Cal State LA vs. NSC

Deciding between California State University Los Angeles and Nevada State University? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

California State University Los Angeles

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • Cal State LA Los Angeles, CA
  • NSC Henderson, NV
  • Setting
  • Cal State LA Large City
  • NSC Rural Fringe
  • Total enrollment
  • Cal State LA 23,163
  • NSC 7,549
  • Type
  • Cal State LA Public 4 Year
  • NSC Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Cal State LA #934
  • NSC
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Cal State LA -
  • NSC -
  • Status
  • Cal State LA Non-profit
  • NSC Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Cal State LA
  • NSC

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Cal State LA $7,160
  • NSC $6,765
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Cal State LA $19,760
  • NSC $21,833
  • Room & Board
  • Cal State LA $19,696
  • NSC $11,819
  • Average Net Price
  • Cal State LA $4,460
  • NSC $15,699
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Cal State LA $13,824
  • NSC $7,969
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Cal State LA 94%
  • NSC 88%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • Cal State LA 32,723
  • NSC 1,828
  • Admitted
  • Cal State LA 29,860
  • NSC 1,587
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Cal State LA 91.3%
  • NSC 86.8%
  • Enrolled
  • Cal State LA 9.4%
  • NSC 33.2%
  • Typical SAT score
  • Cal State LA 970
  • NSC
  • Typical ACT score
  • Cal State LA 17
  • NSC
  • Average High School GPA
  • Cal State LA 3.31
  • NSC 2.75
  • Typical High School Grades
  • Cal State LA B+
  • NSC B-
  • Admissions Standards
  • Cal State LA Extremely Easy
  • NSC Unavailable
  • Applicant Competition
  • Cal State LA
  • NSC
  • ACT Range
  • Cal State LA 15/20
  • NSC
  • SAT Range
  • Cal State LA 870/1060
  • NSC
  • Submit Test Scores
  • Cal State LA Test-free
  • NSC Test-free
  • Application Deadline
  • Cal State LA Jan 19, 2027
  • NSC

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • Cal State LA 21:1
  • NSC 18:1
  • Popular Majors
  • Cal State LA
    • Business (22%)
    • Health Professions (9%)
    • Social Sciences (9%)
    • Psychology (7%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (7%)
  • NSC
    • Health Professions (42%)
    • Education (21%)
    • Psychology (14%)
    • Business (11%)
    • Biology (3%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • Cal State LA 36%
  • NSC 22%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • Cal State LA $46,900
  • NSC N/A
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • Cal State LA 57%
  • NSC 43%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • Cal State LA $12,920
  • NSC $22,920
  • Median Loan Payment
  • Cal State LA $133
  • NSC $236

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Cal State LA 43%
  • NSC 29%
  • % Women
  • Cal State LA 57%
  • NSC 71%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Cal State LA Medium
  • NSC Very High
  • HBCU
  • Cal State LA No
  • NSC No
  • % White
  • Cal State LA 7%
  • NSC 41%
  • % Asian
  • Cal State LA 15%
  • NSC 10%
  • % Black
  • Cal State LA 4%
  • NSC 10%
  • % Hispanic
  • Cal State LA 63%
  • NSC 25%
  • % Native American
  • Cal State LA 0%
  • NSC 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Cal State LA 0%
  • NSC 1%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Cal State LA 2%
  • NSC 5%
  • % International
  • Cal State LA 6%
  • NSC 0%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Cal State LA 3%
  • NSC 7%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Cal State LA 99%
  • NSC 99%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Cal State LA 0%
  • NSC 1%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • Cal State LA Yes
  • NSC No
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • Cal State LA No
  • NSC No
  • Meal Plan
  • Cal State LA Yes
  • NSC No
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • Cal State LA No
  • NSC No
  • Daycare Facility
  • Cal State LA Yes
  • NSC No

Comparable Facts

Compare California State University Los Angeles in Los Angeles, CA with Nevada State University in Henderson, NV on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

California State University Los Angeles is larger than NSC based on total student enrollment (23,163 students vs. 7,549 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • California State University Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, CA (Large City setting); Nevada State University is in Henderson, NV (Rural Fringe setting).
  • California State University Los Angeles is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Nevada State University is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: California State University Los Angeles 21:1; Nevada State University 18:1.

Cal State LA vs. NSC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cal State LA or NSC? 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 Los Angeles than NSC ($4,460 vs. $15,699).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Nevada State University are 40% lower than at California State University Los Angeles ($11,819 vs. $19,696).
  • California State University Los Angeles is 5.8% more expensive for in-state tuition than NSC (about $395 more per year; $7,160.00 vs. $6,765.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 10.5% higher at NSC than at California State University Los Angeles (about $2,073 more per year; $21,833.00 vs. $19,760.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at California State University Los Angeles than at Nevada State University (94% vs. 88%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Los Angeles students is 73.5% larger than aid received by Nevada State University students ($13,824 vs. $7,969).

Cal State LA vs. NSC Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Cal State LA or NSC? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between NSC and Cal State LA.

  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: California State University Los Angeles 870/1060.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: California State University Los Angeles 15/20.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Cal State LA - Test-free; NSC - Test-free.
  • Typical fall application deadline: Cal State LA Jan 19, 2027.
  • Accepted freshman Cal State LA students have a 0.56 point higher average high school GPA (3.31) than students at NSC (2.75).
  • Cal State LA has a higher acceptance rate (91.3%) than NSC (86.8%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 9.4% at Cal State LA vs. 33.2% at NSC.

Cal State LA vs. NSC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Cal State LA and NSC? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • California State University Los Angeles's six-year graduation rate (36%) is higher than Nevada State University's (22%).
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, California State University Los Angeles graduates have a $10,000 lower median loan debt than NSC graduates ($12,920 vs. $22,920).
  • Among borrowers, Cal State LA graduates have an estimated $103 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than NSC graduates ($133 vs. $236).
  • More Cal State LA graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former NSC students, three years after graduation. (57% vs. 43%)

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.