San Jose State University (SJSU) vs California State University-Northridge (CSUN)

San Jose State University (SJSU) and California State University-Northridge (CSUN) are two esteemed public universities in California, each offering a unique educational experience. SJSU, located in the heart of Silicon Valley, boasts a higher acceptance rate (54%) compared to CSUN's 48%. Both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate and graduate programs, with popular majors including Business, Engineering, and Psychology. While SJSU has a slightly larger student body, CSUN's student population is more diverse, with a higher percentage of Hispanic and Asian students. In terms of graduation rates, SJSU has a slight edge over CSUN, with a 6-year graduation rate of 63% compared to CSUN's 60%. To help you make an informed decision about your higher education journey, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table below, highlighting key differences between these two institutions. Explore the table to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations
California State University-Northridge logo

California State University-Northridge

San Jose State University logo

San Jose State University

Overview

Location Northridge, California San Jose, California
Campus setting City: Large City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 82.0% 89.0%
Common app member No No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 88.1% 84.4%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $70
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $70
SAT range N/A N/A
ACT range N/A N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants 23,656 30,441
Total number of admissions given out 20,842 25,682
Admitted students who chose to enroll 4,716 4,222
Yield rate 22.6% 16.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $31,857

Out of state: $43,737
In state: $31,435

Out of state: $43,315
Average net price $8,708 $14,603
Tuition
In state: $5,742

Out of state: $17,622
In state: $5,742

Out of state: $17,622
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $7,316

Meal plan: $4,506
Room/dormitory: $9,062

Meal plan: $5,880
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

82.0%
Average amount $10,882
66.0%
Average amount $9,184
Students receiving federal student loan 14.0%
Average amount $4,779
16.0%
Average amount $4,861
Students taking out private loans 1.0%
Average amount $12,360
1.0%
Average amount $15,326

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 34,496
Men 45.0% Women 55.0%
28,288
Men 51.1% Women 48.9%
Graduate students 5,612
Men 33.0% Women 67.0%
8,845
Men 36.5% Women 63.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 1.7% 1.4%
International students 6.0% 9.1%
Campus local/setting City: Large City: Large
Dormitory capacity 4,029 4,261
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from California Washington Hawaii Nevada Texas California Washington Hawaii Oregon Arizona

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Engineering
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Library Science
  • Health Professions
  • Communication and Journalism
Students to faculty ratio 26:1 24:1
Institutional accreditation Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 54.2% 68.8%
Dropout rate 33.7% 23.4%
Transferred out 5.6% 3.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $95,739
  • Year 3: $108,158
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $89,831
  • Year 2: $92,124
  • Year 3: $98,535
Taxation (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $72,745
  • Year 2: $86,867
  • Year 3: $97,852
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $83,455
  • Year 2: $88,907
  • Year 3: $96,626
Construction Engineering Technologies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $79,863
  • Year 2: $75,204
  • Year 3: $92,559
Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $80,493
  • Year 3: $92,252
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $83,281
  • Year 2: $83,669
  • Year 3: $89,964
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,782
  • Year 2: $75,047
  • Year 3: $84,221
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $68,859
  • Year 2: $73,070
  • Year 3: $82,977
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $78,180
  • Year 2: $76,863
  • Year 3: $82,194
Computer Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $124,052
  • Year 2: $125,015
  • Year 3: $138,269
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $89,196
  • Year 2: $92,277
  • Year 3: $112,207
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $97,934
  • Year 2: $87,973
  • Year 3: $106,648
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $81,060
  • Year 2: $78,074
  • Year 3: $101,682
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $69,074
  • Year 2: $74,953
  • Year 3: $100,628
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,789
  • Year 2: $73,720
  • Year 3: $94,854
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $81,280
  • Year 2: $86,550
  • Year 3: $91,260
Civil Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $77,401
  • Year 3: $89,882
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $68,219
  • Year 3: $86,270
City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $62,012
  • Year 3: $85,185

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