California State University-Northridge vs. Saint Mary's College of California

Comparable Facts

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

California State University Northridge is larger than Saint Mary's College of California based on total student enrollment (38,313 students vs. 2,734 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• California State University Northridge is located in Northridge, CA (Large City setting); Saint Mary's College of California is in Moraga, CA (Large Suburban setting).
• California State University Northridge is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Saint Mary's College of California is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: California State University Northridge 25:1; Saint Mary's College of California 10:1.

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

Which college is more expensive, California State University-Northridge or Saint Mary's College of California? 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 Saint Mary's College of California ($7,536 vs. $35,332).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Northridge are 21.6% lower than at Saint Mary's College of California ($13,804 vs. $17,600).
• Saint Mary's College of California is 675% more expensive for in-state tuition than California State University-Northridge (about $50,345 more per year; $57,803.00 vs. $7,458.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 188.2% higher at Saint Mary's College of California than at California State University Northridge (about $37,745 more per year; $57,803.00 vs. $20,058.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Saint Mary's College of California than at California State University Northridge (100% vs. 83%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Saint Mary's College of California students is 230.7% larger than aid received by California State University Northridge students ($42,407 vs. $12,825).

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

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

• The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Saint Mary's College of California (1160) is 150 points higher than at California State University-Northridge (1010).
• Incoming Saint Mary's College of California students have a 5 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (24 vs. 19 at California State University-Northridge).
• Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: California State University Northridge 900/1110; Saint Mary's College of California 1070/1253.
• Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: California State University Northridge 16/22; Saint Mary's College of California 21/28.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: California State University-Northridge - Test-free; Saint Mary's College of California - Test-free.
• Typical fall application deadline: California State University-Northridge Nov 30, 2026; Saint Mary's College of California Jan 15, 2027.
• Accepted freshman Saint Mary's College of California students have a 0.22 point higher average high school GPA (3.6) than students at California State University-Northridge (3.38).
• California State University-Northridge has a higher acceptance rate (93.4%) than Saint Mary's College of California (86.5%).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 18% at California State University-Northridge vs. 9.5% at Saint Mary's College of California.

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

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

• Saint Mary's College of California's six-year graduation rate (61%) is higher than California State University Northridge's (46%).
• Graduates from Saint Mary's College of California earn a median of about $19,300 more per year than California State University-Northridge graduates about ten years after starting college ($66,800 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 Saint Mary's College of California 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 Saint Mary's College of California graduates ($146 vs. $258).
• More Saint Mary's College of California graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California State University-Northridge students, three years after graduation. (71% 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.