Public · University

California State University-Northridge

Northridge, California · Large city

93.5%
Admit rate
$7,021
Avg net price
57%
Graduation rate
$59,115
Median earnings

California State University-Northridge is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Northridge, California (large city setting), enrolling 32,691 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).

PublicLarge · 32,691 undergradsLarge cityAccessible · 93% admitNCAA Division I without footballNear the coast

About Northridge, California

Northridge is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles. The Northridge area was first inhabited over 2,000 years ago by the Tongva. The village of Totonga was located in the Northridge area. The Tongva lived in dome-shaped houses and are sometimes referred to as the "people of the earth". Northridge Hospital Medical Center consists of a 411-bed hospital and serves 2 million residents of the Valley. The hospital is one of only two facilities in the Valley certified as a trauma center for treating life-threatening injuries. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
14 miles
Nearest airport
10 miles to Hollywood Burbank/Bob Hope (BUR) · major hub

How California State University-Northridge compares

View 141 more ranking appearances
#40 · Large Universities with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #27 · Colleges Admitting at Least 50% of Applicants with the Lowest Net Price #32 · Colleges Admitting at Least 50% of Applicants with the Lowest Student Debt #39 · Colleges Admitting at Least 50% of Applicants with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #16 · Colleges Admitting at Least 75% of Applicants with the Lowest Net Price #14 · Colleges Admitting at Least 75% of Applicants with the Lowest Student Debt #20 · Colleges Admitting at Least 75% of Applicants with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #63 · Colleges with Average Net Price at or Below $15,000 with the Highest Former-Student Earnings #80 · Colleges with Average Net Price at or Below $15,000 with the Highest Graduation Rates #37 · Colleges with Average Net Price at or Below $15,000 with the Lowest Net Price #43 · Colleges with Average Net Price at or Below $15,000 with the Lowest Student Debt #48 · Colleges with Average Net Price at or Below $15,000 with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #84 · Hispanic-Serving Colleges with the Highest Former-Student Earnings #72 · Hispanic-Serving Colleges with the Highest Graduation Rates #25 · Hispanic-Serving Colleges with the Lowest Net Price #38 · Hispanic-Serving Colleges with the Lowest Student Debt #38 · Hispanic-Serving Colleges with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #31 · Public Universities with the Lowest Net Price #35 · Public Universities with the Lowest Student Debt #53 · Public Universities with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #78 · Test-Blind Colleges with the Highest Former-Student Earnings #8 · Test-Blind Colleges with the Lowest Net Price #27 · Test-Blind Colleges with the Lowest Student Debt #29 · Test-Blind Colleges with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #88 · Colleges with the Lowest In-State Tuition #16 · Colleges with the Most First-Generation Students #35 · Largest Campus-Based Universities #82 · College Campuses with the Least Annual Precipitation #19 · College Campuses with the Least Snowfall #77 · Cheapest Colleges for Families Earning $30,000–$48,000 #71 · Cheapest Colleges for Families Earning $48,000–$75,000 #53 · Cheapest Colleges for Families Earning $75,000–$110,000 #22 · Public Universities with the Highest Earnings Relative to Net Price #70 · Colleges with the Highest Former-Student Earnings in California #7 · Colleges with the Lowest Net Price in California #61 · Colleges with the Highest Graduation Rates in California #12 · Colleges with the Lowest Student Debt in California #72 · Colleges with the Highest Retention Rates in California #8 · Colleges with the Lowest Net Price in the West #19 · Colleges with the Lowest Student Debt in the West #8 · Colleges with the Highest Earnings Relative to Net Price in the West #47 · Best Public Universities in the West #86 · Best Colleges on the West Coast #7 · Colleges with the Lowest Net Price on the West Coast #74 · Colleges with the Highest Graduation Rates on the West Coast #85 · Colleges with the Highest Retention Rates on the West Coast #12 · Colleges with the Lowest Student Debt on the West Coast #8 · Colleges with the Highest Earnings Relative to Net Price on the West Coast #39 · Best Public Universities on the West Coast #87 · Best Colleges in the Pacific Region #7 · Colleges with the Lowest Net Price in the Pacific Region #75 · Colleges with the Highest Graduation Rates in the Pacific Region #89 · Colleges with the Highest Retention Rates in the Pacific Region #13 · Colleges with the Lowest Student Debt in the Pacific Region #8 · Colleges with the Highest Earnings Relative to Net Price in the Pacific Region #39 · Best Public Universities in the Pacific Region #35 · Colleges with the Highest Former-Student Earnings Near Los Angeles, CA #81 · Bachelor's Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #19 · Bachelor's Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #16 · Bachelor's Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #41 · Bachelor's Business Administration, Management and Operations Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #59 · Bachelor's Business Administration, Management and Operations Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #20 · Bachelor's Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #28 · Bachelor's Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #31 · Bachelor's Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #29 · Bachelor's Psychology, General Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #27 · Bachelor's Psychology, General Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #30 · Bachelor's Biology, General Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #57 · Bachelor's Biology, General Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #13 · Bachelor's Biology, General Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #7 · Bachelor's Criminal Justice and Corrections Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #50 · Bachelor's Computer and Information Sciences, General Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #10 · Bachelor's Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #14 · Bachelor's Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #19 · Bachelor's Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #3 · Bachelor's Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #57 · Bachelor's Accounting and Related Services Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #99 · Bachelor's Accounting and Related Services Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #41 · Bachelor's Accounting and Related Services Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #24 · Bachelor's Accounting and Related Services Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #82 · Bachelor's Health and Medical Administrative Services Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #6 · Bachelor's Health and Medical Administrative Services Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #5 · Bachelor's Health and Medical Administrative Services Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #14 · Bachelor's Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #15 · Bachelor's Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #10 · Bachelor's Finance and Financial Management Services Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #45 · Bachelor's Finance and Financial Management Services Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #19 · Bachelor's Communication and Media Studies Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #30 · Bachelor's Communication and Media Studies Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #12 · Bachelor's Marketing Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #18 · Bachelor's Marketing Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #88 · Bachelor's Computer Science Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #58 · Bachelor's Computer Science Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #57 · Bachelor's Computer Science Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #27 · Bachelor's Political Science and Government Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #68 · Bachelor's Political Science and Government Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #21 · Bachelor's Economics Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #53 · Bachelor's Economics Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #74 · Bachelor's Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #2 · Bachelor's Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #2 · Bachelor's Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #41 · Bachelor's Mechanical Engineering Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #36 · Bachelor's Mechanical Engineering Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #31 · Bachelor's Mechanical Engineering Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #97 · Bachelor's Design and Applied Arts Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #20 · Bachelor's Fine and Studio Arts Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #22 · Bachelor's Fine and Studio Arts Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #17 · Bachelor's Sociology Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #25 · Bachelor's Sociology Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #67 · Bachelor's English Language and Literature, General Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #89 · Bachelor's English Language and Literature, General Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #78 · Bachelor's History Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #27 · Bachelor's History Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #39 · Bachelor's History Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #47 · Bachelor's Mathematics Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #67 · Bachelor's Mathematics Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #44 · Bachelor's Social Work Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #15 · Bachelor's Social Work Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #7 · Bachelor's Social Work Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #84 · Bachelor's Public Health Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #51 · Bachelor's Public Health Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #14 · Bachelor's Public Health Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #9 · Bachelor's Public Health Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #17 · Bachelor's Music Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #27 · Bachelor's Music Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #48 · Bachelor's Film/Video and Photographic Arts Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #83 · Bachelor's Film/Video and Photographic Arts Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #16 · Bachelor's Film/Video and Photographic Arts Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #31 · Bachelor's Film/Video and Photographic Arts Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #70 · Bachelor's Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #25 · Bachelor's Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #26 · Bachelor's Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #79 · Bachelor's Radio, Television, and Digital Communication Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #6 · Bachelor's Radio, Television, and Digital Communication Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #14 · Bachelor's Radio, Television, and Digital Communication Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #28 · Bachelor's Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #31 · Bachelor's Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #74 · Bachelor's Civil Engineering Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #25 · Bachelor's Civil Engineering Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #32 · Bachelor's Civil Engineering Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #68 · Bachelor's Chemistry Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings
Selectivity93.5%

More selective than 16% · #84 most selective of 107 in California

Graduation rate57%

Higher than 54% · #77 of 122 in California

First-year retention73%

Higher than 41%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$59,115

Higher than 65% · #85 of 130 in California

Average net price$7,021

Cheaper than 96% · #10 cheapest of 118 in California

Median debt at graduation$13,872

Lower than 93%

Student–faculty ratio25 : 1

Lower than 4%

Undergraduate enrollment32,691

Larger than 98%

Percentiles compare California State University-Northridge with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in California.

California State University-Northridge campus

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

38,248students
  • Undergraduate32,69185%
  • Graduate5,55715%

Undergraduates by gender

32,691undergrads
  • Women18,94458%
  • Men13,74742%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White18%
  • Black5.6%
  • Hispanic58%
  • Asian8.7%
  • Other or multiracial9.7%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
32,691
Graduate enrollment
5,557
Student–faculty ratio
25 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
56%
First-generation students
54%
Students over 25
20%
Median family income
$22,839
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$112,104
Endowment
$239,940,034

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 5,545 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From California96%
  • Other U.S. states1.7%
  • International2.7%

Most first-years stay in state — California State University-Northridge draws overwhelmingly from California.

3% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
93.5%
Test scores
Not considered
SAT range (25th–75th %)
—
SAT average
—
SAT reading
—
SAT math
—
ACT composite
—
Average GPA
3.33

Cost

In-state tuition
$7,458
Out-of-state tuition
$20,058
Room & board
$13,804
Books & supplies
$1,338
Total cost of attendance
$20,485
Average net price
$7,021

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
57%
Graduated on time (4 years)
28%
First-year retention
73%
Transferred to another college
6%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$44,372
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$59,115
Median debt at graduation
$13,872
Students with federal loans
21%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
56%

About 29% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
28%
Low-income (Pell)
56%
First-generation
55%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
3,253
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
10%
Housing charge (year)
$7,573
Meal plan (year)
$5,098
Application fee
$70
Athletics
NCAA Division I without football
Varsity athletes
407 (199 men · 208 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (10)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)160
Soccer50
Volleyball42
Basketball32
Softball28
Baseball27
Beach Volleyball21
Water Polo20
Tennis14
Golf13

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.5 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
44
Property offenses (2022–2024)
127

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (38,313 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

57reported offenses a year
15 violent a year42 property a year

By offense type, per year

Motor vehicle theft
36
Fondling
6.7
Rape
5.3
Burglary
4.3
Aggravated assault
2.0
Arson
2.0
Robbery
0.7

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$4,905
$30–48k
$5,450
$48–75k
$7,744
$75–110k
$11,262
$110k+
$18,040

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$36,920

$7,744/year × about 4.8 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

64%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$6,098
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 64% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $6,098. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 4,899 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$59,115
Typical debt at graduation
$13,872
Debt vs. one year's pay
23%
Out-earn a HS grad
60%

Typical debt would take roughly 2.3 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Strong value

Graduates here tend to earn well relative to what they borrow — typical debt pays back fast, and most out-earn a high-school graduate.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$56,887
Men
$62,656

Men out-earn women by $5,769 (10%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
92°F
Winter low
46°F
Annual rain
14.6″

Average temperature

HighLow
40°70°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.01.93.9JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Northridge Cal State, CA US station (0.4 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to California State University-Northridge

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare California State University-Northridge side by side →

Colleges near California State University-Northridge

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.