Sacramento State: the complete school report for parents

What does Sacramento State actually weigh in admissions?

Sacramento State rates 1 of the 18 factors "Very Important": GPA. It does not consider 15 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is Sacramento State's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.

What GPA do admitted students actually have?

61% of enrolled students had a 3.25 GPA or above. The average was 3.38 on a 4 scale, reported for 99.57% of the entering class. This is the school’s own distribution, not an estimate from its admit rate.

Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?

Sacramento State admitted 90.0% of 12,472 transfer applicants, against 93.6% of first-year applicants. The two routes are similarly competitive here. The minimum college GPA considered is 2.

When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?

Sacramento State reports its early rounds below.

What does my child need to take in high school?

Sacramento State requires 15 academic units and recommends 16. A college-preparatory program is required. A GED is accepted.

What will Sacramento State actually cost us?

Families pay an average of $9,338 a year at Sacramento State after grants and scholarships, against a published in-state tuition of $6,838. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 58.9% of demonstrated need on average. It also gave 8 merit awards averaging $1,013 to first-years with no demonstrated need.

What families at each income level actually paid:

34% of Sacramento State graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $17,459 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $159 a month in repayment. Sacramento State’s net price calculator gives your own figure.

Does a degree from Sacramento State pay off?

Graduates earn a median $64,876 ten years after entering, and $51,074 at six years. 82% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 66% are actively paying down their loans three years in.

Four-year net cost against that earnings premium:

A scale, not a forecast: it assumes aid and earnings hold steady.

$138,606 to $32,255, depending on the major. Median earnings five years out at Sacramento State:

College Scorecard, by field of study; highest and lowest shown.

Will my child actually graduate?

82% of first-years return for a second year. 54% within six (Fall 2019 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 53.8% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 52.4% of everyone else, a gap of -1.4 points.

How big are the classes?

28% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 3% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 24:1, and 49% of faculty are full-time. Accredited by Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission.

What is life at Sacramento State like?

28,619 undergraduates, 1% of first-years from out of state. 38% of freshmen live in university housing, falling to 11% across all undergraduates. Greek life is small: 2% of men join a fraternity and 3% of women a sorority. 49% of students are the first in their family to attend college, and the median family income is $65,686.

What this means for your student

• 61% of enrolled students are at a 3.25 GPA or above, averaging 3.38. Below that line the rest of the application has to carry real weight.
• Do not spend money on test preparation for Sacramento State: scores are not read even if you send them.
• Skip demonstrated-interest tactics here. Visits and emails are not tracked, so save that effort for schools where they count.
• Its highest-earning major returns $138,606 five years out against $32,255 at the other end, a gap wider than the one between most schools.
• See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.

Common questions about Sacramento State

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