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UCSC San Diego State UC Merced UCI UCSD San Jose State ASU California State University-Fresno Cal State Long Beach UC Davis Cal State East Bay CSU Channel Islands| California State University Northridge | University of California Riverside | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
California State University-Northridge | UC Riverside | ||
| Location | Northridge, CA | Riverside, CA | ||
| Setting | Large City | Large City | ||
| Enrollment | 37,760 | 26,426 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Public 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #892 | #265 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | csun.edu | ucr.edu | ||
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Costs |
California State University-Northridge | UC Riverside | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $5,742 | $11,834 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $17,622 | $42,611 | ||
| Room & Board | $12,648 | $19,433 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $8,222 | $13,533 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $12,000 | $21,566 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 82% | 70% |
Admission |
California State University-Northridge | UC Riverside | ||
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| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 29,789 | 62,807 | ||
| Admitted | 27,748 | 39,758 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 93.1% | 63.3% | ||
| Enrolled % | 20% | 13.9% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.38 | 3.84 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | B+ | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Extremely Easy | Difficult | ||
| Applicant Competition | Low | |||
| ACT Range | 16/22 | 22/31 | ||
| SAT Range | 900/1110 | 1080/1280 | ||
| 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, 2025 | Nov 30, 2025 |
Academics |
California State University-Northridge | UC Riverside | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 21:1 | 23:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
California State University-Northridge | UC Riverside | ||
| Graduation Rate | 46% | 67% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $47,500 | $52,200 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 59% | 65% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $14,196 | $19,109 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $146 | $197 |
Diversity |
California State University-Northridge | UC Riverside | ||
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| % Men | 5% | 9% | ||
| % Women | 9% | 5% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 23% | 13% | ||
| % Black | 5% | 4% | ||
| % Hispanic | 44% | 36% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 3% | 4% | ||
| % International | 9% | 4% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 4% | 1% |
Students |
California State University-Northridge | UC Riverside | ||
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| % In-State | 95% | 95% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 2% | 1% | ||
Campus |
California State University-Northridge | UC Riverside | ||
| 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
- California State University Northridge is larger than than UC Riverside based on total student enrollment (37,760 students vs. 26,426 students)
California State University-Northridge vs. UC Riverside Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, California State University-Northridge or UC Riverside?
- University of California Riverside is 106.1% more expensive to attend than California State University-Northridge for in-state tuition ($11,834.00 vs. $5,742.00)
- Out of state tuition is 141.8% higher at UC Riverside than California State University Northridge ($42,611.00 vs. $17,622.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California State University Northridge than UC Riverside ($8,222 vs. $13,533)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Northridge are 53.6% lower than costs at University of California Riverside ($12,648 vs. $19,433)
- More students receive financial grant aid at California State University Northridge than University of California Riverside (82% vs. 70%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Riverside students is 79.7% larger than aid received California State University Northridge ($21,566 vs. $12,000)
California State University-Northridge vs. UC Riverside Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, California State University-Northridge or UC Riverside? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between UC Riverside or California State University-Northridge .
- The average SAT score at University of California Riverside (1119) is 217 points higher than at California State University-Northridge (902)
- Incoming UC Riverside students have a 7 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at California State University-Northridge (19)
- Accepted freshman UC Riverside students have a 0.46 point higher average high school GPA (3.84) than students at California State University-Northridge (3.38)
- California State University-Northridge has a higher acceptance rate (93.1%) than UC Riverside (63.3%)
California State University-Northridge vs. UC Riverside Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, California State University-Northridge or UC Riverside? 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 UC Riverside and California State University-Northridge.
- The graduation rate at UC Riverside is higher than California State University Northridge (67% vs. 46%)
- Graduates from University of California Riverside earn on average $4,700 more per year than California State University-Northridge graduates after ten years. ($52,200 vs. $47,500)
- California State University Northridge students graduate with a $4,913 lower median federal student loan debt than UC Riverside graduates. ($14,196 vs. $19,109)
- California State University-Northridge graduates are paying $51 less per month on federal student loans than UC Riverside graduates. ($146 vs. $197)
- More UC Riverside graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California State University-Northridge students, three years after graduation. (65% vs. 59%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/