What is the acceptance rate at California State University-Sacramento?

California State University-Sacramento's acceptance rate is approximately 94% (Sacramento, CA), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.

How much does California State University-Sacramento cost?

At California State University-Sacramento, the average net price (after aid) is about $9,338 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.

How many undergraduates attend California State University-Sacramento?

California State University-Sacramento enrolls approximately 28,350 undergraduate students.

Where is California State University-Sacramento located?

California State University-Sacramento is located in Sacramento, CA.

California State University-Sacramento: Acceptance Rate, SAT & Cost — QuantAdmit

← All schools

California State University-Sacramento

Sacramento, CApubliccsus.edu

Acceptance

94%

Avg net price

$9,338

Earnings (10 yr)

$64,876

Graduation rate

56%

Admit rate has ranged 82%–94% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.

Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.

California State University-Sacramento (Sac State) is a sprawling public university that serves as the capital city’s academic anchor, combining accessibility with surprising strengths in nursing, engineering, and social work. With a 93% acceptance rate and a median alumni salary of $42,434, it’s a practical choice for first-gen students and career-focused learners who thrive in its scrappy, wildlife-dotted campus (yes, turkeys and coyotes roam freely). Recent graduation rate improvements—from 8.5% to 30.3% in four years—signal a university hustling to shed its commuter-school reputation.

Admission requirements

Test-blind — scores not considered

Required

High school transcript
Grade point average
College-prep program
TOEFL (non-native English)

Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.

More details

Undergrad enrollment: 28,350
In-state tuition: $8,018
Out-of-state tuition: $20,618
Wildlife Quirk: Turkeys & coyotes on campus
Acceptance Rate: 93%
Notable Programs: Nursing, Social Work, Civil Engineering
Four-Year Grad Rate: 30.3%
Application Deadline: Dec 15 (May 1 alternate)
Median Alumni Salary: $42,434
Financial Aid Recipients: 70-79%

Outcomes & value

Median earnings (10 yr): $64,876
Value (earnings ÷ net price): 6.9×
Median debt at graduation: $15,000
Graduation rate: 56%
First-year retention: 82%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr): 66%
Pell (lower-income) share: 81%
First-generation share: 49%
Endowment / student: $3,044

Top-earning majors

Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$108,495
Construction Engineering$80,779
Computer Engineering$78,343
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$70,596
Computer Science$67,240
Civil Engineering

Campus & location

Campus safety

On-campus violent crimes (2024): 17
Per 1,000 students: 0.60

On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.

Climate

Pleasant days / yr: 108
Summer high: 95°F
Winter low: 40°F
Annual rain: 23.9"
Natural-hazard risk: Relatively High

Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.

Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility

Research output

Institutional h-index: 192
Scholarly works: 11,598

Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.

Economic mobility

Mobility rate: 3.3%
Bottom → top quintile: 32%
From bottom quintile: 10%

Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.

Quick answers

What is the acceptance rate at California State University-Sacramento?: California State University-Sacramento's acceptance rate is approximately 94% (Sacramento, CA), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
How much does California State University-Sacramento cost?: At California State University-Sacramento, the average net price (after aid) is about $9,338 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend California State University-Sacramento?: California State University-Sacramento enrolls approximately 28,350 undergraduate students.
Where is California State University-Sacramento located?: California State University-Sacramento is located in Sacramento, CA.

Admissions

Sac State is one of the most accessible CSU campuses, with a 93% acceptance rate (per multiple sources, including [BigFuture](https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/colleges/california-state-university-sacramento/admissions) and [Niche](https://www.niche.com/colleges/california-state-university-sacramento/admissions/)). The university no longer considers SAT/ACT scores for admission ([Sac State’s freshman process page](https://www.csus.edu/apply/admissions/application-process/freshman-process.html)), aligning with the CSU system’s test-blind policy. While selectivity is minimal, the average admitted student historically had an SAT range of 880–1100 or ACT range of 16–24 ([PrepScholar](https://www.prepscholar.com/sat/s/colleges/Cal-State-Sacramento-sat-scores-GPA)), though these metrics are now defunct. The regular application deadline is December 15 ([BigFuture](https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/colleges/california-state-university-sacramento/admissions)), but some sources note a May 1 cutoff ([U.S. News](https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/california-state-university-sacramento-1150/applying)).

bigfuture.collegeboard.org niche.com csus.edu prepscholar.com usnews.com