Cost & financial aid brief
California State University-Northridge Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does CSUN cost after financial aid?
The average net price at California State University-Northridge is $7,021, which runs below the peer median of $15,634 among comparable institutions (same type and size) by $8,613. That places the affordability pillar in the 97th percentile nationally.
Aid covers about 66% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an offset of $13,464 against the sticker total of $20,485. The pricing structure concentrates the largest discounts on the lowest-income families.
The average net price is $4,905 for the under-$30,000 band, $5,450 for $30,001–$48,000, $7,744 for $48,001–$75,000, $11,262 for $75,001–$110,000, and $18,040 for families earning over $110,000. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $13,135.
California State University-Northridge publishes a cost of attendance of $20,485. For families earning under $30,000, the average net price is $4,905.
The average net price for families earning $48,001–$75,000 is $7,744, and for families earning over $110,000 it is $18,040. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $13,135.
Azimuth ranks the university #46 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Aid covers about 66% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an average offset of $13,464.
The average net price across all aid recipients is $7,021. Among comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median net price is $15,634, which places California State University-Northridge below by $8,613.
The median federal student loan debt at completion is $13,872, with about 48.0% of federal aid recipients borrowing. That median is below the peer median of $20,076 by $6,204.
For parent borrowers, the median Parent PLUS borrowing is $13,522. If repaid over ten years, the estimated monthly payment on the median federal debt is $158.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
Federal-loan borrowers who complete a degree at California State University-Northridge carry a median debt of $13,872. About 48.0% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans.
The university's median is below the $20,076 median for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $6,204. Parent borrowers, a separate population, take on a median Parent PLUS loan of $13,522.
Graduates of California State University-Northridge earn about $12,735 more than expects for similar students, an outcome in the 88th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Four years after completion, federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled show median earnings of $59,664, a level in the 50th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
That figure is below the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $5,946. Earnings scenarios from the program mix include a typical outcome of $59,664, a downside scenario of $46,955, and an upside scenario of $86,119.
All three are earnings scenarios, not observed percentiles. The median federal debt among borrowers who complete is $13,872, a balance below the $20,076 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, the estimated monthly payment is $158.
Median Parent PLUS borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $13,522. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $158.
Repayment figures are in the Financial GPS card below. Borrowing populations and model assumptions.
Parent loans: what can the family afford?
How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families
- Median Parent PLUS debt
- $13,522
- Estimated parent payment
- $172/mo
| Household income | Share of income above basic expenses | Risk level |
|---|---|---|
| $35,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $50,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $75,000 | 10.1% | High pressure |
| $100,000 | 4.5% | Safe |
| $150,000 | 2.2% | Safe |
| $200,000 | 1.4% | Safe |
The 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS balance, as a share of household income above basic expenses ($54,640 a year: 200% of the 2026 federal poverty guideline for a household of three). No room is High pressure. Open the parent tool for your own numbers. Read the assumptions and limits.
Student and parent loans: the monthly payments
Financial GPS
What does repayment look like?
- Institution median student debt
- $13,872
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $13,522
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $158/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $172/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $330/mo
Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.
Student payment as a share of available income
At median graduate earnings of $59,664, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:
5.3% of income above the allowance · Excellent
- Excellent Under 8% · selected scenario
- Good 8–under 12%
- Concerning 12–20%
- High risk Over 20%
How this estimate works
The income spectrum compares the estimated student payment with the income left after the selected annual expense allowance. Changing the earnings scenario or allowance changes that comparison; parent payments are not included in this calculation.
The earnings choices are planning scenarios, not observed earnings percentiles or predictions of an individual graduate’s pay. The allowance is an adjustable model input, not a verified budget for your household.
Read the result as a comparison under those assumptions, not a guarantee that a payment is affordable.
Payment assumptions
Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.
Federal student and Parent PLUS borrowing figures do not capture all private education loans. A federal balance therefore should not be described as a family’s complete borrowing total.
Annual loan awards in a Common Data Set, when available, answer a different question from accumulated borrower debt. Compare amounts only after identifying the loan type, reporting period and population; annual school-wide awards cannot be added to a median borrower balance.
Data & methodology
Sources and reporting periods: methodology.
Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.
Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.
Figure notes link to sources and limitations. About College Azimuth.
Net price and borrowing. The 2023–24 income-band averages include living costs and cover eligible first-time, full-time aid recipients; public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. They are not individual aid offers. Peer matching supplies overall net prices, not matched income-band averages. College Scorecard data and documentation.
A personal student-risk assessment also needs your major and borrowing plan; these school-level illustrations do not assign you a personal risk zone.
Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. Private-loan figures from the Common Data Set are separate from these federal repayment illustrations.