Northern Arizona University (NAU) vs Cal Poly Pomona

Northern Arizona University (NAU) and California State Polytechnic University-Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona) are two distinct universities with unique offerings. NAU, located in Flagstaff, Arizona, boasts a higher acceptance rate (84%) compared to Cal Poly Pomona's 48%. NAU's student body is more diverse, with a larger population of female students and a higher percentage of Hispanic students. Cal Poly Pomona, situated in Pomona, California, has a higher graduation rate (69%) than NAU's 60%. Both universities offer a wide range of popular majors, including engineering, business, and nursing. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more key differences between these two institutions and make an informed decision about which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona logo

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona

Northern Arizona University logo

Northern Arizona University

Overview

Location Pomona, California Flagstaff, Arizona
Campus setting Suburb: Large City: Small
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 88.0% 74.0%
Common app member No No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 60.6% 78.4%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $70
Undergraduate: $25

Graduate: $65
SAT range N/A N/A
ACT range N/A N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants 41,226 42,872
Total number of admissions given out 24,993 33,592
Admitted students who chose to enroll 3,463 5,297
Yield rate 13.9% 15.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $25,835

Out of state: $37,715
In state: $28,430

Out of state: $43,176
Average net price $12,942 $16,059
Tuition
In state: $5,742

Out of state: $17,622
In state: $10,650

Out of state: $25,396
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $10,980

Meal plan: $5,590
Room/dormitory: $6,000

Meal plan: $5,338
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Guaranteed tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

76.0%
Average amount $9,025
97.0%
Average amount $12,922
Students receiving federal student loan 17.0%
Average amount $4,805
34.0%
Average amount $5,314
Students taking out private loans 1.0%
Average amount $12,608
4.0%
Average amount $13,306

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 26,974
Men 53.5% Women 46.5%
24,162
Men 37.0% Women 63.0%
Graduate students 2,482
Men 47.3% Women 52.7%
4,549
Men 32.1% Women 67.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students 0.8% 31.9%
International students 4.6% 2.2%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large City: Small
Dormitory capacity 4,128 9,853
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from California Washington Oregon Guam Hawaii Arizona California Colorado Nevada New Mexico

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Social Sciences
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Architecture
  • Education
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Public Administration and Social Service
Students to faculty ratio 28:1 21:1
Institutional accreditation Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 70.2% 59.0%
Dropout rate 23.1% 40.0%
Transferred out 1.7% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $85,357
  • Year 3: $96,966
Construction Engineering Technologies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $75,286
  • Year 2: $77,329
  • Year 3: $89,517
Civil Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $72,891
  • Year 2: $72,650
  • Year 3: $86,380
Engineering Technology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $63,005
  • Year 3: $82,880
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $68,110
  • Year 2: $69,930
  • Year 3: $81,209
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $68,168
  • Year 2: $67,918
  • Year 3: $79,792
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $65,611
  • Year 2: $63,501
  • Year 3: $76,900
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,217
  • Year 2: $64,394
  • Year 3: $76,474
Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,215
  • Year 2: $68,305
  • Year 3: $76,397
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $70,663
  • Year 2: $64,087
  • Year 3: $76,106
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $94,560
  • Year 2: $101,406
  • Year 3: $108,112
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $100,716
  • Year 2: $92,632
  • Year 3: $96,135
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $80,374
  • Year 2: $79,081
  • Year 3: $89,768
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $69,244
  • Year 2: $76,117
  • Year 3: $81,532
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,225
  • Year 2: $74,890
  • Year 3: $79,106
Construction Management (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,718
  • Year 2: $68,219
  • Year 3: $75,432
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,725
  • Year 2: $71,183
  • Year 3: $71,928
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,840
  • Year 2: $59,350
  • Year 3: $70,793
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,911
  • Year 2: $65,042
  • Year 3: $70,433
Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,712
  • Year 2: $54,252
  • Year 3: $68,199

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