California State University, Northridge
California State University, Northridge at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
California State University, Northridge Featured Rankings
- #3 California's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #4 Liberal Arts Colleges in California 2026
- #5 Online Master’s in Human Services
- #6 California's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #7 Online Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts and Humanities
- #10 Most Affordable Online Master's of Speech Pathology Programs
- #12 Most Affordable Accredited Online Schools
- #12 Most Affordable Colleges in California 2026
- #12 Public Colleges California
- #13 Online Master’s in Engineering Management
- #21 Best Colleges in California 2026
- #25 Online Master’s in Social Work-MSW
- #33 Best Liberal Arts Colleges 2026
- #50 Best Online Master's Programs
About California State University, Northridge
According to Wikipedia, California State University, Northridge , is a public university in the Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. With a total enrollment of 38,551 students , it has the second largest undergraduate population as well as the third largest total student body in the California State University system, making it one of the largest comprehensive universities in the United States in terms of enrollment size. The size of CSUN also has a major impact on the California economy, with an estimated $1.9 billion in economic output generated by CSUN on a yearly basis. As of Fall 2021, the university had 2,187 faculty, of which 794 were tenured or on the tenure track.
California State University, Northridge's Online Degrees
Certificate in Design Thinking and Innovation
- Required Credits: 4 courses
- Completion Time: 4 courses
- Format: Fully online
MKM in Knowledge Management
- Required Credits: 24
- Completion Time: 2-3 years
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Speech-Language Pathology Assistant Fieldwork Experience
- Required Credits: 13
- Completion Time: 1 year or less
- Format: Fully online
MA in Instructional Design
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: 2-3 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Liberal Studies
- Required Credits: 60
- Completion Time: 4-5 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Public Sector Management
- Required Credits: 60
- Completion Time: 4-5 years
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Leadership in an Age of Disruption
- Required Credits: 5 courses
- Completion Time: 5 courses
- Format: Fully online
MA in Diverse Community Development Leadership
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: 2-3 years
- Format: Fully online
MA in Humanities
- Required Credits: 33
- Completion Time: 2-3 years
- Format: Fully online
MPA in Public Administration
Degree Concentrations
- Health Administration
- Nonprofit Sector Management
- Public Sector Management and Leadership
- Required Credits: 33
- Completion Time: 2-3 years
- Format: Fully online
MSW in Social Work
- Required Credits: 60
- Completion Time: 3.5-4.5 years
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Preparation for Advanced Studies in Speech-Language Pathology
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: 1 year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Radiologic Technology: CT/MRI
- Required Credits: 83
- Completion Time: 1-2 years
- Format: Fully online
MPH in Community Health Education
- Required Credits: 42
- Completion Time: 2.5-3.5 years
- Format: Fully online
MS in Communicative Disorders
- Required Credits: 63
- Completion Time: 3.5-4.5 years
- Format: Fully online
MS in Assistive Technology Engineering
- Required Credits: 33
- Completion Time: 2-3 years
- Format: Fully online
MS in Assistive Technology Studies and Human Services
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: 2-3 years
- Format: Fully online
MS in Engineering Management
- Required Credits: 33
- Completion Time: 2-3 years
- Format: Fully online
California State University, Northridge Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29,789 | 93% | 73% | 57% |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does California State University, Northridge Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $7,850 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $4,429 |
| 30K - 48K | $4,460 |
| 48K - 75K | $5,948 |
| 75K - 110K | $9,780 |
| 110K+ | $17,634 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do California State University, Northridge Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former California State University, Northridge students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $63,721 a year, and 91% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
California State University, Northridge's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 42,018 | 35,820 | 6,198 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is California State University, Northridge?
California State University, Northridge is located at 18111 Nordhoff St, Northridge, CA 91330.
How Safe is California State University, Northridge?
Relative to its enrollment, California State University, Northridge has a violent crime rate of 0.03% and a property crime rate of 0.25%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft).
What Is California State University, Northridge Known For?
California State University, Northridge is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Sociology
- Anthropology
- Communications
- Business
- Criminal Justice
- Engineering
- Social Work
- Political Science
- Earth Sciences
- History
- Medical
- Psychology
- Mathematics
- Economics
- Computer Science
- Philosophy
- Education
- Biology
- Literature
- Physics
- Religious Studies
- Nursing
- Chemistry
California State University, Northridge's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much California State University, Northridge's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
California State University, Northridge ranks #154 in the U.S. and #561 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesCalifornia State University, Northridge ranks #158 in the U.S. and #473 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesCalifornia State University, Northridge ranks #173 in the U.S. and #596 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesCalifornia State University, Northridge ranks #185 in the U.S. and #572 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesCalifornia State University, Northridge ranks #196 in the U.S. and #338 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesCalifornia State University, Northridge ranks #216 in the U.S. and #1190 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesCalifornia State University, Northridge ranks #221 in the U.S. and #518 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesCalifornia State University, Northridge ranks #226 in the U.S. and #893 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesCalifornia State University, Northridge ranks #231 in the U.S. and #991 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesCalifornia State University, Northridge ranks #236 in the U.S. and #667 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesCalifornia State University, Northridge ranks #238 in the U.S. and #864 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesCalifornia State University, Northridge ranks #238 in the U.S. and #566 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesCalifornia State University, Northridge ranks #248 in the U.S. and #1005 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesCalifornia State University, Northridge ranks #255 in the U.S. and #1288 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesCalifornia State University, Northridge ranks #288 in the U.S. and #1202 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesCalifornia State University, Northridge ranks #297 in the U.S. and #962 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesCalifornia State University, Northridge ranks #298 in the U.S. and #1224 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesCalifornia State University, Northridge ranks #303 in the U.S. and #1213 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesCalifornia State University, Northridge ranks #318 in the U.S. and #950 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesCalifornia State University, Northridge ranks #379 in the U.S. and #1702 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesCalifornia State University, Northridge ranks #451 in the U.S. and #1967 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesCalifornia State University, Northridge ranks #472 in the U.S. and #1257 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesCalifornia State University, Northridge ranks #486 in the U.S. and #2390 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesWho Are California State University, Northridge's Most Influential Alumni?
California State University, Northridge's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Criminal Justice, Anthropology, and Social Work. Here are some of California State University, Northridge's most famous alumni:
- Robert Hilburn
- An American music critic.
- Jeffrey Beall
- An American librarian.
- Bill Handel
- An American lawyer.
- Ana Kasparian
- An American political pundit .
- Merrill Singer
- A Medical anthropologist.
- Don Hahn
- An Artist, film maker, producer.
- Mark Watson
- An Economist.
- Ralph Larkin
- An American sociologist.
- Carolyn Porco
- A Planetary scientist.
- Rodolfo Acuña
- A Chicano studies professor.
- Andy Summers
- A British guitarist.
- Robert R. Davila
- An American academic administrator.
Who Are California State University, Northridge's Most Influential Faculty?
California State University, Northridge's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Criminal Justice, Anthropology, and Social Work. Here are some of California State University, Northridge's most famous faculty:
