Cal State University, Northridge: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics

California State University, Northridge is a public university with an acceptance rate of 59%. Located in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley, Cal State Northridge is the second largest university (by enrollment) in the California State University System. The university is made up of nine colleges that offer a total of 60 bachelor's degree and 41 master's degree programs. Business Administration and Psychology are the most popular majors among CSUN undergraduates. In athletics, the CSUN Matadors compete in the NCAA Division I Big West Conference.

Considering applying to Cal State Northridge? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students.

Acceptance Rate

During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, Cal State Northridge had an acceptance rate of 59%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 59 students were admitted, making CSUN's admissions process competitive.

SAT Scores and Requirements

Cal State Northridge requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 94% of admitted students submitted SAT scores.

This admissions data tells us that most of Cal State Northridge's admitted students fall within the bottom 29% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to Cal State Northridge scored between 460 and 570, while 25% scored below 460 and 25% scored above 570. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 450 and 560, while 25% scored below 450 and 25% scored above 560. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1130 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at Cal State Northridge.

Requirements

Cal State Northridge does not require the optional SAT essay section. Note that CSUN will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates. SAT Subject test scores are not required, but if the score meets a benchmark, it may be used to fulfill certain core course requirements.

ACT Scores and Requirements

CSUN requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 21% of admitted students submitted ACT scores.

This admissions data tells us that most of Cal State Northridge's admitted students fall within the bottom 27% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to CSUN received a composite ACT score between 16 and 22, while 25% scored above 22 and 25% scored below 16.

Requirements

Cal State Northridge does not require the optional ACT writing section. Note that Cal State Northridge does not superscore ACT results; your highest composite ACT score will be considered.

GPA

In 2019, the average high school GPA of Cal State Northridge's incoming freshmen class was 3.37. This data suggests that most successful applicants to Cal State Northridge have primarily B grades.

Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph

The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to California State University, Northridge. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account.

Admissions Chances

Cal State Northridge, which accepts just over half of applicants, has a selective admissions process. Unlike the University of California System, the California State University admission process is not holistic. Except for EOP (Educational Opportunity Program) students, applicants do not need to submit letters of recommendation or an application essay, and extracurricular involvement is not part of the standard application. Instead, admissions are based primarily on an eligibility index that combines GPA and test scores. Minimum high school course requirements (A-G college preparatory requirements) include four years of English; three years of math; two years of history and social science; two years of laboratory science; two years of a foreign language other than English; one year of visual or performing arts; and one year of a college preparatory elective. The reasons why an applicant with adequate scores and grades would be rejected tends to come down to factors such as insufficient college preparatory classes, high school classes that weren't challenging, or an incomplete application.

Be aware that California State University, Northridge is designated as impacted because it receives more applications than can be accommodated. Impacted CSUN majors include: Accountancy, Finance, Biology B.A. and B.S., Cinema and Television Arts, Communication Studies, Health Sciences, Kinesiology, Psychology, and Music. 

In the graph above, the green and blue dots represent accepted students. As you can see, most students who were accepted to Cal State Northridge had grades in the "B-" range or higher, SAT scores (ERW+M) of 850 or higher, and ACT scores of 16 or higher. However, note that there are some red data points (rejected students) scattered throughout the graph. Some students with grades and test scores that seem to be on target for CSUN were rejected.

If You Like CSUN, You May Also Like These Schools

• University of California - Merced
• University of California - Santa Cruz
• Harvey Mudd College
• California State University, Los Angeles

All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and California State University, Northridge Undergraduate Admissions Office.