1.  [College research](/)
2.  /
3.  [California State University-Sacramento](/school/california-state-university-sacramento/)
4.  /
5.  Admissions & selectivity

Admissions & selectivity

Copy linkPrint brief

# California State University-Sacramento Acceptance Rate & Admissions

Updated October 1, 2026

[Overview](/school/california-state-university-sacramento/)[Cost & aid](/school/california-state-university-sacramento/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/california-state-university-sacramento/outcomes/)Admissions[Majors](/school/california-state-university-sacramento/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/california-state-university-sacramento/similar/)

**On this page**+

## What is the acceptance rate at Sac State?

Sac State’s reported acceptance rate is 94.0%.

**Acceptance rate · Fall 2024**
94.0%

Source: College Scorecard · Fall 2024 admissions. Acceptance rates can change from year to year; this figure does not predict the current or next admission cycle.

First-year applicants and admitted students · CDS 2025-26

**Applicants**
26,342

**Admitted**
24,648

Source: California State University-Sacramento Common Data Set 2025-26, C1 · first-time, first-year students.

How to interpret the acceptance rate

California State University-Sacramento admits 94.0% of applicants, above the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university received 26,342 first-year applications, admitted 24,648, and enrolled 3,742.

## What SAT and ACT scores do Sac State students report?

SAT and ACT ranges are not available for Sac State in the data shown here. Missing scores do not establish whether tests are required, optional or excluded from review.

Figures cover fall 2024.

## Who enrolls at Sac State?

**Pell Grant recipients**
49.1%

**Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group**
53.5%

**First-year retention**
81.9%

Retention source: College Scorecard; full-time first-year retention.

About these student measures

The entering-student group includes part-time entrants as well as other attendance patterns.

California State University-Sacramento is a public university that enrolled 28,350 undergraduates. Pell Grant recipients make up 49.1% of undergraduates, and an estimated 53.5% of students enter as transfers, reflecting a campus that serves a broad mix of traditional and continuing students.

In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 26,342 first-year applicants, 24,648 admitted, and 3,742 enrolled. The average high-school GPA of enrolled first-year students was 3.38, with 99.6% of the entering class reporting a GPA.

Applicants who are Pell-eligible or considering transferring should review the university's articulation agreements and financial aid timeline early, as the large transfer population suggests well-established pathways from California community colleges.

California State University-Sacramento reports a first-year retention rate of 81.9%, which sits just below the peer median of 83.1% for comparable institutions. Its [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the first-time full-time cohort is 56.3%, compared with a peer median of 65.0%.

Pell Grant recipients in the first-time full-time cohort complete at a rate of 63.8%, which is above the overall six-year rate by 7.5 percentage points. Enrolled students can expect a supportive environment that keeps most first-year students enrolled, and Pell recipients in particular graduate at a higher rate than that cohort overall.

## Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Admission rates describe past applicants, not an individual’s chance of admission; confirm requirements and deadlines with the institution.

Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).