Sacramento State vs. SFBU

Comparable Facts

Compare California State University Sacramento in Sacramento, 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 Sacramento is larger than SFBU based on total student enrollment (31,943 students vs. 389 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• California State University Sacramento is located in Sacramento, CA (Large City setting); San Francisco Bay University is in Fremont, California (Large Suburban setting).
• California State University Sacramento 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 Sacramento 24:1; San Francisco Bay University 10:1.

Sacramento State vs. SFBU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Sacramento State 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 Sacramento than SFBU ($10,110 vs. $10,294).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at San Francisco Bay University are 44.2% lower than at California State University Sacramento ($10,700 vs. $19,174).
• San Francisco Bay University is 10.1% more expensive for in-state tuition than Sacramento State (about $812 more per year; $8,830.00 vs. $8,018.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 133.5% higher at Sacramento State than at San Francisco Bay University (about $11,788 more per year; $20,618.00 vs. $8,830.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at San Francisco Bay University than at California State University Sacramento (100% vs. 82%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Sacramento students is 7.8% larger than aid received by San Francisco Bay University students ($12,767 vs. $11,841).

Sacramento State vs. SFBU Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Sacramento State 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 Sacramento State.

• Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) among enrolled freshmen who submitted scores: California State University Sacramento 930/1130.
• Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) among enrolled freshmen who submitted scores: California State University Sacramento 17/23.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Sacramento State - Test-free; SFBU - Test-free.
• Typical fall application deadline: Sacramento State Nov 30, 2026; SFBU Aug 5, 2027.
• Enrolled freshman Sacramento State students have a 0.7 point higher average high school GPA (3.42) than students at SFBU (2.72).
• SFBU has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than Sacramento State (94%).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 15.3% at Sacramento State vs. 5.6% at SFBU.

Sacramento State vs. SFBU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Sacramento State 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 Sacramento's six-year graduation rate is 42%. Comparable graduation rate data is not available for SFBU.
• Graduates from California State University Sacramento have median earnings of about $51,000 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.