California State University-Fresno vs. SFBU

Comparable Facts

Compare California State University Fresno in Fresno, CA with San Francisco Bay University in Fremont, California on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

California State University Fresno is larger than SFBU based on total student enrollment (24,427 students vs. 389 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• California State University Fresno is located in Fresno, CA (Large City setting); San Francisco Bay University is in Fremont, California (Large Suburban setting).
• California State University Fresno is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. San Francisco Bay University is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: California State University Fresno 22:1; San Francisco Bay University 10:1.

California State University-Fresno vs. SFBU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, California State University-Fresno or SFBU? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California State University Fresno than SFBU ($7,834 vs. $10,294).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at San Francisco Bay University are 10.5% lower than at California State University Fresno ($10,700 vs. $11,960).
• San Francisco Bay University is 20.1% more expensive for in-state tuition than California State University-Fresno (about $1,480 more per year; $8,830.00 vs. $7,350.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 125.9% higher at California State University-Fresno than at San Francisco Bay University (about $11,120 more per year; $19,950.00 vs. $8,830.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at San Francisco Bay University than at California State University Fresno (100% vs. 85%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Fresno students is 4.1% larger than aid received by San Francisco Bay University students ($12,326 vs. $11,841).

California State University-Fresno vs. SFBU Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, California State University-Fresno or SFBU? Typical SAT and ACT scores (midpoint estimates from the mid-50% ranges in the table above), enrolled-tester score ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between SFBU and California State University-Fresno.

• Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) among enrolled freshmen who submitted scores: California State University Fresno 890/1100.
• Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) among enrolled freshmen who submitted scores: California State University Fresno 16/21.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: California State University-Fresno - Test-free; SFBU - Test-free.
• Typical fall application deadline: California State University-Fresno Dec 15, 2026; SFBU Aug 5, 2027.
• Enrolled freshman California State University-Fresno students have a 0.4 point higher average high school GPA (3.12) than students at SFBU (2.72).
• SFBU has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than California State University-Fresno (95.3%).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 17.5% at California State University-Fresno vs. 5.6% at SFBU.

California State University-Fresno vs. SFBU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for California State University-Fresno and SFBU? Where federal data is available for both schools, the bullets below compare graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt using the same College Scorecard / IPEDS fields as the comparison table. If a metric is missing for one school, that school is noted separately.

• California State University Fresno's six-year graduation rate is 49%. Comparable graduation rate data is not available for SFBU.
• Graduates from California State University Fresno have median earnings of about $46,500 about ten years after starting college (College Scorecard). Comparable earnings data is not available for SFBU.

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.