More selective than 19% 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 $24,648. College Scorecard.
Higher than 42% of California colleges we cover and 58% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 59% of California colleges we cover and 81% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Sonoma State University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 10,529 applicants, Sonoma State University admitted 9,974 and 911 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Sonoma State University 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
Sonoma State University majors, earnings & careers
Sonoma State University offers 37 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 9
- Humanities & Languages · 8
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 8
- Arts & Design · 4
- Business & Finance · 2
- Health & Medicine · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Education · 1
- Engineering · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at Sonoma State University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $143,886 | $19,750 |
| Electrical Engineering | $112,757 | — |
| Computer Science | $106,181 | $20,305 |
| Economics | $83,668 | $20,125 |
| Business Administration | $75,887 | $17,500 |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | $69,077 | $15,856 |
| Communications | $68,833 | $17,129 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $67,351 | $19,628 |
Quick list of all 37 majors
- Anthropology$62,674
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$56,345
- Business Administration$75,887
- Chemistry—
- Communications$68,833
- Computer Science$106,181
- Criminal Justice$66,892
- Dance—
- Economics$83,668
- Education, Other$52,842
- Electrical Engineering$112,757
- English$59,418
- Environmental Science / Conservation$69,077
- Ethnic / Gender Studies$64,116
- Geography—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- History$56,819
- Human Development and Family Studies$52,672
- International / Global Studies—
- International Relations—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$67,351
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$59,444
- Mathematics$64,913
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music$65,533
- Nursing$143,886
- Philosophy—
- Physical Sciences—
- Physics—
- Political Science$65,009
- Psychology$57,335
- Sociology$56,581
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$53,489
- Statistics—
- Studio Art$46,022
- Theatre—
— 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 Santa Rosa
Overall prices in the Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,819. Housing costs 40% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 33 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: wildfire (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Sonoma County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Sonoma County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Sonoma State University 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonoma State University | 93% | $12,885 | 58% | $65,986 | This school |
| California State University-Channel Islands | 95% | $9,849 | 51% | $62,152 | |
| California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt | 98% | $13,171 | 49% | $47,626 | |
| California State University-Monterey Bay | 97% | $13,663 | 59% | $59,247 | |
| California State University-Bakersfield | 94% | $5,652 | 50% | $59,009 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Sonoma State University would cost you $3,036 more per year than California State University-Channel Islands, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Sonoma State University, mostly from higher housing & meal costs (+$1,570).
- California State University-Channel Islands gives aided families $1,949 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, California resident | Sonoma State University | California State University-Channel Islands | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $8,624 | $7,159 | +$1,465 |
| Books & supplies | $822 | $906 | −$84 |
| Housing & meals | $15,770 | $14,200 | +$1,570 |
| Personal & travel | $2,492 | $3,714 | −$1,222 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,060 | −$2,418 | −$642 |
| Sticker price | $24,648 | $23,561 | +$1,087 |
| Average grants | −$11,763 | −$13,712 | +$1,949 |
| You pay | $12,885 | $9,849 | +$3,036 |
“+” means Sonoma State University 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 Sonoma State University
What is the Sonoma State University acceptance rate?
Sonoma State University accepts 93% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 9,974 of 10,529 applicants were admitted.
How much does Sonoma State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $24,648 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $12,885 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $8,310 and families earning $110k+ pay $21,195.
How much do Sonoma State University graduates earn?
Former Sonoma State University students earn a median $65,986 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Sonoma State University graduation rate?
58% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 79% return for their second year.
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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: “Sonoma State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/sonoma-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).