Admission to California State University – Northridge

  • Acceptance Rate: The university exhibits an acceptance rate of 65.8%, indicating a moderately selective admission policy.
  • Admission Requirements: The basic admission requirements of California State University includes official academic transcripts, SOP, LOR, essay, proof of finances, immigration documents, standardized test scores and English proficiency test scores.
  • Application Deadlines: California State University Northridge accepts admission applications between October 1 to December 1 for fall semester and from August 1 onwards for spring semester.
  • Programs: Admission to the bachelor’s programs at CSU Northridge, is available across 133 undergraduate programs, 85 master’s programs and various doctoral courses.
  • Cost of Attendance: To study in California State University – Northridge, international students will have to spend around 24,000 USD (~18.18 lakh INR) in tuition fees and around 17,000 USD (~12.87 lakh INR) in other expenses.  
  • Scholarships: The university offers a variety of scholarships for international students in USA based on their academic merit. The university-provided awards ranges up to 10,000 USD (~7.58 lakh INR).
  • Placements: The average salary of the CSU Northridge alumni is 75,000 USD per annum with Financial Services being the highest paying degree of the university.

California State University - Northridge Rankings

CSUN is ranked among the top universities in the USA by many leading magazines and agencies. A snapshot of the same is given below.

  • #39 in Regional Universities West by U.S. News and World Report
  • #19 in Top Performers on Social Mobility by U.S. News and World Report
  • #18 in Top Public Schools by US News and World Report

Highlights

Type of university  Public 
Establishment Year 1958
Campus Setting Urban
Location  Northridge, Los Angeles, California
Acceptance Rate 59%
Total Number of Students Enrolled 38,310
Total Number of Faculty 2000
Retention Rate (Full- time students) 81%
Overall Graduation Rate 55%
English language proficiency score  Required 
Financial aid  Scholarships/ Grants/ Loans/ Work-Study

California State University - Northridge Campus

  • California State University – Northridge campus is spread across a wide area and has a Student Recreation Centre which promotes health and fitness through various exercise and leisure activities.
  • Oviatt Library is also located on the campus of CSUN which gives students access to all important educational resources.
  • There are various sports clubs and organizations on-campus.
  • The CSUN student union has a number of centers like the Dream Center, Pride Center, Games Room, Northridge Center, etc.
  • Students can get involved through the Matador Involvement Center where they can discover various organizations and clubs, volunteer projects, resources for leadership development, and fraternities, and sororities. They can meet people with similar interests through the MIC.

California State University - Northridge Accommodation

  • There are 3 types of residence facilities available to the students on campus.
  • First is the Suites at University Park which are for incoming first-year students.
  • The Apartments at the University Park are mainly occupied by incoming first-year students, returning undergraduate students as well as graduate students.
  • The Apartments at the University Village are for students who have dependents, children, spouses or partners.
  • All the residences at the University Park are equipped with free wireless internet facilities and Ethernet, gates with key card access while the Apartments at University Village does not have utilities like internet facilities.
  • To apply for housing students must submit a separate application. This application can be submitted even before admission to the University is confirmed.
  • Applying early is beneficial as housing is provided on a first-come, first-serve basis.

California State University - Northridge Programs

  • California State University 133 disciplines in bachelor’s degrees, 84 master’s degrees, and doctorates in Physical Therapy & Educational Leadership.
  • The popular masters programs at California State University Northridge are taught across 9 colleges.
  • 14 teaching credential programs are also offered by the university in the field of education.

California State University - Northridge Application Process

California State University - Northridge accepts applications from international students for the fall and spring semesters. As an international student, one may have to fulfill additional requirements like English language proficiency and visa procedure.

How to Apply?

The process for admission to California State University has been discussed below:

Application Portal: Online Application

Application Fee: 70 USD

Application Deadline: The application for the Spring semester is available from August 1 while for Fall semester applications are available from October 1. Following table represents the application deadline and document submission deadline:

Semester Application Deadline Document Submission Deadline
Spring October 31 November 15
Fall May 31 June 15

Admission Requirements: International applicants must submit the following documents along with the application for admission:

  • Official transcripts of the required qualifications.
  • Official translation of documents in a language other than English must be submitted.
  • Minimum GPA of 3.0 on 4.0 or grade B
  • Essay and/or SOP for USA
  • Affidavit of Financial Support
  • LOR for USA
  • Copy of passport
  • GRE scores or other graduate examinations
  • English proficiency test scores.

English Proficiency Requirements

The minimum English proficiency test score requirements for admission to courses are tabulated below:

Test  Minimum required score for undergraduates Minimum required score for graduates
Cambridge C1 Advanced English 172 180
DET 95 105
EIKEN CSE – Common Scale for English 2304 (Pre-1) 2630 (1)
GTEC CBT 1125 1200
IELTS 6.0 6.5
iTEP- Academic 3.8 4.0
PTE Academic 50 58
TOEFL- IBT 61 79
TOEFL- PBT 500 550

California State University - Northridge Cost of Attendance

The estimated cost of attendance for undergraduate and graduate students living on campus for the session are given below:

Expenses  Cost per year for undergraduates (USD) Cost per year for graduates (USD)
Tuition and other fees 7,012 8,446 
Books and supplies 1,486  1,486 
Room and board 11,662  11,662
Transportation 1,094  1,094 
Miscellaneous  2,058  2,058 
Loan fees 74  178 
Total 23,386  24,924 

International applicants will incur an additional 396 USD per unit.

California State University - Northridge Scholarships

  • Various on-campus and off-campus scholarships are available to international students.
  • Applications for on-campus scholarships are available from November.
  • Some scholarships available for international students are as follows:
Name of Scholarship Eligibility Criteria Amount Awarded (USD)
Associated Students International Matador Scholarship Awarded to an international applicant enrolled in a full-time program;  Undergraduate applicants with a minimum GPA of 3.0 are eligible;
Graduate applicants with a minimum GPA of 3.5 are eligible.		 3,000
CSUN Alumni Graduate Scholarship Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0;  Applicants must be enrolled in the undergraduate program of at least 12 units or graduate program of 6 units;
Applicants must demonstrate leadership skills and extracurricular activities.		 2,000
Presidential Scholarship Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.5;  Applicant must be a current student who has completed at least 60 units;
Applicants must have a faculty member willing to sponsor a project in the same year.		 10,000
University Scholarship Applicant must be a current CSUN student;  Applicant must complete 24 units by Spring with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 7,500 
  • Some off-campus scholarships can be accessed through Education USA, eduPASS, College Board, InternationalScholarships.com, etc.
  • International students with F-1 and J-1 US student visa are eligible for the work-study program. Under this program, students can work on-campus or off-campus for 20 hours.
  • Common on-campus positions for work-study include student assistant positions, teaching assistant positions, or service in the food court, bookstore, and cafeteria.
  • Students are allowed to work off-campus only in places affiliated with the university.

California State University - Northridge Alumni

Around 360,000 alumni were part of the alumni network of CSUN. Around 11,000 students graduate each year from the university. Some benefits available to the members of the alumni network are as follows:

  • The alumni can make use of the services offered by the Career Centre of CSUN for finding employment opportunities after graduation.
  • They can also access the SRC and the Oviatt Library on the campus which are temporarily closed due to COVID- 19.
  • The class has also been gifted with lifetime memberships of the Alumni Association.
  • Some of the notable alumni include:
    • Eva Longoria- award-winning actress
    • Mohammed Morsi- Fifth President of Egypt
    • Scott J. Horowitz- NASA astronaut
    • Alyson Hannigan- award-winning actress
    • Don Hahn- Golden Globe Award-winning producer

California State University - Northridge Placements

The Career Centre of CSUN offers the students with job search strategies, career exploration, and advertisements. Students can make use of career resources like CareerLink or Handshake to find suitable job opportunities in USA in various fields. Students can also seek career counseling from expert career counselors. Various events like Career Centre Open House, STEM Career Day, job fairs, etc. are conducted by the Career Centre. 

  • The virtual format career fairs take place and uses the Handshake platform for the same.
  • The average salary for California State University Northridge graduates is 75,000 USD.

Financial Services professionals are paid the highest salary of 86,000 USD annually. This is followed by IT & Software Development professionals making 75,000 USD per month.

FAQs

Ques. What are the deadlines for Undergraduate International Admissions at California State University Northridge?

Ans. The application filing period for Fall and Spring Admission is October 1 and August 1 respectively. The deadlines for the Fall semester are May 31 and the Spring semester is October 31.

Ques. What is the cost of living on-campus at California State University Northridge?

Ans. The cost of living on-campus at California State University Northridge for undergraduates is USD 23,386 and graduates are USD 24,924.

Ques. What are the admission requirements for upcoming International Freshmen at CSUN?

Ans. For the admission process, students have to apply at Cal State Apply with a non-refundable fee of USD 70. The admission requirements are official transcripts, proof of English Language Proficiency (TOEFL or other), copy of passport, and Affidavit of Financial Support.

Ques. What are the criteria at CSUN for GMAT/GRE waiver?

Ans. For GMAT/GRE waiver, a student must have the following- Bachelor’s degree with a GPA 3.0- and one-year full-time work experience/professional certification (SHRM, CFA, CPA, PMP)/ MCAT or LSAT scores or Master’s degree with a GPA of 3.2 or more or Terminal degree (MD, Ph.D., JD, DDS, EdD).

Ques. What are the admission requirements for MBA at California State University - Northridge?

Ans. The admission requirements for MBA are English Language Proficiency scores (TOEFL CBT- 213, IELTS- 6.5, PTE – 58), work experience (at least one year), 3.0 GPA in undergraduate or 50 percentile in GMAT (Verbal or Quantitative section), CSU Writing Graduate Assessment requirement by Upper Division Writing Proficiency exam/ 4.0 or higher in GMAT (Analytical Writing Assessment)/ 3.0 or higher in GRE (Analytical Writing section), and MBA Supplemental Application.

Ques. How can I apply for Housing at California State University Northridge?

Ans. To apply for Student Housing students must apply before being accepted to the University from their myNorthridge Portal account.

Ques. What are the deadlines for International Graduate Admissions at CSUN?

Ans. For Fall admission the filing begins on October 1 and the deadline is May 31. The application filing period for Spring is August 1 and the deadline is October 31.

Ques. What are the English Language Proficiency requirements for graduate programs?

Ans. The student can submit either of these test scores as proof of English Language Proficiency: TOEFL iBT- 79, TOEFL PBT- 550, PTE Academic- 58, DET- 105, iTEP Academic- 4.0, EIKEN CSE- 2630(1), Cambridge C1 Advanced English- 180, GTEC CBT- 1200.

Ques. What is the GPA requirement for International Freshman admissions at CSUN?

Ans. A student must have a GPA of 3.0/4.0 or an average grade of ‘B’ within the grades of A-F.

Ques. I am an International Transfer Student. What are the requirements for my admission to CSUN?

Ans. As an International Transfer Student, all the requirements for International Freshman must be met. Moreover, 60 transferable credits, 2.0/4.0 GPA, General Education Mathematics course with grade ‘C’ or better, and proof of English Language Proficiency are required.