CSUN acceptance rate, cost and outcomes
California State University-Northridge · Public · Northridge, CA · 32,429 undergraduates (IPEDS fall 2023)
CSUN admitted 93.1% of applicants for fall 2023, up from 46.2% in 2013. California residents pay $7,850 in tuition and fees for 2025-26; out-of-state students pay $21,170.
Admit rate, 2013 to 2023
Show as table
| Fall | Admit rate | Applicants | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 46.2% | 29,339 | 13,566 |
| 2014 | 52.9% | 33,386 | 17,647 |
| 2015 | 45.6% | 34,444 | 15,706 |
| 2016 | 48.2% | 32,913 | 15,876 |
| 2017 | 57.7% | 30,165 | 17,391 |
| 2018 | 50.6% | 34,856 | 17,647 |
| 2019 | 59.3% | 30,661 | 18,194 |
| 2020 | 65.8% | 27,765 | 18,271 |
| 2021 | 88.1% | 23,656 | 20,842 |
| 2022 | 91.2% | 25,965 | 23,687 |
| 2023 | 93.1% | 29,789 | 27,748 |
Applications went from 29,339 in fall 2013 to 29,789 in fall 2023. Admit rate = admitted ÷ applicants. Source: IPEDS fall admissions.1
What families actually pay
Show as table
| Family income | Net price / year, 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $4,429 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $4,460 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $5,948 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $9,780 |
| Over $110,000 | $17,634 |
| Tuition and fees, in-state (2025-26) | $7,850 |
| Tuition and fees, out-of-state (2025-26) | $21,170 |
| Cost of attendance (2024-25) | $20,014 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid (2024-25) | $6,346 |
Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants, for first-time full-time students with federal aid paying the in-state rate, 2024-25. Tuition is 2025-26. Source: College Scorecard.2
SAT and ACT
Similar public colleges
| College | Admit rate | Tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|
| Sacramento State CA | 93.6% | $9,014 in-state |
| Chico State CA | 93.7% | $8,896 in-state |
| Cal State LA CA | 91.9% | $7,530 in-state |
Same state and type first, then the nearest admit rate. Fall 2023 and 2025-26 figures.
What the numbers say
CSUN offered admission to 27,748 of the 29,789 applicants for fall 2023, a rate of 93.1%.1 A decade earlier the rate was 46.2%, so it has risen 46.9 percentage points.1 Most of the increase came after 2019, when the rate was 59.3%, and it declined in only 2 of the 10 yearly changes.1 Applications changed little, up 2%, while the number of admitted students grew 105%.1
The college is test-blind, so SAT and ACT scores are not used and none are reported.1
California residents pay $7,850 for tuition and fees in 2025-26, a bit below the $8,846 median of 33 public bachelor's colleges in the state, and out-of-state students pay $21,170.2 Net price is low across the board. In 2024-25 it averaged $4,429 for families earning $0 to $30,000, $5,948 for $48,001 to $75,000, and $17,634 for over $110,000.2
Roughly 61% of undergraduates received Pell grants in 2024-25.2 Among 2019 entrants, 57% graduated within 6 years, and the state median across 123 colleges is 60%.2 Retention for fall 2023 entrants was 73%. Median earnings 10 years after entry were $63,721, and borrowers left with a median debt of $15,000.2
Every number on this page, with its source field
| Figure | Value | File, field, year |
|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 29,789 | IPEDS ADM2023, APPLCN, fall 20231 |
| Admitted | 27,748 | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMSSN, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled first-years | 5,545 | IPEDS ADM2023, ENRLT, fall 20231 |
| Undergraduates | 32,429 | IPEDS DRVEF2023, EFUG, fall 20234 |
| Admission policy | Selective (not open admission) | IPEDS IC2023, OPENADMP, 2023-243 |
| Test policy | Test-blind | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMCON7, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 25th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| SAT reading/writing, 75th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| SAT math, 25th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| SAT math, 75th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| ACT composite, 25th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| ACT composite, 75th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| Enrolled students submitting SAT | Not reported | Not reported |
| Enrolled students submitting ACT | Not reported | Not reported |
| Tuition and fees, in-state | $7,850 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_IN, 2025-262 |
| Tuition and fees, out-of-state | $21,170 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_OUT, 2025-262 |
| Cost of attendance | $20,014 | College Scorecard, COSTT4_A, 2024-252 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid | $6,346 | College Scorecard, NPT4_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $0 to $30,000 | $4,429 | College Scorecard, NPT41_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $30,001 to $48,000 | $4,460 | College Scorecard, NPT42_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $48,001 to $75,000 | $5,948 | College Scorecard, NPT43_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $75,001 to $110,000 | $9,780 | College Scorecard, NPT44_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income over $110,000 | $17,634 | College Scorecard, NPT45_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Graduation rate within 6 years | 57% | College Scorecard, C150_4, 2019 entrants2 |
| First-year retention | 73% | College Scorecard, RET_FT4, fall 2023 entrants2 |
| Undergraduates with a Pell grant | 61% | College Scorecard, PCTPELL, 2024-252 |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $63,721 | College Scorecard, MD_EARN_WNE_P10, 2022-232 |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $15,000 | College Scorecard, GRAD_DEBT_MDN, FY2024-252 |
| Median in-state tuition and fees, public colleges, California (N = 33) | $8,846 | College Scorecard, median TUITIONFEE_IN, public bachelor's institutions, 2025-262 |
| Median graduation rate within 6 years, California (N = 123) | 60% | College Scorecard, median C150_4, bachelor's institutions, 2019 entrants2 |
Sources
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS admissions files, fall 2013 to fall 2023 (IC2013, ADM2014, ADM2015, ADM2016, ADM2017, ADM2018, ADM2019, ADM2020, ADM2021, ADM2022, ADM2023). Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education: College Scorecard, Most Recent Institution-Level Data (Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution (release of 15 Oct 2026)). Data years: 2019 entrants, 2022-23, 2024-25, 2025-26, FY2024-25, fall 2023 entrants. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023-24 (IC2023.zip). Data years: 2023-24. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Fall Enrollment, derived variables, fall 2023 (DRVEF2023.zip). Data years: 2023. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
AdmitFacts is not affiliated with CSUN, the U.S. Department of Education or NCES. Missing values are shown as Not reported, never estimated. The file field behind each figure is listed under "Every number on this page". How we build each page