California State University-Northridge vs. SFBU

Comparable Facts

Compare California State University Northridge in Northridge, CA with San Francisco Bay University in Fremont, California on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

California State University Northridge is larger than SFBU based on total student enrollment (38,313 students vs. 389 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• California State University Northridge is located in Northridge, CA (Large City setting); San Francisco Bay University is in Fremont, California (Large Suburban setting).
• California State University Northridge is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. San Francisco Bay University is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: California State University Northridge 25:1; San Francisco Bay University 10:1.

California State University-Northridge vs. SFBU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, California State University-Northridge or SFBU? 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 SFBU ($7,536 vs. $10,294).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at San Francisco Bay University are 22.5% lower than at California State University Northridge ($10,700 vs. $13,804).
• San Francisco Bay University is 18.4% more expensive for in-state tuition than California State University-Northridge (about $1,372 more per year; $8,830.00 vs. $7,458.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 127.2% higher at California State University-Northridge than at San Francisco Bay University (about $11,228 more per year; $20,058.00 vs. $8,830.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at San Francisco Bay University than at California State University Northridge (100% vs. 83%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Northridge students is 8.3% larger than aid received by San Francisco Bay University students ($12,825 vs. $11,841).

California State University-Northridge vs. SFBU Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, California State University-Northridge or SFBU? 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 SFBU and 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.
• Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) among enrolled freshmen who submitted scores: California State University Northridge 16/22.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: California State University-Northridge - Test-free; SFBU - Test-free.
• Typical fall application deadline: California State University-Northridge Nov 30, 2026; SFBU Aug 5, 2027.
• Enrolled freshman California State University-Northridge students have a 0.66 point higher average high school GPA (3.38) than students at SFBU (2.72).
• SFBU has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than California State University-Northridge (93.4%).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 18% at California State University-Northridge vs. 5.6% at SFBU.

California State University-Northridge vs. SFBU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for California State University-Northridge and SFBU? 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.

• California State University Northridge's six-year graduation rate is 46%. Comparable graduation rate data is not available for SFBU.
• Graduates from California State University Northridge have median earnings of about $47,500 about ten years after starting college (College Scorecard). Comparable earnings data is not available for SFBU.

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.