California State University-Northridge vs. Cogswell College

Deciding between California State University Northridge and University of Silicon Valley? 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 Northridge

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA
  • Cogswell College San Jose, CA
  • Setting
  • California State University-Northridge Large City
  • Cogswell College Rural Fringe
  • Total enrollment
  • California State University-Northridge 38,313
  • Cogswell College 477
  • Type
  • California State University-Northridge Public 4 Year
  • Cogswell College Private 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • California State University-Northridge #895
  • Cogswell College
  • Religious Affiliation
  • California State University-Northridge -
  • Cogswell College -
  • Status
  • California State University-Northridge Non-profit
  • Cogswell College For-profit
  • Website
  • California State University-Northridge csun.edu
  • Cogswell College usv.edu
  • Team Colors
  • California State University-Northridge
  • Cogswell College
  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • California State University-Northridge $7,458
  • Cogswell College $22,480
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • California State University-Northridge $20,058
  • Cogswell College $22,480
  • Room & Board
  • California State University-Northridge $13,804
  • Cogswell College $19,926
  • Average Net Price
  • California State University-Northridge $7,536
  • Cogswell College $31,594
  • Average Grant Aid
  • California State University-Northridge $12,825
  • Cogswell College $6,293
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • California State University-Northridge 83%
  • Cogswell College 85%
  • Admissions

  • Admission Chances
  • California State University-Northridge Calculate
  • Cogswell College Calculate
  • Applied
  • California State University-Northridge 33,005
  • Cogswell College 340
  • Admitted
  • California State University-Northridge 30,842
  • Cogswell College 174
  • Acceptance Rate
  • California State University-Northridge 93.4%
  • Cogswell College 51.2%
  • Enrolled
  • California State University-Northridge 18%
  • Cogswell College 42%
  • Typical SAT score
  • California State University-Northridge 1010
  • Cogswell College
  • Typical ACT score
  • California State University-Northridge 19
  • Cogswell College
  • Average High School GPA
  • California State University-Northridge 3.38
  • Cogswell College 2.77
  • Typical High School Grades
  • California State University-Northridge B+
  • Cogswell College B-
  • Admissions Standards
  • California State University-Northridge Extremely Easy
  • Cogswell College Unavailable
  • Applicant Competition
  • California State University-Northridge
  • Cogswell College Low
  • ACT Range
  • California State University-Northridge 16/22
  • Cogswell College
  • SAT Range
  • California State University-Northridge 900/1110
  • Cogswell College
  • Submit Test Scores
  • California State University-Northridge Test-free
  • Cogswell College Test-free
  • Application Deadline
  • California State University-Northridge Nov 30, 2026
  • Cogswell College
  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • California State University-Northridge 25:1
  • Cogswell College 13:1
  • Popular Majors
  • California State University-Northridge
    • Business (21%)
    • Social Sciences (11%)
    • Psychology (10%)
    • Communication (8%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)
  • Cogswell College
    • Communications Technology (43%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (34%)
    • Visual and Performing Arts (15%)
    • Engineering (9%)
  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • California State University-Northridge 46%
  • Cogswell College 43%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • California State University-Northridge $47,500
  • Cogswell College $68,800
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • California State University-Northridge 59%
  • Cogswell College 60%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • California State University-Northridge $14,196
  • Cogswell College $31,163
  • Median Loan Payment
  • California State University-Northridge $146
  • Cogswell College $322
  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • California State University-Northridge 46%
  • Cogswell College 70%
  • % Women
  • California State University-Northridge 54%
  • Cogswell College 30%
  • Racial Diversity
  • California State University-Northridge Very High
  • Cogswell College Very High
  • HBCU
  • California State University-Northridge No
  • Cogswell College No
  • % White
  • California State University-Northridge 23%
  • Cogswell College 42%
  • % Asian
  • California State University-Northridge 11%
  • Cogswell College 16%
  • % Black
  • California State University-Northridge 5%
  • Cogswell College 5%
  • % Hispanic
  • California State University-Northridge 44%
  • Cogswell College 18%
  • % Native American
  • California State University-Northridge 0%
  • Cogswell College 1%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • California State University-Northridge 0%
  • Cogswell College 2%
  • % Two or More Races
  • California State University-Northridge 3%
  • Cogswell College 9%
  • % International
  • California State University-Northridge 9%
  • Cogswell College 0%
  • % Unknown Race
  • California State University-Northridge 4%
  • Cogswell College 7%
  • Students

  • % In-State
  • California State University-Northridge 97%
  • Cogswell College 89%
  • % Out-of-State
  • California State University-Northridge 1%
  • Cogswell College 11%
  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • California State University-Northridge Yes
  • Cogswell College Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • California State University-Northridge No
  • Cogswell College No
  • Meal Plan
  • California State University-Northridge Yes
  • Cogswell College No
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • California State University-Northridge No
  • Cogswell College No
  • Daycare Facility
  • California State University-Northridge Yes
  • Cogswell College No
  • Learn More
  • California State University-Northridge Details
  • Cogswell College Details

Comparable Facts

Compare California State University Northridge in Northridge, CA with University of Silicon Valley in San Jose, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

California State University Northridge is larger than Cogswell College based on total student enrollment (38,313 students vs. 477 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • California State University Northridge is located in Northridge, CA (Large City setting); University of Silicon Valley is in San Jose, CA (Rural Fringe setting).
  • California State University Northridge is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. University of Silicon Valley is a private, for-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: California State University Northridge 25:1; University of Silicon Valley 13:1.

California State University-Northridge vs. Cogswell College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, California State University-Northridge or Cogswell College? 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 Northridge than Cogswell College ($7,536 vs. $31,594).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Northridge are 30.7% lower than at University of Silicon Valley ($13,804 vs. $19,926).
  • University of Silicon Valley is 201.4% more expensive for in-state tuition than California State University-Northridge (about $15,022 more per year; $22,480.00 vs. $7,458.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 12.1% higher at Cogswell College than at California State University Northridge (about $2,422 more per year; $22,480.00 vs. $20,058.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at University of Silicon Valley than at California State University Northridge (85% vs. 83%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Northridge students is 103.8% larger than aid received by University of Silicon Valley students ($12,825 vs. $6,293).

California State University-Northridge vs. Cogswell College Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, California State University-Northridge or Cogswell College? 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 Cogswell College and California State University-Northridge.

  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: California State University Northridge 900/1110.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: California State University Northridge 16/22.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: California State University-Northridge - Test-free; Cogswell College - Test-free.
  • Typical fall application deadline: California State University-Northridge Nov 30, 2026.
  • Accepted freshman California State University-Northridge students have a 0.61 point higher average high school GPA (3.38) than students at Cogswell College (2.77).
  • California State University-Northridge has a higher acceptance rate (93.4%) than Cogswell College (51.2%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 18% at California State University-Northridge vs. 42% at Cogswell College.

California State University-Northridge vs. Cogswell College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for California State University-Northridge and Cogswell College? 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 Northridge's six-year graduation rate (46%) is higher than University of Silicon Valley's (43%).
  • Graduates from University of Silicon Valley earn a median of about $21,300 more per year than California State University-Northridge graduates about ten years after starting college ($68,800 vs. $47,500), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, California State University Northridge graduates have a $16,967 lower median loan debt than Cogswell College graduates ($14,196 vs. $31,163).
  • Among borrowers, California State University-Northridge graduates have an estimated $176 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Cogswell College graduates ($146 vs. $322).
  • More Cogswell College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California State University-Northridge students, three years after graduation. (60% vs. 59%)

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.