California State University-Sacramento

Public · Moderately Selective · CA

Photo: Ronbo76 (CC BY-SA 3.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationCA · West

SettingUrban

Undergrads28,350

Student:faculty24:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate28.1%

6-yr grad rate56.3%

Drop-out rate18.1%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$8k

Out-of-state tuition$21k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity77.5%

Gender diversity55%

International1.6%

Identity—

Overview

California State University-Sacramento, commonly called Sac State, is a public university in California's capital city, a setting that shapes much of its academic identity and internship culture. The campus sits along the tree-lined American River, giving it a reputation as one of the greener urban campuses in the Cal State system, and its Hornets athletics compete in the Big Sky Conference, an unusual regional-conference fit for a California school.

Academics

The capital location gives students unusually direct access to state-government internships and career pathways in public policy, alongside solid, practically oriented programs in business, criminal justice, nursing, and engineering. Sacramento State is also the broadcast license holder behind Capital Public Radio, giving communications and journalism students a genuine working public-radio newsroom connected directly to campus rather than a purely simulated one.

Campus & student life

The American River corridor running through campus supports outdoor recreation like running and cycling trails immediately accessible from student housing, a contrast to the more purely urban feel of some other Cal State campuses. Hornets football and the broader Big Sky athletics community give the campus a more traditional college-sports rhythm than many commuter-heavy Cal State schools.

Getting in

Admission follows the standard Cal State access model, with eligibility and transcript review mattering far more than essays or interviews. Public policy and government-adjacent programs sometimes attract students specifically because of the internship pipeline, which functions as a meaningful unofficial draw even though it plays no formal role in admission decisions.

After graduation

Public policy, government, and public-administration career pipelines are a distinct local strength given the proximity to the state capitol and state agencies, with many students transitioning directly from internships into entry-level state jobs. Communications and journalism graduates benefit from the CapRadio connection, and business and nursing graduates fill regional Sacramento-area employer needs.

Worth knowing

Students interested in public policy, government affairs, or state administration should weigh Sac State's capital-city location heavily, since the internship and early-career pipeline into state government is a genuine structural advantage that few other California public universities can offer as directly.

csus.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate94%

Enrolled mid-50%—

Test policynot used

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Regular decisionDec 15

AdmissionRolling

Verified from the school’s admissions page ↗

Applying (2026-27 cycle)

Apply through Cal State Apply.

Sacramento State has a single fall application filing period (August 1 through December 15, 2026) with no separate early action or early decision plan.

Verified from the school’s admissions pages ↗