California State University-Northridge

With roughly 36,000 undergrads, California State University, Northridge is known for being a rather large but fairly diverse community situated in the heart of Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley. About half of the applicants who apply are accepted into Northridge, and once there, they have options. The university offers nearly 70 majors, including athletic training, music therapy, and accountancy. When not in class, students can take advantage of the Oasis Wellness Center, which offers nap pods, massages, yoga classes, and more. They can also do homework in the Oviatt Library, which has been featured in Star Trek, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Battlestar Galactica. Like much of the California State University system, the Northridge campus stands out for successfully serving a large number of lower-income students. CSUN's graduation rate, for example, is 37% higher than would be expected based on the academic and economic backgrounds of the students enrolled, according to Money's analysis. Sports aren't really a huge part of campus life at Cal State, Northridge, but CSUN fields 18 athletics teams at the NCAA Division I level. CSUN dropped its football program due to budget cuts, but the university is one of about 50 schools in the nation with a Division I beach volleyball program. Prominent graduates from the university include singer-songwriter Paula Abdul, actress Eva Longoria, and singer Andy Grammer.