California State University-Northridge vs. The Chicago School at San Diego

Deciding between California State University Northridge and The Chicago School at San Diego? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

California State University Northridge

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA
  • The Chicago School at San Diego San Diego, California
  • Setting
  • California State University-Northridge Large City
  • The Chicago School at San Diego Large City
  • Total enrollment
  • California State University-Northridge 38,313
  • The Chicago School at San Diego 112
  • Type
  • California State University-Northridge Public 4 Year
  • The Chicago School at San Diego Private 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • California State University-Northridge #895
  • The Chicago School at San Diego
  • Religious Affiliation
  • California State University-Northridge -
  • The Chicago School at San Diego -
  • Status
  • California State University-Northridge Non-profit
  • The Chicago School at San Diego Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • California State University-Northridge
  • The Chicago School at San Diego
  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • California State University-Northridge $7,458
  • The Chicago School at San Diego $21,780
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • California State University-Northridge $20,058
  • The Chicago School at San Diego $21,780
  • Room & Board
  • California State University-Northridge $13,804
  • The Chicago School at San Diego $18,536
  • Average Net Price
  • California State University-Northridge $7,536
  • The Chicago School at San Diego -
  • Average Grant Aid
  • California State University-Northridge $12,825
  • The Chicago School at San Diego $0
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • California State University-Northridge 83%
  • The Chicago School at San Diego 0%
  • Admissions

  • Admission Chances
  • California State University-Northridge Calculate
  • The Chicago School at San Diego Calculate
  • Applied
  • California State University-Northridge 33,005
  • The Chicago School at San Diego -
  • Admitted
  • California State University-Northridge 30,842
  • The Chicago School at San Diego -
  • Acceptance Rate
  • California State University-Northridge 93.4%
  • The Chicago School at San Diego
  • Enrolled
  • California State University-Northridge 18%
  • The Chicago School at San Diego
  • Typical SAT score
  • California State University-Northridge 1010
  • The Chicago School at San Diego
  • Typical ACT score
  • California State University-Northridge 19
  • The Chicago School at San Diego
  • Average High School GPA
  • California State University-Northridge 3.38
  • The Chicago School at San Diego -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • California State University-Northridge B+
  • The Chicago School at San Diego -
  • Admissions Standards
  • California State University-Northridge Extremely Easy
  • The Chicago School at San Diego Unavailable
  • Applicant Competition
  • California State University-Northridge
  • The Chicago School at San Diego
  • ACT Range
  • California State University-Northridge 16/22
  • The Chicago School at San Diego
  • SAT Range
  • California State University-Northridge 900/1110
  • The Chicago School at San Diego
  • Submit Test Scores
  • California State University-Northridge Test-free
  • The Chicago School at San Diego Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • California State University-Northridge Nov 30, 2026
  • The Chicago School at San Diego
  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • California State University-Northridge 25:1
  • The Chicago School at San Diego 11:1
  • Popular Majors
  • California State University-Northridge
    • Business (21%)
    • Social Sciences (11%)
    • Psychology (10%)
    • Communication (8%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)
  • The Chicago School at San Diego
  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • California State University-Northridge 46%
  • The Chicago School at San Diego -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • California State University-Northridge $47,500
  • The Chicago School at San Diego N/A
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • California State University-Northridge 59%
  • The Chicago School at San Diego -
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • California State University-Northridge $14,196
  • The Chicago School at San Diego N/A
  • Median Loan Payment
  • California State University-Northridge $146
  • The Chicago School at San Diego N/A
  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • California State University-Northridge 46%
  • The Chicago School at San Diego 24%
  • % Women
  • California State University-Northridge 54%
  • The Chicago School at San Diego 76%
  • Racial Diversity
  • California State University-Northridge Very High
  • The Chicago School at San Diego -
  • HBCU
  • California State University-Northridge No
  • The Chicago School at San Diego No
  • % White
  • California State University-Northridge 23%
  • The Chicago School at San Diego 0%
  • % Asian
  • California State University-Northridge 11%
  • The Chicago School at San Diego 0%
  • % Black
  • California State University-Northridge 5%
  • The Chicago School at San Diego 0%
  • % Hispanic
  • California State University-Northridge 44%
  • The Chicago School at San Diego 0%
  • % Native American
  • California State University-Northridge 0%
  • The Chicago School at San Diego 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • California State University-Northridge 0%
  • The Chicago School at San Diego 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • California State University-Northridge 3%
  • The Chicago School at San Diego 0%
  • % International
  • California State University-Northridge 9%
  • The Chicago School at San Diego 0%
  • % Unknown Race
  • California State University-Northridge 4%
  • The Chicago School at San Diego 0%
  • Students

  • % In-State
  • California State University-Northridge 97%
  • The Chicago School at San Diego -
  • % Out-of-State
  • California State University-Northridge 1%
  • The Chicago School at San Diego -
  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • California State University-Northridge Yes
  • The Chicago School at San Diego No
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • California State University-Northridge No
  • The Chicago School at San Diego
  • Meal Plan
  • California State University-Northridge Yes
  • The Chicago School at San Diego No
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • California State University-Northridge No
  • The Chicago School at San Diego Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • California State University-Northridge Yes
  • The Chicago School at San Diego
  • Learn More
  • California State University-Northridge Details
  • The Chicago School at San Diego Details

Comparable Facts

Compare California State University Northridge in Northridge, CA with The Chicago School at San Diego in San Diego, California on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

California State University Northridge is larger than The Chicago School at San Diego based on total student enrollment (38,313 students vs. 112 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • California State University Northridge is located in Northridge, CA (Large City setting); The Chicago School at San Diego is in San Diego, California (Large City setting).
  • California State University Northridge is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. The Chicago School at San Diego is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: California State University Northridge 25:1; The Chicago School at San Diego 11:1.

California State University-Northridge vs. The Chicago School at San Diego Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, California State University-Northridge or The Chicago School at San Diego? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Northridge are 25.5% lower than at The Chicago School at San Diego ($13,804 vs. $18,536).
  • The Chicago School at San Diego is 192% more expensive for in-state tuition than California State University-Northridge (about $14,322 more per year; $21,780.00 vs. $7,458.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 8.6% higher at The Chicago School at San Diego than at California State University Northridge (about $1,722 more per year; $21,780.00 vs. $20,058.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at California State University Northridge than at The Chicago School at San Diego (83% vs. 0%).

California State University-Northridge vs. The Chicago School at San Diego Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, California State University-Northridge or The Chicago School at San Diego? 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 The Chicago School at San Diego and California State University-Northridge.

  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: California State University Northridge 900/1110.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: California State University Northridge 16/22.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: California State University-Northridge - Test-free; The Chicago School at San Diego - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: California State University-Northridge Nov 30, 2026.

California State University-Northridge vs. The Chicago School at San Diego Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for California State University-Northridge and The Chicago School at San Diego? 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).

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.