California State University-Northridge vs. Mount Saint Mary's University

Comparable Facts

Compare California State University Northridge in Northridge, CA with Mount Saint Mary's University in Los Angeles, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

California State University Northridge is larger than Mount Saint Mary's University based on total student enrollment (38,313 students vs. 2,312 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• California State University Northridge is located in Northridge, CA (Large City setting); Mount Saint Mary's University is in Los Angeles, CA (Large City setting).
• California State University Northridge is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Mount Saint Mary's University is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: California State University Northridge 25:1; Mount Saint Mary's University 8:1.

California State University-Northridge vs. Mount Saint Mary's University Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, California State University-Northridge or Mount Saint Mary's University? 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 Mount Saint Mary's University ($7,536 vs. $27,368).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Northridge are 11% lower than at Mount Saint Mary's University ($13,804 vs. $15,518).
• Mount Saint Mary's University is 564.6% more expensive for in-state tuition than California State University-Northridge (about $42,106 more per year; $49,564.00 vs. $7,458.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 147.1% higher at Mount Saint Mary's University than at California State University Northridge (about $29,506 more per year; $49,564.00 vs. $20,058.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Mount Saint Mary's University than at California State University Northridge (100% vs. 83%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Mount Saint Mary's University students is 205.8% larger than aid received by California State University Northridge students ($39,218 vs. $12,825).

California State University-Northridge vs. Mount Saint Mary's University Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, California State University-Northridge or Mount Saint Mary's University? 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 Mount Saint Mary's University and California State University-Northridge.

• The typical SAT score (midpoint estimate) at California State University Northridge (1010) is the same as at Mount Saint Mary's University (1010).
• Incoming Mount Saint Mary's University students have a 1 point higher typical ACT composite (midpoint estimate) (20 vs. 19 at California State University-Northridge).
• Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) among enrolled freshmen who submitted scores: California State University Northridge 900/1110; Mount Saint Mary's University 900/1110.
• Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) among enrolled freshmen who submitted scores: California State University Northridge 16/22; Mount Saint Mary's University 18/23.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: California State University-Northridge - Test-free; Mount Saint Mary's University - Test-free.
• Typical fall application deadline: California State University-Northridge Nov 30, 2026.
• Enrolled freshman Mount Saint Mary's University students have a 0.21 point higher average high school GPA (3.59) than students at California State University-Northridge (3.38).
• California State University-Northridge has a higher acceptance rate (93.4%) than Mount Saint Mary's University (73.1%).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 18% at California State University-Northridge vs. 12% at Mount Saint Mary's University.

California State University-Northridge vs. Mount Saint Mary's University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for California State University-Northridge and Mount Saint Mary's University? 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.

• Mount Saint Mary's University's six-year graduation rate (47%) is higher than California State University Northridge's (46%).
• Graduates from Mount Saint Mary's University earn a median of about $11,500 more per year than California State University-Northridge graduates about ten years after starting college ($59,000 vs. $47,500), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, California State University Northridge graduates have a $10,804 lower median loan debt than Mount Saint Mary's University graduates ($14,196 vs. $25,000).
• Among borrowers, California State University-Northridge graduates have an estimated $112 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Mount Saint Mary's University graduates ($146 vs. $258).
• More California State University-Northridge graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Mount Saint Mary's University students, three years after graduation. (59% 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.