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Overall Score: 76.07

California State University, Northridge

Northridge, CA http://www.csun.edu/
With roughly 35,000 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, with 63% of students receiving federal Pell Grants. CSUN's graduation rate is 17% higher than expected based on the academic and economic backgrounds of the students enrolled. Sports aren't really a huge part of campus life, 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.

Costs

Est. full price 2022-2023
$24,000
% of students who get any grants
75%
Est. price for students who receive aid
$9,400
Average price for low-income students
$6,270

Admissions

Acceptance rate
59%
Median SAT/ACT score
1020/19
SAT/ACT required?
No
Undergraduate enrollment
34,710

Financial Aid

% of students with need who get grants
86%
% of need met
N/A
% of students who get merit grants
17%
Average merit grant
$2,100

Student Success

Graduation rate
54%
Average time to a degree
4.9 years
Median student debt
$14,000
Early career earnings
$53,360
% earning more than a high school grad
68%

Notes: Students who get merit grants are full-time undergraduates who had no financial need and were awarded grants. Graduation rate measures degree completion within six years for both transfer students and first-time students. Early career earnings are the median earnings for both graduates and non-completers, 10 years after they first enrolled.

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, Peterson’s, Money/Witlytic calculations.

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