California State University-Northridge vs. UCLA

Should I go to California State University Northridge or University of California Los Angeles? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if California State University-Northridge or UCLA 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. University of California Los Angeles comparison
California State University Northridge University of California Los Angeles College 3 College 4
California State University Northridge University of California Los Angeles
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Overview

California State University-Northridge UCLA
Location Northridge, CA Los Angeles, CA
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 37,579 46,430
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #900 #58
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website csun.edu ucla.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

California State University-Northridge UCLA
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $41,636
Room & Board $11,848 $17,231
Avg Net Price $8,936 $16,999
Avg Grant Aid $10,511 $21,766
% Receiving Grant Aid 82% 46%

Admission

California State University-Northridge UCLA
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 25,965 149,801
Admitted 23,687 12,845
Acceptance Rate 91.2% 8.6%
Enrolled % 21% 50.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.38 3.92
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme
ACT Range 16/22 29/35
SAT Range 900/1110 1300/1530
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2024 Nov 30, 2024

Academics

California State University-Northridge UCLA
Student to Faculty Ratio 24:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (21%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • History (7%)

Outcomes

California State University-Northridge UCLA
Graduation Rate 46% 90%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,500 $70,700
Making Student Loan Payments 59% 78%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,196 $16,300
Median Loan Payment $146 $168

Diversity

California State University-Northridge UCLA
% Men 44% 43%
% Women 56% 57%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 23% 27%
% Black 5% 3%
% Hispanic 44% 21%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 5%
% International 9% 13%
% Unknown Race 4% 2%

Students

California State University-Northridge UCLA
% In-State 96% 77%
% Out-of-State 1% 15%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Los Angeles is larger than than California State University-Northridge based on total student enrollment (46,430 students vs. 37,579 students)

California State University-Northridge vs. UCLA Cost Comparison

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

  • University of California Los Angeles is 101.4% more expensive to attend than California State University-Northridge for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 136.3% higher at UCLA than California State University Northridge ($41,636.00 vs. $17,622.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California State University Northridge than UCLA ($8,936 vs. $16,999)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Northridge are 45.4% lower than costs at University of California Los Angeles ($11,848 vs. $17,231)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University Northridge than University of California Los Angeles (82% vs. 46%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Los Angeles students is 107.1% larger than aid received California State University Northridge ($21,766 vs. $10,511)

California State University-Northridge vs. UCLA Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Los Angeles (1339) is 437 points higher than at California State University-Northridge (902)
  • Incoming UCLA students have a 12 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at California State University-Northridge (19)
  • Accepted freshman UCLA students have a 0.54 point higher average high school GPA (3.92) than students at California State University-Northridge (3.38)
  • California State University-Northridge has a higher acceptance rate (91.2%) than UCLA (8.6%)

California State University-Northridge vs. UCLA Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UCLA is higher than California State University Northridge (90% vs. 46%)
  • Graduates from University of California Los Angeles earn on average $23,200 more per year than California State University-Northridge graduates after ten years. ($70,700 vs. $47,500)
  • California State University Northridge students graduate with a $2,104 lower median federal student loan debt than UCLA graduates. ($14,196 vs. $16,300)
  • California State University-Northridge graduates are paying $22 less per month on federal student loans than UCLA graduates. ($146 vs. $168)
  • More UCLA graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California State University-Northridge students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 59%)

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