California State University - Northridge: Acceptance Rate and Admission Statistics
California State University-Northridge (CSUN), also known as Cal State Northridge, is a public institution located in Northridge, California. It's ranked No. 20 in Regional Universities West and No. 10 in Top Public Schools in the 2026 edition of Best Colleges. CSUN is recognized for its diverse academic programs, research contributions, and notable alumni.
General Information
CSUN was founded in 1958 and operates on a semester-based academic calendar from August to May, with a summer session in June-August. The university's motto is "Vox Veritas Vita" (Voice, Truth, Life), and its colors are red, black, and white. As of fall 2024, the total undergraduate enrollment is 32,499, and the campus spans 356 acres. The student-faculty ratio is 24:1.
The university reports admission statistics without distinguishing between local and international students.
Contact Information
The address of CSUN is 18111 Nordhoff St, Northridge, California, 91330, United States. The city population is approximately 3,899,000. The university's phone number is 818-677-1200.
Acceptance Rate Statistics
Overall Acceptance Rate
CSUN's acceptance rate is notably high. The university has a high acceptance rate, standing at 93% for men, 92% for women and 94% overall. This indicates a nearly open admissions policy, making it accessible to a wide range of students.
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Trends in Acceptance Rates
Over the past 10 years, the average acceptance rate at CSUN has been 66.63%. The acceptance rate for the most recent admission cycle (2024) is 93.15%. Data indicates that CSUN's acceptance rate has increased each year for the past 5 years.
Admission Yield (Enrollment Rate)
The average admission yield over the last 9 years is 25.98%, while the yield for the current academic year is 19.98%.
Applicants, Admitted, and Enrolled Headcount
The number of applicants to CSUN has seen changes over the years. The average number of applicants is 30,024, the average number of admitted students is 19,482, and the average number of first-year enrolled students is 4,920. The number of CSUN applicants increased by 14.73% (3,824 applicants) compared to the previous year.
In the most recent data:
- Applicants: 29,789
- Admissions: 27,748
- Freshmen enrolled full time: 5,475
- Freshmen enrolled part time: 70
By Gender
The acceptance rate varies slightly by gender. The average acceptance rate for men is 57.45%, and for women, it is 62.02%.
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- Men Applicants: 13,699
- Men Admissions: 12,589
- Women Applicants: 16,090
- Women Admissions: 15,159
Admission Requirements
CSUN has specific requirements for applicants, including:
- College-preparatory program: Required
- Secondary school GPA: Required
- Secondary school record: Required
- TOEFL: Required
Other factors such as formal demonstrations of competencies, recommendations, SAT/ACT scores, and secondary school rank are neither required nor recommended.
Enrollment Demographics
CSUN boasts a diverse student body. The following data provides a breakdown by race or ethnicity:
- Hispanic: 20,475 (54%)
- White: 7,226 (19%)
- Asian: 3,260 (9%)
- Race or Ethnicity unknown: 1,990 (5%)
- Black or African American: 1,861 (5%)
- Nonresident Alien: 1,732 (5%)
- Two or more races: 1,135 (3%)
- Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander: 49 (0.1%)
- American Indian or Alaska Native: 16 (0%)
Costs and Financial Aid
Tuition and Fees
Tuition and fees vary depending on residency and program level:
Undergraduates
- Tuition in-district: $5,742
- Tuition in-state: $5,742
- Tuition out-of-state: $17,622
- Fee in-district: $1,353
- Fee in-state: $1,353
- Fee out-of-state: $1,353
Graduates
- Tuition in-district: $7,176
- Tuition in-state: $7,176
- Tuition out-of-state: $16,680
- Fee in-district: $1,353
- Fee in-state: $1,353
- Fee out-of-state: $1,353
Room and Board
- Dormitory capacity: 3,253
- Combined charge for room and board: $12,671
- Room charge: $7,573
- Meal charge: $5,098
Financial Aid
Financial aid is a significant aspect of CSUN. The average aid awarded is $12,000, and 87% of students receive aid. The average net price for federal loan recipients is $8,293.
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Academic Programs
California State University - Northridge offers a wide range of academic programs across various disciplines. The university has granted 8,520 bachelor's degrees across 65 programs, 1,637 master's degrees across 64 programs, and 43 doctorate degrees across 4 programs.
Popular Majors
Some of the most popular majors at CSUN include:
- Business Administration and Management, General
- Psychology, General
- Criminal Justice & Safety Studies
- Radio and Television
- Sociology, General
- Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education & Fitness, General
- Art & Art Studies, General
- Early Childhood Education and Teaching
- Computer Science
- Biology & Biological Sciences, General
The following table presents a detailed breakdown of degrees awarded by major:
| Major | Bachelor | Master | Doctoral |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration and Management, General | 1,052 | 49 | |
| Psychology, General | 978 | 9 | |
| Criminal Justice & Safety Studies | 436 | ||
| Radio and Television | 430 | ||
| Sociology, General | 419 | 9 | |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education & Fitness, General | 397 | 20 | |
| Art & Art Studies, General | 324 | 10 | |
| Early Childhood Education and Teaching | 329 | ||
| Computer Science | 256 | 64 | |
| Biology & Biological Sciences, General | 284 | 21 | |
| Public Health, General | 232 | 61 | |
| Accounting | 243 | 44 | |
| Speech Communication and Rhetoric | 235 | 23 | |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences & Liberal Studies | 253 | ||
| English Language and Literature, General | 164 | 45 | |
| Public Administration | 24 | 183 | |
| Political Science and Government, General | 188 | 6 | |
| Mechanical Engineering | 177 | 14 | |
| Communication Sciences and Disorders, General | 118 | 67 | |
| Marketing & Marketing Management, General | 175 | ||
| Social Work | 170 | ||
| Health & Health Care Administration & Management | 121 | 23 | |
| Family and Consumer Sciences & Human Sciences, General | 125 | 10 | |
| Registered Nursing & Registered Nurse | 132 | ||
| Journalism | 127 | ||
| History, General | 96 | 21 | |
| Counselor Education & School Counseling and Guidance Services | 105 | ||
| Engineering & Industrial Management | 5 | 97 | |
| Deaf Studies | 99 | ||
| Electrical and Electronics Engineering | 67 | 8 | |
| Finance, General | 75 | ||
| Mathematics, General | 58 | 12 | |
| Civil Engineering, General | 69 | ||
| Computer and Information Sciences, Other | 68 | ||
| Economics, General | 68 | ||
| Music Performance, General | 48 | 19 | |
| Anthropology, General | 57 | 2 | |
| Environmental Health | 43 | 15 | |
| Spanish Language and Literature | 42 | 11 | |
| Drama and Dramatics & Theatre Arts, General | 46 | ||
| Music, General | 46 | ||
| Speech-Language Pathology & Pathologist | 46 | ||
| Computer Engineering, General | 39 | 6 | |
| Information Technology | 43 | ||
| Educational Leadership and Administration, General | 34 | 3 | |
| Hospitality Administration & Management, Other | 29 | 6 | |
| Education, General | 34 | ||
| Music, Other | 32 | ||
| Taxation | 32 | ||
| Chemistry, General | 23 | 6 | |
| Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American & Chicano Studies | 28 | 1 | |
| Nutrition Sciences | 20 | 9 | |
| Special Education and Teaching, General | 29 | ||
| Geography | 27 | ||
| Applied Behavior Analysis | 26 | ||
| Physical Therapy & Therapist | 26 | ||
| Urban Studies & Affairs | 25 | ||
| Physics, General | 14 | 10 | |
| Construction Engineering Technology & Technician | 23 | ||
| Geology & Earth Science, General | 21 | 2 | |
| Humanities & Humanistic Studies | 23 | ||
| Intercultural & Multicultural and Diversity Studies | 23 | ||
| Biochemistry | 19 | 3 | |
| Higher Education & Higher Education Administration | 21 | ||
| Manufacturing Engineering | 9 | 12 | |
| Radiologic Technology & Science - Radiographer | 21 | ||
| Philosophy | 19 | ||
| Rehabilitation Science | 19 | ||
| Structural Engineering | 19 | ||
| Linguistics | 16 | 2 | |
| Educational & Instructional Technology | 17 | ||
| Assistive & Augmentative Technology and Rehabilitation Engineering | 14 | ||
| African-American & Black Studies | 13 | ||
| Curriculum and Instruction | 13 | ||
| Special Education and Teaching, Other | 13 | ||
| Playwriting and Screenwriting | 12 | ||
| City & Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | 10 | ||
| Computer Software Engineering | 10 | ||
| Research and Experimental Psychology, Other | 9 | ||
| Audiology & Audiologist | 7 | ||
| Community College Administration | 7 | ||
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other | 6 | ||
| Fine & Studio Arts, General | 6 | ||
| Materials Engineering | 6 | ||
| Foreign Languages and Literatures, General | 5 | ||
| Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language & ESL Language Instructor | 5 | ||
| Geographic Information Science and Cartography | 1 | ||
| Science Teacher Education & General Science Teacher Education | 4 | ||
| Interior Design | 3 | ||
| Latin American Studies | 3 | ||
| Religion & Religious Studies | 3 | ||
| Asian-American Studies | 2 | ||
| Jewish & Judaic Studies | 1 | ||
| Mathematics Teacher Education | 1 | ||
| Multi- & Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 1 | ||
| Grand Total | 8,520 | 1,637 | 43 |
Graduation and Retention Rates
CSUN's graduation rate is 56%, which is among the 46% highest for universities in the US. The graduation rate differs between men and women, with 48% for men and 63% for women. The full-time retention rate is 74%, while the part-time retention rate is 44%.
Distance Education
CSUN offers distance education opportunities. 19,303 students enrolled in some distance education courses, while 2,913 enrolled exclusively in distance education.
Publications and Citations
California State University - Northridge has published 14,511 scientific papers with 335,824 citations received. The research profile covers a range of fields, including Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, Biology, Engineering, Physics, Environmental Science, Computer Science, Political Science, Chemistry, Law, and Medicine.
Publication and Citation Count by Topic
| Topic | Publications | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts & Social Sciences | 8,068 | 177,499 |
| Biology | 6,157 | 172,090 |
| Engineering | 6,145 | 137,682 |
| Physics | 5,915 | 139,551 |
| Environmental Science | 5,704 | 139,854 |
| Computer Science | 5,661 | 132,766 |
| Political Science | 4,879 | 98,166 |
| Chemistry | 4,710 | 118,805 |
| Law | 4,563 | 94,763 |
| Medicine | 4,489 | 117,606 |
| Sociology | 4,099 | 93,992 |
| Quantum and Particle physics | 4,029 | 98,512 |
| Psychology | 4,001 | 113,990 |
| Philosophy | 3,945 | 84,833 |
| Geography and Cartography | 3,355 | 77,667 |
| Mathematics | 3,163 | 99,565 |
| Geology | 3,092 | 81,873 |
| History | 2,845 | 58,408 |
| Business | 2,784 | 64,477 |
| Materials Science | 2,558 | 62,359 |
| Ecology | 2,334 | 69,429 |
| Economics | 2,332 | 50,946 |
| Organic Chemistry | 2,215 | 62,581 |
| Art & Design | 2,150 | 47,266 |
| Archaeology | 2,107 | 51,972 |
| Biochemistry | 2,084 | 62,451 |
| Paleontology | 2,084 | 55,679 |
| Statistics | 2,012 | 70,500 |
| Genetics | 1,949 | 52,806 |
| Artificial Intelligence (AI) | 1,815 | 39,719 |
| Linguistics | 1,781 | 35,039 |
| Social Psychology | 1,738 | 62,405 |
| Optical Engineering | 1,466 | 29,364 |
| Psychiatry | 1,386 | 37,701 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 1,262 | 22,681 |
| Neuroscience | 1,204 | 31,174 |
| Pathology | 1,204 | 34,178 |
| Astrophysics and Astronomy | 1,191 | 25,514 |
| Development Studies | 1,174 | 23,716 |
| Management | 1,151 | 30,818 |
Annual Publication and Citation Counts
| Year | Publications | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 104 | 911 |
| 1993 | 121 | 954 |
| 1994 | 114 | 1050 |
| 1995 | 154 | 1118 |
| 1996 | 170 | 1285 |
| 1997 | 158 | 1286 |
| 1998 | 146 | 1413 |
| 1999 | 178 | 1586 |
| 2000 | 211 | 1771 |
| 2001 | 196 | 2107 |
| 2002 | 287 | 2705 |
| 2003 | 299 | 3310 |
| 2004 | 223 | 3583 |
| 2005 | 268 | 4156 |
| 2006 | 246 | 4756 |
| 2007 | 286 | 5492 |
| 2008 | 296 | 6210 |
| 2009 | 368 | 7251 |
| 2010 | 379 | 8186 |
| 2011 | 397 | 9566 |
| 2012 | 381 | 10641 |
| 2013 | 402 | 11478 |
| 2014 | 451 | 12275 |
| 2015 | 567 | 13148 |
| 2016 | 542 | 13976 |
| 2017 | 675 | 15730 |
| 2018 | 725 | 18163 |
| 2019 | 652 | 21304 |
| 2020 | 779 | 25295 |
| 2021 | 679 | 27828 |
| 2022 | 612 | 26835 |
| 2023 | 628 | 27758 |
| 2024 | 516 | 27402 |
Notable Alumni
California State University - Northridge has produced several notable alumni who have made significant contributions in various fields.
- Eva Mendes: Film actress, spokesperson, television actor, stage actor, and film director.
- Eva Marie Longoria: Television producer, film director, nightclub owner, beauty pageant contestant, actress.
- Alyson Hannigan: Film actor, television actor, stage actor, actor.
- Phil Hartman: Voice actor, graphic designer, screenwriter, film actor, comedian. Enrolled in California State University - Northridge in 1972 and studied graphic design.
Academic Rankings
California State University-Northridge is ranked No. 20 in Regional Universities West. It's also ranked No. 10 in Top Public Schools.
Additional Information
The school's in-state tuition and fees are $7,095; out-of-state tuition and fees are $18,975. The four-year graduation rate is 28%. Six years after graduation, the median salary for graduates is $44,372. 19,303 students enrolled in some distance education courses. 2,913 enrolled exclusively in distance education.
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