California State University-Northridge
Northridge, California · Public · 4-year · City
Official websiteAt a glance
- Average net price
- $7,021What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
- Acceptance rate
- 93%
- Graduation rate
- 57%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
- Undergraduates
- 32,691
- In-state tuition
- $7,458Published price before aid.
- Out-of-state tuition
- $20,058
- SAT midpoint
- Not reported
- Median earnings, 10 yrs
- $59,115Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.
How it compares to similar colleges
Each rating covers one measure against public 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.
Affordability
$7,0215/5
Better than 93% of public 4-year colleges (565 compared).
Completion
57%4/5
Better than 62% of public 4-year colleges (566 compared).
Earnings
$59,1154/5
Better than 64% of public 4-year colleges (590 compared).
Debt at graduation
$13,8725/5
Better than 93% of public 4-year colleges (588 compared).
What these ratings are based on
- Affordability
- Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
- Completion
- Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
- Earnings
- Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
- Debt at graduation
- Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
- Why there is no rating for selectivity
- A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.
What it actually costs
Published cost
$20,485
The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.
Average net price
$7,021
What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.
Outcomes
| Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time | 57% |
|---|---|
| Retention rateFirst-year students who return | 73% |
| Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed | $13,872 |
| Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled | $59,115 |
What graduates of each major earn
Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.
| Major | Earnings, 1 yr | Degrees awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $106,780 | 132 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | $100,724 | 21 |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | $79,352 | 23 |
| Public Administration | $76,049 | 24 |
| Computer Engineering | $75,692 | 39 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $75,207 | 67 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $71,359 | 177 |
| Accounting and Related Services | $68,904 | 257 |
| Computer Science | $62,821 | 258 |
| Civil Engineering | $62,768 | 69 |
| Management Information Systems and Services | $58,733 | Not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $55,931 | 111 |
| Operations Research | $53,677 | Not reported |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $48,553 | 82 |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | $47,315 | Not reported |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | $46,826 | 25 |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | $46,489 | Not reported |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | $45,453 | 19 |
| Chemistry | $44,874 | 23 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $44,779 | 121 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $43,714 | 1,100 |
| Biotechnology | $42,712 | Not reported |
| Public Health | $39,011 | 275 |
| Mathematics | $38,598 | 59 |
| History | $37,031 | 98 |
| Marketing | $37,016 | 179 |
| Design and Applied Arts | $36,736 | 3 |
| Real Estate | $35,879 | Not reported |
| Economics | $35,628 | 73 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $34,870 | 439 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | $34,838 | Not reported |
| Social Work | $34,447 | Not reported |
| Sociology | $34,093 | 424 |
| Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General | $33,721 | 125 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $33,324 | 253 |
| Political Science and Government | $32,014 | 188 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $30,794 | 235 |
| Journalism | $30,564 | 128 |
| Biology, General | $29,506 | 286 |
| Psychology, General | $28,603 | 980 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | $28,150 | Not reported |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $27,952 | 397 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $27,452 | 170 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $27,290 | Not reported |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | $27,278 | 430 |
| Geography and Cartography | $27,002 | 29 |
| Area Studies | $26,793 | 9 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | $26,767 | 188 |
| Anthropology | $26,278 | 57 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $25,359 | 324 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | $25,340 | 29 |
| Religion/Religious Studies | $23,219 | 8 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | $22,310 | 118 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | $21,501 | 21 |
| Philosophy | $20,822 | 22 |
| Music | $18,226 | 94 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $17,524 | 46 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Not reported | 329 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Not reported | 43 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | Not reported | 21 |
| Nutrition Sciences | Not reported | 20 |
| Physics | Not reported | 14 |
| Manufacturing Engineering | Not reported | 9 |
| Engineering-Related Fields | Not reported | 5 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | Not reported | 1 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | Not reported | Not reported |
| Applied Mathematics | Not reported | Not reported |
| Information Science/Studies | Not reported | Not reported |
| Engineering, General | Not reported | Not reported |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | Not reported | Not reported |
| Industrial Engineering | Not reported | Not reported |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | Not reported | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Not reported | Not reported |
| Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other | Not reported | Not reported |
| Statistics | Not reported | Not reported |
All 75 bachelor’s programs this college reported.
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