Home Β· My matches

California State University-Sacramento

Sacramento, CA Β· Public Β· 28,350 undergrads (large, city) Β· website β†—

What you'll actually pay

Average net price per year β€” tuition, fees, room & board minus grant and scholarship aid β€” for in-state students by household income.

Household incomeAvg net price / year
Under $30,000$6,501
$30,000 – $48,000$7,001
$48,000 – $75,000$9,212
$75,000 – $110,000$11,814
Over $110,000$18,861
All incomes (average)$9,338

Sticker tuition and fees: $8,018 in-state, $20,618 out-of-state β€” before aid, from the same earlier College Scorecard release as the net prices above.

These are averages. For an estimate for your family, use California State University-Sacramento's own net price calculator β€” every college that takes federal student aid must publish one.

Net price calculator β†—

Other costs of attendance, 2025–26

The college's own estimate for a full-time undergraduate for the year, before aid, from the October 2026 College Scorecard. It is a newer year than the tuition and net prices above, so don't add the two together.

Housing and meals, on campus$19,644
Housing and meals, off campus (not with family)$22,140
Books and supplies$1,188
Other expenses, on campus$4,762
Other expenses, off campus$5,886

Grants and loans for first-year students, 2022–23

What the college reported for its full-time, first-time students (3,804 of them) in 2022–23; 85% got some kind of aid, loans included. Each average is over the students who received that kind of aid, not over everyone. It is an older year than the 2025–26 costs above.

Type of aidStudents awardedAverage amount
Any grant or scholarshipFederal, state, local and the college's own80%$11,503
Federal Pell GrantNeed-based, from the federal government56%$5,520
The college's own grants and scholarshipsNeed- or merit-based, funded by the college54%$5,904
Federal student loansBorrowed by the student; repaid with interest. No Parent PLUS or private loans25%$4,655

IPEDS, U.S. Department of Education, Student Financial Aid 2022–23 (SFA2223, provisional release); full-time, first-time degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates; public domain.

Admissions & outcomes

Acceptance rate
94%
Average SAT
β€”
Median ACT
β€”
Students with Pell grants
49%
Graduation rate (6yr)
56%
Freshman retention
82%
Median earnings @ 10yr
$64,876
Median debt at graduation
$15,000
International undergrads
474 (1.7%)

For comparison, the median across all 1,596 four-year colleges on this site: graduation rate 56%, earnings ten years after entering $54,869, debt at graduation $23,250.

Admission policy, test scores and teaching

SAT/ACT policy
Not considered

Not considered, even if submitted (fall 2024)

Application fee
$70

undergraduate, 2023–24

Students per faculty member
24 to 1

undergraduates, fall 2024

Faculty who are full-time
49%

fall 2024

Open admission
No

fall 2024

What the college considers in admission decisions, fall 2023

How the college said it used each item when deciding on first-time, degree- or certificate-seeking applicants for fall 2023. For SAT and ACT scores, see the fall 2024 policy above.

High school GPARequired
High school class rankNot considered
High school recordRequired
Completion of a college-preparatory programRequired
RecommendationsNot considered
Formal demonstration of competencies (e.g. portfolio)Not considered
English proficiency test (for applicable students)Required
Other test (Wonderlic, WISC-III, etc.)Not considered
Work experienceConsidered if submitted
Personal statement or essayNot considered
Legacy statusNot considered
First-time applicants
25,994

fall 2023

Admitted
24,336

fall 2023

Enrolled
3,884

fall 2023, full and part time

Counts of first-time, degree- or certificate-seeking students, including early decision and early action. The acceptance rate higher up this page comes from a different College Scorecard release, so it may not match these counts.

IPEDS, U.S. Department of Education, Admissions 2023–24 (ADM2023, provisional release), fall 2023; open admission from IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023–24 (revised); public domain.

Most popular fields of study

Share of bachelor's degrees awarded.

Health & Nursing14%
Business14%
Social Sciences9%
Psychology8%
Criminal Justice7%
Engineering5%
Communications & Media5%
Computer Science5%
Kinesiology & Sports Science5%
Education5%

Earnings and debt by field of study

Median annual earnings of graduates who received federal student aid and were working, not studying: one year after completing (graduates of 2020–21 and 2021–22) and four years after (2017–18 and 2018–19), measured in 2022 and 2023 and shown in 2024 dollars. Median debt is federal Direct and Grad PLUS loans borrowed at this college by 2022–23 and 2023–24 graduates; it leaves out Parent PLUS and private loans. β€œNational” is the median for the same field and credential across all US colleges.

Bachelor's degrees (51)

Field of studyDegrees awarded 2023–24Earnings, 1 yr afterEarnings, 4 yrs afterMedian federal debt
Business Administration, Management and Operations1,040$53,869$67,636national $68,257$13,000
Psychology, General648$38,352$53,237national $50,706$14,770
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General632$37,692$67,182national $61,296$14,000
Criminal Justice and Corrections555$44,724$62,583national $55,378$14,000
Communication and Media Studies361$45,623$59,404national $56,359$15,000
Computer Science350$68,203$92,519national $107,009$13,220
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness296$35,672$59,142national $54,562$14,625
Sociology285$43,686$56,886national $52,657$16,007
Biology, General263$42,985$61,775national $57,214$15,057
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing212$132,168$129,960national $88,910$11,000
Political Science and Government175$43,054$60,278national $63,293$15,000
Civil Engineering156$74,474$93,973national $86,517$16,500
Social Work151$43,986$58,280national $51,790$14,500
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities147$40,485$56,637national $53,072$15,000
Public Health145$48,919β€”national $58,808$15,000
Economics138$48,632$70,290national $82,686$15,500
Mechanical Engineering134$70,320$93,878national $92,135$15,500
English Language and Literature, General132$35,864$50,680national $48,590$14,000
History132$36,403$55,797national $50,680$15,000
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services108$31,828$63,013national $58,928$13,754
Film/Video and Photographic Arts101$37,636$42,392national $43,765$14,478
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering90$82,508$103,512national $100,647$16,902
Design and Applied Arts81$42,779$53,871national $51,490$14,987
Natural Resources Conservation and Research73$49,226$67,795national $55,012$14,875
Nutrition Sciences68$39,870β€”national $60,053$15,000
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies67$38,793$56,188national $51,710$15,000
Fine and Studio Arts65$30,356$41,969national $41,367$15,050
Mathematics59$43,116$59,162national $69,562$16,750
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies57$45,007$59,041national $50,983$12,943
Computer Engineering53$79,217$104,394national $109,015$12,800
Anthropology52$43,278$48,367national $46,676$14,750
Interior Architecture44$47,466$61,410national $60,369$18,375
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General43β€”$55,830national $48,460β€”
Music39β€”$42,774national $42,892$15,000
Journalism38$41,059$53,145national $56,278$14,478
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft35$28,133$47,676national $39,775β€”
Geography and Cartography34$47,029$75,234national $57,853β€”
Apparel and Textiles30$40,577β€”national $57,640β€”
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics26$37,179$52,028national $55,000$12,250
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other25$34,836β€”national $55,693β€”
Chemistry25$57,234$74,430national $65,120β€”
Social Sciences, General24$36,646$56,363national $53,366β€”
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas23$69,280$82,062national $51,389$23,000
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology21$48,631$66,885national $65,466$12,552
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences17β€”$73,418national $60,190β€”
Philosophy11$43,814$65,115national $54,455β€”
Physics11β€”$64,133national $76,786β€”
Gerontology10$45,185$60,868national $54,051β€”
Special Education and Teachingβ€”$38,974$55,146national $50,499β€”
Construction Engineeringβ€”$92,511$114,594national $97,303$18,750
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Servicesβ€”$38,026$49,847national $48,568$15,000
Master's degrees (19)
Field of studyDegrees awarded 2023–24Earnings, 1 yr afterEarnings, 4 yrs afterMedian federal debt
Business Administration, Management and Operations216$87,417$116,033national $103,485$30,750
Education, General146$77,570$102,444national $65,824β€”
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods121$62,592β€”national $59,916$16,960
Social Work103$76,257$84,100national $65,123$25,474
Student Counseling and Personnel Services59$63,866$68,782national $60,111$40,850
Special Education and Teaching45$71,555β€”national $64,397β€”
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services39$76,755$91,632national $67,030β€”
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing33$114,626$108,293national $120,193β€”
English Language and Literature, General32$39,386β€”national $55,512β€”
Public Health27$68,726β€”national $82,751β€”
Public Administration26$69,432$84,962national $81,408β€”
Biology, General24$67,978$79,785national $69,830β€”
History24β€”$53,415national $55,360β€”
Mechanical Engineering19$101,008β€”national $115,974β€”
Civil Engineering12β€”$108,193national $98,323β€”
Sociology8$61,154$59,203national $63,330β€”
Psychology, General7β€”$72,365national $64,711β€”
Curriculum and Instructionβ€”$77,481β€”national $63,399β€”
Educational Administration and Supervisionβ€”$65,606$70,641national $71,685$29,287
Doctoral degrees (2)
Field of studyDegrees awarded 2023–24Earnings, 1 yr afterEarnings, 4 yrs afterMedian federal debt
Educational Administration and Supervision19$102,210$104,270national $100,573$61,500
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professionsβ€”$94,790$101,467national $82,893$61,500

A dash means the Department of Education suppressed the figure because too few graduates were measured β€” not zero. 53 more programmes at this college have every figure suppressed and are not listed.

Contact and accreditation

Address
6000 J St, Sacramento, CA 95819-2694
Phone
(916) 278-6011
Institutional accreditor
Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Is California State University-Sacramento a reach, target, or safety for you?

Take the 5-minute quiz and see how it stacks up against 1,595 other colleges β€” ranked by fit and by what your family would actually pay.

Find my matches β†’

Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts) and IPEDS Fall Enrolment for international student counts. College Scorecard, October 2026 release: net price calculator link, mission flags and religious affiliation (2025–26), enrolment shares, test policy, SAT/ACT ranges and student-to-faculty ratio (fall 2024), cost-of-attendance components (2025–26), and earnings and debt by field of study. IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023–24 for the application fee and the IPEDS 2024 directory for the phone number. IPEDS Admissions 2023–24 (ADM2023, provisional release) for admission requirements and first-time applicants, admits and enrolments (fall 2023). IPEDS Student Financial Aid 2022–23 (SFA2223, provisional release) for grants and loans to full-time, first-time students. All are U.S. Department of Education data in the public domain. Verify current costs and requirements with the school.

Similar colleges in the United States

Picked by control, selectivity, mix of majors, location and size, from the same data as this page β€” not a judgement of quality.