B
Good
Score: 62/100
Overall (traditional)
C+
Outcome Rating
64/100 · earnings-weighted

California State University-Sacramento

4-Year Public
📍 Sacramento, California 95819
California State University-Sacramento campus, Sacramento, CA
California State University-Sacramento campus, Sacramento, CA. Photo: DevinCook at English Wikipedia, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
Outcomes
B
72/100
Affordability
B
72/100
Resources
C
45/100
Experience
B+
77/100
Prestige
C
46/100

Two ratings: the overall grade compares colleges the conventional way (outcomes, cost, resources, experience, reputation). The Outcome Rating asks what students earn: 60% wage-adjusted earnings 10 years after enrolling, 25% graduation, 15% retention. Methodology

Quick Stats

31,172
Total Enrollment
56%
Graduation Rate
81%
Retention Rate
21.0:1
Student-Faculty Ratio
94%
Acceptance Rate
$11,183
Avg Net Price
🏠 Housing Market Near California State University-Sacramento ▼

21% of first-year students live off campus and not with family (U.S. Dept. of Education, IPEDS). Upper-year students at most universities move off campus at much higher rates, so near-campus rental demand is typically larger than this figure suggests.

Avg Home Value
$761,198
Avg Monthly Rent
$2,414
1-Year Change
+5.0%

Earnings, Debt & Completion

What happens to students who enroll at California State University-Sacramento, from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

$64,876
Median earnings 10 yrs after entry
$51,074
Median earnings 6 yrs after entry
$15,000
Median debt at graduation
56.3%
Completion rate (within 150% of normal time)
49.1%
Students receiving Pell grants

Typical debt at graduation equals about 23% of one year’s median earnings ten years after entry.

Earnings rank: 63rd percentile among bachelor’s-degree-focused colleges after a partial adjustment for local wage levels (CA wage index 1.21). This drives the Outcome Rating.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, retrieved Oct 2026. Earnings are for federally aided students who enrolled, whether or not they graduated.

Earnings by Major at California State University-Sacramento

Median pay of bachelor's degree graduates by field of study, and how each program ranks against every college reporting that major — by raw pay and adjusted for state wage levels. Same school, very different paychecks.

Major1 yr after4 yrs aftervs. nationalRank (pay)Rank (wage-adj.)Median debt
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$116,001$129,960+46%#11 of 966#16$13,750
Construction Engineering$90,836$114,594+18%#2 of 13#6$14,514
Computer Engineering$66,266$104,394-4%#102 of 189#148$17,500
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$74,450$103,512+3%#74 of 258#204$16,500
Civil Engineering$71,342$93,973+9%#26 of 233#133$18,000
Mechanical Engineering$66,462$93,878+2%#108 of 318#264$16,532
Computer Science$60,028$92,519-14%#223 of 349#282$15,004
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas—$82,062+60%#1 of 345#4—
Geography and Cartography$48,227$75,234+30%#8 of 117#15$15,974
Chemistry$42,581$74,430+14%#44 of 209#89$26,263
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences—$73,418+22%#10 of 138#33$15,000
Economics$49,312$70,290-15%#269 of 368#309$15,493
Natural Resources Conservation and Research$37,308$67,795+23%#26 of 265#49$20,000
Business Administration, Management and Operations$48,492$67,636-1%#456 of 1176#769$13,490
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences$44,162$67,182+10%#45 of 156#63$14,979
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology$46,689$66,885+2%#51 of 110#77$16,500
Philosophy$29,326$65,115+20%#18 of 86#32$14,753
Physics—$64,133-16%#100 of 107#104—
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services$22,915$63,013+7%#53 of 215#150$16,250
Criminal Justice and Corrections$38,606$62,583+13%#90 of 660#294$13,138
Biology$37,192$61,775+8%#282 of 841#499$14,900
Interior Architecture$50,108$61,410+2%#10 of 17#15$16,500
Gerontology$38,461$60,868+13%#2 of 6#3$19,831
Political Science and Government$36,189$60,278-5%#314 of 565#437$15,850
Communication and Media Studies$39,304$59,404+5%#186 of 660#340$15,000
Mathematics$30,851$59,162-15%#256 of 309#290$16,716
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness$31,901$59,142+8%#134 of 610#327$17,000
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies$40,338$59,041+16%#8 of 63#22$19,181
Social Work$37,290$58,280+13%#76 of 420#217$16,750
Sociology$37,040$56,886+8%#128 of 462#238$14,975
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities$30,286$56,637+7%#150 of 476#279$15,000
Social Sciences$39,061$56,363+6%#31 of 87#50$16,097
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies$30,628$56,188+9%#29 of 103#44$15,000
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences$33,869$55,830+15%#5 of 49#16$13,750
History$32,596$55,797+10%#118 of 459#233$18,471
Special Education and Teaching$33,783$55,146+9%#52 of 177#122$16,500
Design and Applied Arts$32,240$53,871+5%#137 of 299#190$15,750
Psychology$32,603$53,237+5%#340 of 1027#644$15,000
Journalism$30,644$53,145-6%#116 of 187#158$20,000
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics$34,117$52,028-5%#161 of 225#197$18,000
English Language and Literature$32,531$50,680+4%#225 of 576#381$15,000
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services$31,950$49,847+3%#66 of 172#130$15,625
Anthropology$32,460$48,367+4%#74 of 188#124$18,750
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft$23,000$47,676+20%#27 of 255#76$16,396
Music$25,391$42,774+-0%#145 of 268#199$19,241
Film/Video and Photographic Arts$24,618$42,392-3%#92 of 144#116$15,568
Fine and Studio Arts$20,203$41,969+1%#200 of 423#306$15,173
Apparel and Textiles$26,968—————

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study data. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid and were working; small programs are not reported.

For parents & investors

The California State University-Sacramento Town Property Report

  • Avg home value near campus: $761,198
  • Avg rent near campus: $2,414/mo — vs ~$912/mo campus room rate
  • Top nearby ZIP by cap rate: 95820 (4.2% cap, Sacramento)

Get the free 1-page report: rent-vs-dorm math, the 3 best nearby ZIPs by yield, and the “kiddie condo” strategy parents use.

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🏆 Where California State University-Sacramento Ranks

Rankings based on Repit College Grade among schools offering each program.

#11
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General
of 100 schools
#13
Criminal Justice/Safety Studies
of 100 schools
#13
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General
of 94 schools
#13
Communication Sciences and Disorders, General
of 96 schools
#14
Early Childhood Education and Teaching
of 100 schools
#30
Business Administration and Management, General
of 100 schools
#30
Education, General
of 100 schools

Costs & Financial Aid

Tuition & Fees

Category In-State Out-of-State
Tuition $5,742 $17,622
Room $8,208
Board $5,696
Total Cost (On-Campus) $29,418 $41,298

Financial Aid

85%
Receive Any Aid
56%
Receive Pell Grants
25%
Take Out Loans
$11,183
Avg Net Price

Net Price by Family Income

Family Income Average Net Price
$0 - $30,000$7,306
$30,001 - $48,000$8,214
$48,001 - $75,000$10,861
$75,001 - $110,000$14,618
$110,001+$20,649

Programs & Career Paths

Top Degree Programs

Programs ranked by number of degrees awarded annually.

Business Administration and Management, General 1,256 grads/yr Psychology, General 655 grads/yr Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General 632 grads/yr Criminal Justice/Safety Studies 564 grads/yr Computer Science 390 grads/yr Speech Communication and Rhetoric 376 grads/yr Early Childhood Education and Teaching 350 grads/yr Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General 300 grads/yr Sociology, General 293 grads/yr Biology/Biological Sciences, General 287 grads/yr Social Work 254 grads/yr Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse 245 grads/yr Political Science and Government, General 193 grads/yr Public Health, General 172 grads/yr Civil Engineering, General 168 grads/yr English Language and Literature, General 164 grads/yr Mechanical Engineering 153 grads/yr Education, General 151 grads/yr Communication Sciences and Disorders, General 147 grads/yr Economics, General 144 grads/yr

Related Career Paths

Careers that graduates from California State University-Sacramento's top programs commonly pursue.

Chief executives
$206k/yr 309,400 jobs
Compensation and benefits managers
$140k/yr 20,900 jobs
Human resources managers
$140k/yr 221,900 jobs
Sales managers
$138k/yr 619,500 jobs
Managers, all other
$137k/yr 1,333,700 jobs
Training and development managers
$127k/yr 46,400 jobs
Industrial production managers
$121k/yr 241,900 jobs
Administrative services managers
$108k/yr 271,200 jobs

Student Demographics

31,172
Total Students
56%
Women
77%
Traditional Age (18-24)
21%
Off-Campus Renters

👥 Race & Ethnicity

White 23%
Hispanic 38%
Black 6%
Asian 21%
Two or More 6%
Non-Resident 2%

🏠 Living Arrangements

On Campus 33%
Off-Campus (Renters) 21%
With Family 46%
🏘️ Rental Demand: ~6,608 students need off-campus housing

💻 Learning Mode

In-Person 46%
Hybrid (Some Online) 47%
Fully Online 7%

📊 Age Distribution

18-24 (Traditional) 77%
25-64 (Adult) 21%

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the acceptance rate at California State University-Sacramento?
California State University-Sacramento has an acceptance rate of 94%. This indicates a less selective admissions process with good chances for qualified applicants.
How much does it cost to attend California State University-Sacramento?
Tuition at California State University-Sacramento is $5,742 for in-state students and $17,622 for out-of-state students . However, the average net price after financial aid is $11,183.
What is the graduation rate at California State University-Sacramento?
The graduation rate at California State University-Sacramento is 56%. This graduation rate is below average. Consider factors like program type and student demographics when evaluating.
Is California State University-Sacramento a good school?
California State University-Sacramento has a Repit College Score of 62/100 (Grade: B). Our rating evaluates five key factors:
  • Outcomes (B): Graduation and retention rates
  • Affordability (B): Net cost and financial aid access
  • Resources (C): Class sizes and selectivity
  • Experience (B+): Campus life and learning format
  • Prestige (C): Reputation and recognition
How many students attend California State University-Sacramento?
California State University-Sacramento has a total enrollment of 31,172 students. Most students (77%) are traditional college-age (18-24).
Is there rental demand near California State University-Sacramento?
Yes! Approximately 21% of students at California State University-Sacramento live off-campus (not with family). That's roughly 6,608 students who need rental housing near campus. This represents significant rental demand, which affects housing availability and pricing in the Sacramento area.

Deciding between a dorm and buying near campus? Run the numbers for California State University-Sacramento — four years of dorm costs vs. owning, including what you’d recover at resale. Buy vs Dorm calculator →

🎓 Similar Colleges to California State University-Sacramento

Compare with other 4-Year public institutions of similar size.

B
California State University-Northridge
Northridge, CA · 37,760 students
B
California State University-San Bernardino
San Bernardino, CA · 18,925 students
B
California State University-Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA · 15,181 students
C+
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA · 23,908 students
C+
California State University-San Marcos
San Marcos, CA · 15,431 students
C+
California State University-Chico
Chico, CA · 14,523 students

Data source: IPEDS 2023-24 | Last updated: October 2026 | Methodology