Sonoma State vs California State University-San Bernardino (CSUSB)

Sonoma State University and California State University-San Bernardino, both esteemed institutions within the California State University system, offer distinct educational experiences. Sonoma State, nestled in the heart of Sonoma County, boasts a higher acceptance rate and a smaller student body, fostering a close-knit community. In contrast, Cal State San Bernardino, located in the vibrant Inland Empire, accommodates a larger and more diverse student population. While Sonoma State excels in liberal arts and sciences, Cal State San Bernardino shines in business and management. Both universities offer excellent graduation rates, ensuring that students are well-prepared for their future endeavors. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details and discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	California State University-San Bernardino	Sonoma State University
Overview
Location	San Bernardino, California	Rohnert Park, California
Campus setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
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	78.0%	83.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	91.0%	93.7%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $70	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $70
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	13,057	10,598
Total number of admissions given out	11,878	9,934
Admitted students who chose to enroll	2,001	822
Yield rate	16.8%	8.3%
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	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $28,409 Out of state: $40,289	In state: $29,478 Out of state: $41,358
Average net price	$3,254	$7,055
Tuition	In state: $5,742 Out of state: $17,622	In state: $5,742 Out of state: $17,622
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,644 Meal plan: $3,000	Room/dormitory: $7,798 Meal plan: $5,878
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	87.0% Average amount $10,157	68.0% Average amount $8,547
Students receiving federal student loan	12.0% Average amount $4,553	21.0% Average amount $4,719
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $8,949	0.0% Average amount $18,070

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	16,858 Men 37.6% Women 62.4%	6,587 Men 37.9% Women 62.1%
Graduate students	2,656 Men 32.9% Women 67.1%	784 Men 31.1% Women 68.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	0.6%	2.6%
International students	5.4%	2.9%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,482	3,389
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Arizona Hawaii Minnesota	California Washington Colorado Arizona Utah

Academics
Popular study areas	Public Administration and Social Service Liberal Arts Health Professions Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Education	Social Sciences Liberal Arts Biological and Biomedical Sciences Health Professions Business
Students to faculty ratio	25:1	20:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	57.0%	59.9%
Dropout rate	36.1%	30.5%
Transferred out	1.2%	8.0%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $79,025 Year 2: $88,739 Year 3: $91,007 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $91,100 Year 2: $86,356 Year 3: $89,781 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $76,052 Year 2: $72,214 Year 3: $79,205 Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $63,968 Year 2: $65,066 Year 3: $71,975 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $67,962 Year 2: $64,358 Year 3: $68,388 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,267 Year 2: $58,221 Year 3: $66,764 Public Administration (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $55,496 Year 2: $52,524 Year 3: $66,429 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,356 Year 2: $56,867 Year 3: $64,336 Social Work (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $55,681 Year 2: $58,503 Year 3: $63,478 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,337 Year 2: $46,966 Year 3: $58,366	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $110,859 Year 2: $110,432 Year 3: $118,191 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $129,308 Year 2: $115,339 Year 3: $116,301 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,348 Year 2: $77,715 Year 3: $96,409 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $90,911 Year 2: $83,768 Year 3: $88,425 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $58,796 Year 2: $59,576 Year 3: $66,139 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,814 Year 2: $55,512 Year 3: $65,608 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $48,133 Year 2: $54,320 Year 3: $59,449 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $44,635 Year 2: $51,750 Year 3: $52,481 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,504 Year 2: $39,009 Year 3: $47,193 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,432 Year 2: $37,424 Year 3: $46,935

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