California State University-Northridge vs. Metropolitan State College of Denver

Should I go to California State University Northridge or Metropolitan State College of Denver? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if California State University-Northridge or Metropolitan State College of Denver is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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California State University Northridge vs. Metropolitan State College of Denver comparison
California State University Northridge Metropolitan State College of Denver College 3 College 4
California State University Northridge Metropolitan State College of Denver
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Overview

California State University-Northridge Metropolitan State College of Denver
Location Northridge, CA Denver, CO
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 37,760 17,593
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #892 #963
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website csun.edu mscd.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

California State University-Northridge Metropolitan State College of Denver
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $8,868
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $27,591
Room & Board $12,648 $14,679
Avg Net Price $8,222 $13,727
Avg Grant Aid $12,000 $9,341
% Receiving Grant Aid 82% 65%

Admission

California State University-Northridge Metropolitan State College of Denver
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 29,789 12,403
Admitted 27,748 12,296
Acceptance Rate 93.1% 99.1%
Enrolled % 20% 17.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.38 3.03
Typical High School Grades B+ B
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 16/22 17/23
SAT Range 900/1110 880/1110
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2025 Jul 1, 2026

Academics

California State University-Northridge Metropolitan State College of Denver
Student to Faculty Ratio 21:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (21%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)
  • Business (21%)
  • General Studies (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • English and Literature (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)

Outcomes

California State University-Northridge Metropolitan State College of Denver
Graduation Rate 46% 21%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,500 $42,600
Making Student Loan Payments 59% 47%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,196 $24,250
Median Loan Payment $146 $250

Diversity

California State University-Northridge Metropolitan State College of Denver
% Men 5% 2%
% Women 9% 5%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 23% 58%
% Black 5% 6%
% Hispanic 44% 22%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 9% 0%
% Unknown Race 4% 4%

Students

California State University-Northridge Metropolitan State College of Denver
% In-State 95% 97%
% Out-of-State 2% 3%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • California State University Northridge is larger than than Metropolitan State College of Denver based on total student enrollment (37,760 students vs. 17,593 students)

California State University-Northridge vs. Metropolitan State College of Denver Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, California State University-Northridge or Metropolitan State College of Denver?

  • Metropolitan State College of Denver is 54.4% more expensive to attend than California State University-Northridge for in-state tuition ($8,868.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 56.6% higher at Metropolitan State College of Denver than California State University Northridge ($27,591.00 vs. $17,622.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California State University Northridge than Metropolitan State College of Denver ($8,222 vs. $13,727)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Northridge are 16.1% lower than costs at Metropolitan State College of Denver ($12,648 vs. $14,679)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University Northridge than Metropolitan State College of Denver (82% vs. 65%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Northridge students is 28.5% larger than aid received Metropolitan State College of Denver ($12,000 vs. $9,341)

California State University-Northridge vs. Metropolitan State College of Denver Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, California State University-Northridge or Metropolitan State College of Denver? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Metropolitan State College of Denver or California State University-Northridge .

  • The average SAT score at Metropolitan State College of Denver (971) is 69 points higher than at California State University-Northridge (902)
  • Incoming Metropolitan State College of Denver students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (21) than students at California State University-Northridge (19)
  • Accepted freshman California State University-Northridge students have a 0.35 point higher average high school GPA (3.38) than students at Metropolitan State College of Denver (3.03)
  • Metropolitan State College of Denver has a higher acceptance rate (99.1%) than California State University-Northridge (93.1%)

California State University-Northridge vs. Metropolitan State College of Denver Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, California State University-Northridge or Metropolitan State College of Denver? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Metropolitan State College of Denver and California State University-Northridge.

  • The graduation rate at California State University-Northridge is higher than Metropolitan State College of Denver (46% vs. 21%)
  • Graduates from California State University Northridge earn on average $4,900 more per year than Metropolitan State College of Denver graduates after ten years. ($47,500 vs. $42,600)
  • California State University Northridge students graduate with a $10,054 lower median federal student loan debt than Metropolitan State College of Denver graduates. ($14,196 vs. $24,250)
  • California State University-Northridge graduates are paying $104 less per month on federal student loans than Metropolitan State College of Denver graduates. ($146 vs. $250)
  • More California State University-Northridge graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Metropolitan State College of Denver students, three years after graduation. (59% vs. 47%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/