California State University-Sacramento
Sacramento, California · Also known as Sacramento State · Website
$64,876
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$64,876
median earnings, 10 years after starting
California State University-Sacramento is a public 4-year college in Sacramento, California with 28,350 undergraduates and 3,123 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $9,338 a year (tuition and fees $8,018 in-state, $20,618 out-of-state). It admits 94% of applicants and 56% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $64,876 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $15,000 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$9,338
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$8,018
Out-of-state $20,618
Admission rate
94%
US median 78%
Completion rate
56%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$15,000
About $159 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$64,876
Rank 540 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $9,338
- Tuition in-state
- $8,018
- Tuition out-of-state
- $20,618
- Cost of attendance
- $22,945
- Students with a need-based grant
- 49%
- Students with federal loans
- 23%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $6,501
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $7,001
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $9,212
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $11,814
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $18,861
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $6,872 in 2015-16 to $8,018 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 94%
- Undergraduates
- 28,350
- Graduate students
- 3,123
- Part-time students
- 19%
- Women
- 55%
- Students per teacher
- 24
- Completion rate
- 56%
- Retention rate
- 82%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 116
- Endowment
- $86.3M
- Other
- Hispanic-serving
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 540 of 5,094 US colleges and 88 of 494 in California (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | CA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $9,338 | $20,161 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $8,018 | $8,086 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 94% | 76% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 56% | 64% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 82% | 80% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $15,000 | $11,537 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $51,074 | $36,048 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $64,876 | $41,472 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 66% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 77% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
116 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 1,005 | $13,490 | $48,492 | $67,636 | $68,257 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 636 | $15,000 | $32,603 | $53,237 | $50,706 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 539 | $13,138 | $38,606 | $62,583 | $55,378 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 424 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 416 | $14,979 | $44,162 | $67,182 | $61,296 |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 400 | $15,000 | $39,304 | $59,404 | $56,359 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 318 | $17,000 | $31,901 | $59,142 | $54,562 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 307 | $14,900 | $37,192 | $61,775 | $57,214 |
| SociologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 301 | $14,975 | $37,040 | $56,886 | $52,657 |
| Computer ScienceBachelor's | Bachelor's | 267 | $15,004 | $60,028 | $92,519 | $107,009 |
| Social WorkBachelor's | Bachelor's | 186 | $16,750 | $37,290 | $58,280 | $51,790 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 181 | $13,750 | $116,001 | $129,960 | $88,910 |
| Mechanical EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 180 | $16,532 | $66,462 | $93,878 | $92,135 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's | Master's | 180 | $33,324 | $87,291 | $116,033 | $103,485 |
| Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's | Bachelor's | 172 | $15,850 | $36,189 | $60,278 | $63,293 |
| Public HealthBachelor's | Bachelor's | 171 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| EconomicsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 167 | $15,493 | $49,312 | $70,290 | $82,686 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 150 | $15,000 | $30,286 | $56,637 | $53,072 |
| Civil EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 145 | $18,000 | $71,342 | $93,973 | $86,517 |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 140 | $15,000 | $32,531 | $50,680 | $48,590 |
| HistoryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 136 | $18,471 | $32,596 | $55,797 | $50,680 |
| Education, GeneralMaster's | Master's | 131 | $38,810 | $77,526 | $102,444 | $65,824 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 97 | $16,250 | $22,915 | $63,013 | $58,928 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 95 | $16,500 | $74,450 | $103,512 | $100,647 |
| Nutrition SciencesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 89 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Sacramento and California on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in California
- Homes: Homes for sale in California
Questions and answers
How much does California State University-Sacramento cost?
$9,338 a year is the average net price at California State University-Sacramento after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $8,018 for in-state students and $20,618 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $22,945. Families earning under $30,000 pay $6,501 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at California State University-Sacramento?
94% of applicants are admitted to California State University-Sacramento. The median admission rate of colleges in California is 76%.
How much do California State University-Sacramento graduates earn?
$64,876 a year is the median pay of former California State University-Sacramento students who work, 10 years after they started ($51,074 after 6 years). That ranks 540 of 5,094 US colleges and 88 of 494 in California. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's) at $116,001.
How much student debt do California State University-Sacramento graduates have?
$15,000 is the median federal student loan debt of California State University-Sacramento graduates, about $159 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 23% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at California State University-Sacramento?
56% of first-time, full-time students at California State University-Sacramento finish within 6 years. 82% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at California State University-Sacramento?
Business Administration, Management and Operations (1,005 bachelor's graduates), Psychology, General (636 bachelor's graduates), Criminal Justice and Corrections (539 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 116 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.