Catholic School CompassTrue north for Catholic families.
California State University-Northridge: CSUN Manzanita Hall corridor
Photo: Busition, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

College · Catholic life on campus

California State University-Northridge

  • LocationNorthridge, CA
  • Type and sizePublic · 4-year · 37,760 students
Official website

California State University-Northridge is not a Catholic college. This rating measures Catholic life on campus: campus ministry, priests, Mass and confession, student groups, and nearby parishes.

CSUN's fall 2026 student organization directory lists other religious groups.

Catholic churches nearby

Map of California State University-Northridge, its Catholic center and nearby Catholic churches1 mi2 mi3 miOur Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church: 0.6 mi1St. Catherine of Siena Church: 2.7 mi2Saint John Baptist De La Salle Church: 2.7 mi3St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish Center: 2.7 mi4California State University-Northridge (campus)N2 mi
CampusCatholic church (numbered below)Open a street map ›
  1. Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church — 0.6 mi · 18400 Kinzie Street
  2. St. Catherine of Siena Church — 2.7 mi
  3. Saint John Baptist De La Salle Church — 2.7 mi
  4. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish Center — 2.7 mi

Within 3 miles, as mapped by OpenStreetMap contributors. The map may be incomplete. Confirm with the parish or diocese.

Catholic life scorecard

Each line is one thing we looked for. A check means yes, a half means partly, a dash means no. “Not enough information” means official sources did not say.

N/ACatholic life on campus: Not enough information. Official sources do not cover enough of this to grade it yet.

Catholic life on campus

Not enough information: official sources cover less than 60% of this area.

  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Catholic campus ministry serving this campus (Catholic center, campus ministry, or chaplaincy)Not enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Dedicated Catholic center or chapel on or next to campusNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Priest chaplain assigned to campus ministryNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Weekday Mass at the campus ministryNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Sunday Mass at the campus ministry or a campus chapelNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Scheduled confession at the campus ministryNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Catholic student groups and missionary outreach (e.g., FOCUS, Saint Paul's Outreach, Knights of Columbus, Bible studies)Not enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Formation programs (retreats, OCIA/RCIA, service, small groups)Not enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Catholic church within walking distance (computed from OpenStreetMap)Within 1 mile of campusComputed from OpenStreetMap church locations.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Published weekly schedule of Mass, confession, and adorationNot enough information: no verified Mass times are recorded.

Grades come from the documented indicators under the published rubric. “Not enough information” does not mean the school lacks it.

Strengths

None recorded.

Concerns

  • The Archdiocese of Los Angeles's 2025 directory does not include CSUN in its list of campus ministries and Newman Centers.
    Sources (1)
    1. The 2025 Archdiocese of Los Angeles Catholic Directorylacatholics.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025_ArchdioceseOfLA_Catholic_Directory-REV7.8.25.pdf · verified Oct. 8, 2026
      “Campus Ministry / Newman Centers CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC”
      The archdiocese's 2025 directory has a Campus Ministry / Newman Centers section (listing Cal Poly Pomona, the Claremont Colleges, LMU, Mount St. Mary's, Thomas Aquinas College, UCLA, UCSB, La Verne, and USC); CSUN is not listed.

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Academic Excellence

DAcademic Excellence: Limited (grade D): 40 to 100 points out of 100 on what official sources document. Grades need sources for at least 60% of the checklist.
53 of 100
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.57%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.73%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.Not reported
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.25 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$8,003

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

Cost and value

Federal data, shown separately. Cost, debt, and earnings are never part of any grade.

Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
32,429
Total students37,760
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$7,021
Cost of attendance (per year)$20,485
Median federal debt at graduation$13,872
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
57%
First-year retention73%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$59,115
Admission rate93%
Students receiving Pell grants56%

Value index: 76 / 100 (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Local Church

Archdiocese of Los Angeles

The Most Reverend José H. Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles

Formal address: “Your Excellency”

Source: lacatholics.org, lacatholics.org, verified Oct. 7, 2026.

Diocese determined from the county, using the diocese’s county list (Wikipedia). Confirm with the diocese.

About this school’s data

Questions families ask

Is California State University-Northridge a Catholic college?
No. California State University-Northridge is not a Catholic college. Catholic School Compass rates the Catholic life on its campus instead.

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