California State University-Northridge vs. SHSU

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

 California State University-Northridge SHSU
Location Northridge, CA Huntsville, TX
Setting Large City Remote Town
Enrollment 37,579 21,480
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #900 #778
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website csun.edu shsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 California State University-Northridge SHSU
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $5,856
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $15,648
Room & Board $11,848 $10,908
Avg Net Price $8,936 $13,632
Avg Grant Aid $10,511 $10,499
% Receiving Grant Aid 82% 73%

Admission

 California State University-Northridge SHSU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 25,965 16,316
Admitted 23,687 13,809
Acceptance Rate 91.2% 84.6%
Enrolled % 21% 24.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.38 3.25
Typical High School Grades B+ B
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Very Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 16/22 18/24
SAT Range 900/1110 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 Nov 30, 2023 Aug 1, 2024

Academics

 California State University-Northridge SHSU
Student to Faculty Ratio 24:1 20:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (21%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)
  • Business (27%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (16%)
  • General Studies (12%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Communication (5%)

Outcomes

 California State University-Northridge SHSU
Graduation Rate 46% 50%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,500 $47,800
Making Student Loan Payments 59% 57%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,196 $21,500
Median Loan Payment $146 $222

Diversity

 California State University-Northridge SHSU
% Men 44% 36%
% Women 56% 64%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 23% 53%
% Black 5% 19%
% Hispanic 44% 20%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 9% 1%
% Unknown Race 4% 2%

Students

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

Campus

 California State University-Northridge 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 Northridge is larger than than SHSU based on total student enrollment (37,579 students vs. 21,480 students)

California State University-Northridge vs. SHSU Cost Comparison

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

  • Sam Houston State University is 2% more expensive to attend than California State University-Northridge for in-state tuition ($5,856.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 12.6% higher at California State University-Northridge 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 Northridge than SHSU ($8,936 vs. $13,632)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Sam Houston State University are 8.6% lower than costs at California State University Northridge ($10,908 vs. $11,848)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University Northridge than Sam Houston State University (82% vs. 73%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Northridge students is 0.1% larger than aid received Sam Houston State University ($10,511 vs. $10,499)

California State University-Northridge vs. SHSU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Sam Houston State University (997) is 95 points higher than at California State University-Northridge (902)
  • Incoming SHSU students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at California State University-Northridge (19)
  • Accepted freshman California State University-Northridge students have a 0.13 point higher average high school GPA (3.38) than students at SHSU (3.25)
  • California State University-Northridge has a higher acceptance rate (91.2%) than SHSU (84.6%)

California State University-Northridge vs. SHSU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at SHSU is higher than California State University Northridge (50% vs. 46%)
  • Graduates from Sam Houston State University earn on average $300 more per year than California State University-Northridge graduates after ten years. ($47,800 vs. $47,500)
  • California State University Northridge students graduate with a $7,304 lower median federal student loan debt than SHSU graduates. ($14,196 vs. $21,500)
  • California State University-Northridge graduates are paying $76 less per month on federal student loans than SHSU graduates. ($146 vs. $222)
  • More California State University-Northridge graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SHSU students, three years after graduation. (59% vs. 57%)

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