Regional university
California State University-Northridge
Northridge, CA · Public · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $7,021 a year
Median debt at graduation: $13,872 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Campus tour
Visit CSUN for a Campus Tour! · From the college’s official YouTube channel. Plays from YouTube when you tap it.
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.57%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.73%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.Not reported
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.25 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$8,003
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $20,485 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 32,429 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 47% · Women 53% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 54% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 2% |
| Total students | 37,760 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $7,021 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $20,485 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $13,872 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 57% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 64% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 62% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 61% |
| First-year retention | 73% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $59,115 |
| Admission rate | 93% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $70 |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 56% |
Value: Exceptional · Top 3% (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Nursing | |
| Allied health | |
| Electrical engineering | |
| Computer science | |
| Computer engineering | |
| Mechanical engineering | |
| Civil engineering | |
| Accounting | |
| Computing and information science | |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | |
| Management information systems | |
| Public administration | |
| Chemistry | |
| Finance | |
| Operations Research | |
| Biotechnology | |
| Economics | |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | |
| Geography | |
| Business administration | |
| Speech-language pathology | |
| Marketing | |
| Mathematics | |
| Health administration | |
| Ecology and evolutionary biology | |
| Design | |
| Biology | |
| Political science | |
| Real Estate | |
| Communication studies | |
| Public health | |
| Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences | |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | |
| Sociology | |
| Criminal justice | |
| Journalism | |
| Area studies | |
| Social work | |
| Liberal arts | |
| Religious studies | |
| Ethnic and gender studies | |
| Kinesiology and exercise science | |
| Hospitality management | |
| Psychology | |
| Broadcasting | |
| Philosophy | |
| English | |
| Film and video | |
| History | |
| Family and human development | |
| Romance languages | |
| Theatre | |
| Anthropology | |
| Fine arts | |
| Music | |
| Linguistics |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Applied mathematics, Biochemistry, Engineering (general), Engineering-Related Fields, Geology and earth science, Health sciences, Industrial Engineering, Information science, Interdisciplinary studies, Manufacturing Engineering, Microbiological Sciences and Immunology, Nutrition Sciences, Other foreign languages, literatures, and linguistics, Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies, Physics, Secondary education, Statistics, Teacher education, Writing and rhetoric.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Business | |
| Psychology | |
| Communication | |
| Social sciences | |
| Health professions |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 16% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 20% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $13,804 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · Big West Conference |
| ROTC | Army |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 25 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 6%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Disability services | Visit the office’s pageThe college’s own page |
| Faculty who are full-time | 43%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $6,630IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 10% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Hollywood Burbank/Bob Hope Airport (BUR)About 10 miles away · about 25 minutes by car |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | Los AngelesAbout 17 miles away · about 30 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 57°F in January · 77°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Northridge Cal State, CA |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.21 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.08 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.10 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 2.38 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is California State University-Northridge’s Compass Score?
- Good (grade B). It ranks in the top 49% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does California State University-Northridge cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $7,021 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into California State University-Northridge?
- California State University-Northridge admitted 93% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do California State University-Northridge’s graduates do?
- 57% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $59,115; the median federal debt at graduation is $13,872.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 110608
- Carnegie classification: Master's university (larger programs)
- Accreditation: WASC Senior College and University Commission (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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Colleges like this one
The same kind of school first, then the closest in selectivity, size and cost.
Compare side by side: California State University-Northridge vs California State University-Sacramento · California State University-Northridge vs California State University-Los Angeles · California State University-Northridge vs California State University-Dominguez Hills · California State University-Northridge vs San Jose State
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