More selective than 14% of California colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $22,945. College Scorecard.
Higher than 38% of California colleges we cover and 55% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 54% of California colleges we cover and 80% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
California State University-Sacramento acceptance rate & admissions
Of 25,994 applicants, California State University-Sacramento admitted 24,336 and 3,884 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
California State University-Sacramento tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for California residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: California residents who meet income, asset and GPA standards may receive a Cal Grant (California Student Aid Commission); apply with the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application. At University of California and California State University campuses, the Middle Class Scholarship can also help families with income and assets up to $250,000 (2026-27, dependent students). Not included in the prices above. California Student Aid Commission
California State University-Sacramento majors, earnings & careers
California State University-Sacramento offers 57 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 12
- Humanities & Languages · 9
- Engineering · 8
- Science & Math · 7
- Arts & Design · 6
- Health & Medicine · 6
- Education · 3
- Business & Finance · 2
- Communications & Media · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
Highest-earning majors at California State University-Sacramento
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $129,960 | $19,000 |
| Construction Engineering | $114,594 | $15,000 |
| Computer Engineering | $104,394 | $17,500 |
| Electrical Engineering | $103,512 | $19,430 |
| Civil Engineering | $93,973 | $19,124 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $93,878 | $19,399 |
| Computer Science | $92,519 | $15,625 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $82,062 | $30,515 |
Quick list of all 57 majors
- Anthropology$48,367
- Apparel and Textiles—
- Area Studies—
- Biochemistry$66,885
- Biology$61,775
- Business Administration$67,636
- Chemistry$74,430
- Civil Engineering$93,973
- Communications$59,404
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer Engineering$104,394
- Computer Science$92,519
- Construction Engineering$114,594
- Construction Engineering Technology / Technician—
- Criminal Justice$62,583
- Dance—
- Economics$70,290
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Education (Subject Teaching)$82,062
- Electrical Engineering$103,512
- Engineering Technologies / Technicians—
- English$50,680
- Environmental Science / Conservation$67,795
- Ethnic / Gender Studies$56,188
- Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences$55,830
- Film and Photography$42,392
- Geography$75,234
- Geology / Earth Science$73,418
- Gerontology$60,868
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$53,871
- Health Sciences$67,182
- History$55,797
- Human Development and Family Studies$49,847
- Interior Architecture$61,410
- Journalism$53,145
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$59,142
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$56,637
- Mathematics$59,162
- Mechanical Engineering$93,878
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music$42,774
- Nursing$129,960
- Nutrition Science—
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies$59,041
- Philosophy$65,115
- Physics$64,133
- Political Science$60,278
- Psychology$53,237
- Public Health—
- Social Sciences$56,363
- Social Work$58,280
- Sociology$56,886
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$52,028
- Special Education$55,146
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$63,013
- Studio Art$41,969
- Theatre$47,676
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Sacramento
Overall prices in the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,201. Housing costs 30% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 19 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: river flooding (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Sacramento County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Sacramento County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare California State University-Sacramento with similar schools
Similar public colleges in California by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California State University-Sacramento | 94% | $9,338 | 56% | $64,876 | This school |
| California State University-Northridge | 93% | $7,021 | 57% | $59,115 | |
| California State University-Fresno | 95% | $7,000 | 57% | $61,244 | |
| California State University-Los Angeles | 91% | $3,967 | 53% | $59,211 | |
| California State University-San Bernardino | 94% | $4,564 | 55% | $59,977 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
California State University-Sacramento would cost you $2,317 more per year than California State University-Northridge, on average.
- Higher sticker price at California State University-Sacramento, mostly from higher housing & meal costs (+$3,630).
- California State University-Sacramento gives aided families $143 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, California resident | California State University-Sacramento | CSUN | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $8,018 | $7,458 | +$560 |
| Books & supplies | $1,112 | $1,284 | −$172 |
| Housing & meals | $16,278 | $12,648 | +$3,630 |
| Personal & travel | $4,426 | $3,244 | +$1,182 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$6,889 | −$4,149 | −$2,740 |
| Sticker price | $22,945 | $20,485 | +$2,460 |
| Average grants | −$13,607 | −$13,464 | −$143 |
| You pay | $9,338 | $7,021 | +$2,317 |
“+” means California State University-Sacramento costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about California State University-Sacramento
What is the California State University-Sacramento acceptance rate?
California State University-Sacramento accepts 94% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 24,336 of 25,994 applicants were admitted.
How much does California State University-Sacramento cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $22,945 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $9,338 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $6,501 and families earning $110k+ pay $18,861.
How much do California State University-Sacramento graduates earn?
Former California State University-Sacramento students earn a median $64,876 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the California State University-Sacramento graduation rate?
56% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 82% return for their second year.
Is California State University-Sacramento the right fit for your family?
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “California State University-Sacramento: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/california-state-university-sacramento (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).