Sacramento State vs. CSU Channel Islands

Comparable Facts

Compare California State University Sacramento in Sacramento, CA with California State University Channel Islands in Camarillo, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the tables above.

California State University Sacramento is larger than CSU Channel Islands based on total student enrollment (31,943 students vs. 5,592 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• California State University Sacramento is located in Sacramento, CA (Large City setting); California State University Channel Islands is in Camarillo, CA (Rural Fringe setting).
• California State University Sacramento is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. California State University Channel Islands is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: California State University Sacramento 24:1; California State University Channel Islands 16:1.

Cost details

• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Channel Islands are 19.2% lower than at California State University Sacramento ($15,490 vs. $19,174).
• Out-of-state tuition is 4.3% higher at Sacramento State than at California State University Channel Islands (about $859 more per year; $20,618 vs. $19,759).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at California State University Sacramento than at California State University Channel Islands (82% vs. 79%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Sacramento students is 1.9% larger than aid received by California State University Channel Islands students ($12,767 vs. $12,528).

Admissions details

• SAT or ACT scores are test-free at both Sacramento State and CSU Channel Islands.
• Typical fall application deadline: Sacramento State Nov 30, 2026; CSU Channel Islands Jul 30, 2027.
• Enrolled first-year students at Sacramento State average a 3.42 high school GPA, 0.2 higher than at CSU Channel Islands (3.22).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 15.3% at Sacramento State vs. 6.2% at CSU Channel Islands.

Loans and repayment

• Among federal student loan borrowers, California State University Channel Islands graduates have a $567 lower median loan debt than Sacramento State graduates ($15,183 vs. $15,750).
• Among borrowers, CSU Channel Islands graduates have an estimated $6 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Sacramento State graduates ($156 vs. $162).
• More CSU Channel Islands graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Sacramento State students, three years after graduation (66% vs. 64%).

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS and College Scorecard. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.