SUNY Empire State College vs. CSU Channel Islands

Should I go to SUNY Empire State College or California State University Channel Islands? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if SUNY Empire State College 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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SUNY Empire State College vs. California State University Channel Islands comparison
SUNY Empire State College California State University Channel Islands College 3 College 4
SUNY Empire State College California State University Channel Islands
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Overview

 SUNY Empire State College CSU Channel Islands
Location Saratoga Springs, NY Camarillo, CA
Setting Small Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 9,407 6,128
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website esc.edu csuci.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 SUNY Empire State College CSU Channel Islands
Tuition (In State) $7,070 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $16,980 $17,622
Room & Board $11,600 $16,300
Avg Net Price $9,704 $13,540
Avg Grant Aid $9,343 $9,412
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 72%

Admission

 SUNY Empire State College CSU Channel Islands
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 10,420
Admitted - 9,342
Acceptance Rate 89.7%
Enrolled % 6.8%
Avg High School GPA - 3.22
Typical High School Grades - B
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Jul 30, 2025

Academics

 SUNY Empire State College CSU Channel Islands
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (40%)
  • Human Services (20%)
  • General Studies (10%)
  • Physical Sciences (6%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Psychology (16%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (11%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Communication (9%)

Outcomes

 SUNY Empire State College CSU Channel Islands
Graduation Rate 19% 54%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $46,000 $46,100
Making Student Loan Payments 44% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,250 $15,183
Median Loan Payment $240 $156

Diversity

 SUNY Empire State College CSU Channel Islands
% Men 33% 34%
% Women 67% 66%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 60% 32%
% Black 16% 2%
% Hispanic 12% 49%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 5%
% International 5% 0%
% Unknown Race 2% 6%

Students

 SUNY Empire State College CSU Channel Islands
% In-State 86% 99%
% Out-of-State 7% 1%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • SUNY Empire State College is larger than than CSU Channel Islands based on total student enrollment (9,407 students vs. 6,128 students)

SUNY Empire State College vs. CSU Channel Islands Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SUNY Empire State College or CSU Channel Islands?

  • SUNY Empire State College is 23.1% more expensive to attend than CSU Channel Islands for in-state tuition ($7,070.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 3.8% higher at CSU Channel Islands than SUNY Empire State College ($17,622.00 vs. $16,980.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at SUNY Empire State College than CSU Channel Islands ($9,704 vs. $13,540)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at SUNY Empire State College are 40.5% lower than costs at California State University Channel Islands ($11,600 vs. $16,300)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at SUNY Empire State College than California State University Channel Islands (80% vs. 72%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Channel Islands students is 0.7% larger than aid received SUNY Empire State College ($9,412 vs. $9,343)

Which college is harder to get into, SUNY Empire State College 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 SUNY Empire State College .

SUNY Empire State College vs. CSU Channel Islands Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SUNY Empire State College 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 SUNY Empire State College.

  • The graduation rate at CSU Channel Islands is higher than SUNY Empire State College (54% vs. 19%)
  • Graduates from California State University Channel Islands earn on average $100 more per year than SUNY Empire State College graduates after ten years. ($46,100 vs. $46,000)
  • California State University Channel Islands students graduate with a $8,067 lower median federal student loan debt than SUNY Empire State College graduates. ($15,183 vs. $23,250)
  • CSU Channel Islands graduates are paying $84 less per month on federal student loans than SUNY Empire State College graduates. ($156 vs. $240)
  • More CSU Channel Islands graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SUNY Empire State College students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 44%)

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