 vs. $12,648)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Florida Atlantic University than California State University Northridge (86% vs. 82%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Northridge students is 11.3% larger than aid received Florida Atlantic University ($12,000 vs. $10,786)
California State University-Northridge vs. FAU Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, California State University-Northridge or FAU? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between FAU or California State University-Northridge .
- The average SAT score at Florida Atlantic University (1047) is 145 points higher than at California State University-Northridge (902)
- Incoming FAU students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at California State University-Northridge (19)
- Accepted freshman FAU students have a 0.36 point higher average high school GPA (3.74) than students at California State University-Northridge (3.38)
- California State University-Northridge has a higher acceptance rate (93.1%) than FAU (73.4%)
California State University-Northridge vs. FAU Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, California State University-Northridge or FAU? 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 FAU and California State University-Northridge.
- The graduation rate at California State University-Northridge is higher than Florida Atlantic University (46% vs. 43%)
- Graduates from California State University Northridge earn on average $1,300 more per year than FAU graduates after ten years. ($47,500 vs. $46,200)
- California State University Northridge students graduate with a $2,665 lower median federal student loan debt than FAU graduates. ($14,196 vs. $16,861)
- California State University-Northridge graduates are paying $28 less per month on federal student loans than FAU graduates. ($146 vs. $174)
- More California State University-Northridge graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former FAU students, three years after graduation. (59% vs. 54%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/