California State University-Northridge vs. SCI-Arc

Should I go to California State University Northridge or Southern California Institute of Architecture? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if California State University-Northridge or SCI-Arc 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. Southern California Institute of Architecture comparison
California State University Northridge Southern California Institute of Architecture College 3 College 4
California State University Northridge Southern California Institute of Architecture
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Overview

California State University-Northridge SCI-Arc
Location Northridge, CA Los Angeles, CA
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 37,760 457
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #892
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website csun.edu sciarc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

California State University-Northridge SCI-Arc
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $51,964
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $51,964
Room & Board $12,648 $13,555
Avg Net Price $8,222 $21,514
Avg Grant Aid $12,000 $45,500
% Receiving Grant Aid 82% 25%

Admission

California State University-Northridge SCI-Arc
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 29,789 606
Admitted 27,748 501
Acceptance Rate 93.1% 82.7%
Enrolled % 20% 7%
Avg High School GPA 3.38 3.5
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 16/22
SAT Range 900/1110 1020/1230
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 Jan 15, 2026

Academics

California State University-Northridge SCI-Arc
Student to Faculty Ratio 21:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (21%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)
  • Architecture (100%)

Outcomes

California State University-Northridge SCI-Arc
Graduation Rate 46% 58%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,500 $46,400
Making Student Loan Payments 59% 62%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,196 $42,750
Median Loan Payment $146 $442

Diversity

California State University-Northridge SCI-Arc
% Men 5% 28%
% Women 9% 19%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 23% 13%
% Black 5% 1%
% Hispanic 44% 14%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 9% 51%
% Unknown Race 4% 0%

Students

California State University-Northridge SCI-Arc
% In-State 95% 29%
% Out-of-State 2% 14%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • California State University Northridge is larger than than SCI-Arc based on total student enrollment (37,760 students vs. 457 students)

California State University-Northridge vs. SCI-Arc Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, California State University-Northridge or SCI-Arc?

  • Southern California Institute of Architecture is 805% more expensive to attend than California State University-Northridge for in-state tuition ($51,964.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 194.9% higher at SCI-Arc than California State University Northridge ($51,964.00 vs. $17,622.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California State University Northridge than SCI-Arc ($8,222 vs. $21,514)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Northridge are 7.2% lower than costs at Southern California Institute of Architecture ($12,648 vs. $13,555)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University Northridge than Southern California Institute of Architecture (82% vs. 25%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Southern California Institute of Architecture students is 279.2% larger than aid received California State University Northridge ($45,500 vs. $12,000)

California State University-Northridge vs. SCI-Arc Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Southern California Institute of Architecture (1116) is 214 points higher than at California State University-Northridge (902)
  • Incoming SCI-Arc students have a 8 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at California State University-Northridge (19)
  • Accepted freshman SCI-Arc students have a 0.12 point higher average high school GPA (3.5) than students at California State University-Northridge (3.38)
  • California State University-Northridge has a higher acceptance rate (93.1%) than SCI-Arc (82.7%)

California State University-Northridge vs. SCI-Arc Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, California State University-Northridge or SCI-Arc? 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 SCI-Arc and California State University-Northridge.

  • The graduation rate at SCI-Arc is higher than California State University Northridge (58% vs. 46%)
  • Graduates from California State University Northridge earn on average $1,100 more per year than SCI-Arc graduates after ten years. ($47,500 vs. $46,400)
  • California State University Northridge students graduate with a $28,554 lower median federal student loan debt than SCI-Arc graduates. ($14,196 vs. $42,750)
  • California State University-Northridge graduates are paying $296 less per month on federal student loans than SCI-Arc graduates. ($146 vs. $442)
  • More SCI-Arc graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California State University-Northridge students, three years after graduation. (62% vs. 59%)

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