SUNY Albany vs California State University-Northridge (CSUN)

SUNY at Albany and California State University-Northridge, two esteemed public universities, offer distinct educational experiences. SUNY at Albany, nestled in the vibrant capital of New York, boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for aspiring students. In contrast, California State University-Northridge, situated in the heart of the San Fernando Valley, attracts a more diverse student body, reflecting the rich cultural tapestry of Southern California. While both universities excel in various academic disciplines, SUNY at Albany is renowned for its strength in the social sciences, while California State University-Northridge shines in the arts and humanities. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details and discover which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	California State University-Northridge	SUNY at Albany
Overview
Location	Northridge, California	Albany, New York
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Small
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%	82.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	88.1%	68.0%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $70	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $75
SAT range	N/A	1090 - 1280
ACT range	N/A	22 - 29
Students submitting SAT score		15.0%
Students submitting ACT score		2.0%
Total number of applicants	23,656	21,265
Total number of admissions given out	20,842	14,458
Admitted students who chose to enroll	4,716	3,030
Yield rate	22.6%	21.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $31,857 Out of state: $43,737	In state: $26,578 Out of state: $44,418
Average net price	$8,708	$17,350
Tuition	In state: $5,742 Out of state: $17,622	In state: $7,070 Out of state: $24,910
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,316 Meal plan: $4,506	Room/dormitory: $9,558 Meal plan: $5,495
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	82.0% Average amount $10,882	84.0% Average amount $10,460
Students receiving federal student loan	14.0% Average amount $4,779	54.0% Average amount $5,299
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $12,360	8.0% Average amount $13,629

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	34,496 Men 45.0% Women 55.0%	12,654 Men 46.4% Women 53.6%
Graduate students	5,612 Men 33.0% Women 67.0%	4,421 Men 35.0% Women 65.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	1.7%	4.4%
International students	6.0%	6.6%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	4,029	6,867
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	New York New Jersey Pennsylvania Connecticut Maryland

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Engineering Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Public Administration and Social Service Computer and Information Science	Education Business Public Administration and Social Service Health Professions Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	26:1	18:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	54.2%	66.3%
Dropout rate	33.7%	8.5%
Transferred out	5.6%	24.4%
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	Taxation (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $70,203 Year 2: $74,307 Year 3: $95,473 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $63,947 Year 2: $74,576 Year 3: $92,782 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $62,191 Year 2: $60,256 Year 3: $75,996 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,841 Year 2: $49,962 Year 3: $69,785 Public Administration (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,012 Year 2: $55,964 Year 3: $63,462 Public Health (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,175 Year 2: $49,270 Year 3: $61,387 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,902 Year 2: $40,510 Year 3: $58,543 Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $55,701 Year 2: $52,733 Year 3: $55,488 Information Science/Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $43,798 Year 3: $52,904 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,404 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $52,601

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