PVAMU vs. CSU Channel Islands

Should I go to Prairie View A & M University or California State University Channel Islands? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if PVAMU or CSU Channel Islands 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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Prairie View A & M University vs. California State University Channel Islands comparison
Prairie View A & M University California State University Channel Islands College 3 College 4
Prairie View A & M University California State University Channel Islands
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Overview

 PVAMU CSU Channel Islands
Location Prairie View, TX Camarillo, CA
Setting Distant Town Rural Fringe
Enrollment 9,056 6,128
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #996
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website pvamu.edu csuci.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 PVAMU CSU Channel Islands
Tuition (In State) $7,387 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $22,590 $17,622
Room & Board $9,605 $16,300
Avg Net Price $12,875 $13,540
Avg Grant Aid $14,071 $9,412
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 72%

Admission

 PVAMU CSU Channel Islands
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,691 10,420
Admitted 4,329 9,342
Acceptance Rate 76.1% 89.7%
Enrolled % 36% 6.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.3 3.22
Typical High School Grades B+ B
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 16/21
SAT Range 860/1050
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Mar 1, 2025 Jul 30, 2025

Academics

 PVAMU CSU Channel Islands
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (20%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (11%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Psychology (16%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (11%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Communication (9%)

Outcomes

 PVAMU CSU Channel Islands
Graduation Rate 34% 54%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,000 $46,100
Making Student Loan Payments 28% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $28,955 $15,183
Median Loan Payment $299 $156

Diversity

 PVAMU CSU Channel Islands
% Men 33% 34%
% Women 67% 66%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very High
HBCU Yes No
% White 3% 32%
% Black 86% 2%
% Hispanic 6% 49%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 5%
% International 2% 0%
% Unknown Race 0% 6%

Students

 PVAMU CSU Channel Islands
% In-State 88% 99%
% Out-of-State 12% 1%

Campus

 PVAMU CSU Channel Islands
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Prairie View A & M University is larger than than CSU Channel Islands based on total student enrollment (9,056 students vs. 6,128 students)

PVAMU vs. CSU Channel Islands Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, PVAMU or CSU Channel Islands?

  • Prairie View A & M University is 28.6% more expensive to attend than CSU Channel Islands for in-state tuition ($7,387.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 28.2% higher at PVAMU than California State University Channel Islands ($22,590.00 vs. $17,622.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Prairie View A & M University than CSU Channel Islands ($12,875 vs. $13,540)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Prairie View A & M University are 69.7% lower than costs at California State University Channel Islands ($9,605 vs. $16,300)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Prairie View A & M University than California State University Channel Islands (97% vs. 72%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Prairie View A & M University students is 49.5% larger than aid received California State University Channel Islands ($14,071 vs. $9,412)

PVAMU vs. CSU Channel Islands Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, PVAMU or CSU Channel Islands? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between CSU Channel Islands or PVAMU .

  • Accepted freshman PVAMU students have a 0.08 point higher average high school GPA (3.3) than students at CSU Channel Islands (3.22)
  • CSU Channel Islands has a higher acceptance rate (89.7%) than PVAMU (76.1%)

PVAMU vs. CSU Channel Islands Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, PVAMU or CSU Channel Islands? 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 CSU Channel Islands and PVAMU.

  • The graduation rate at CSU Channel Islands is higher than Prairie View A & M University (54% vs. 34%)
  • Graduates from California State University Channel Islands earn on average $7,100 more per year than PVAMU graduates after ten years. ($46,100 vs. $39,000)
  • California State University Channel Islands students graduate with a $13,772 lower median federal student loan debt than PVAMU graduates. ($15,183 vs. $28,955)
  • CSU Channel Islands graduates are paying $143 less per month on federal student loans than PVAMU graduates. ($156 vs. $299)
  • More CSU Channel Islands graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former PVAMU students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 28%)

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