California State University, Sacramento College Portrait
California State University, Sacramento6000 J Street Sacramento, CA 95819
916-278-7766
California State University, Sacramento
Leadership Begins Here
Thank you for your interest in California State University, Sacramento, or Sacramento State, as we are typically called. We’re a large and lively campus with a small campus feel. Our students say they love the diversity of our campus—the staff, faculty, and fellow students who come from various cultures, various places within and beyond California, and who speak various languages. At Sacramento State, you can study almost any subject you can imagine. But even more than that, Sacramento State is a great place to take part in the “whole
Living in the Sacramento State Community
The Sacramento State Community
Did you know that most American college students spend between 12 and 15 hours each week in the classroom? Even after you finish studying for class, there still will be plenty of time for other things. At Sacramento State, we hope that you’ll spend some of it getting involved in the student clubs, cultural organizations, intramural teams, leadership experiences, recreational trips or community service projects we offer. In addition, our campus recently opened a new recreation and wellness center (the WELL) with state-of-the-art fitness equipment, a climbing wall, a huge gym, health and counseling services, and much more.
We also hope that you take advantage of the academic and student support systems we provide such as tutoring, the Writing Center, the Academic Advising Center, and the Financial Aid Office. If you need to find a job, visit the Career Center on campus. Staff can help you identify the type of on- or off-campus job that gives you the flexibility you need to take classes and keep your studies your top priority. And if you are coming to Sac State as a new student, we strongly recommend that you check out the residence halls and the new American River Courtyard suites. Living on campus is convenient, safe, affordable, and fun. Chances are good that you will make life-long friends with other students living in your building. Studies should always come first, but the more you get connected, join a group, and hang out on campus, the more you’ll feel a part of it all.
The Big Picture: How many students were on campus in Fall 2010?
More Information
| Total Students | 27,033 | |
|---|---|---|
Undergraduate Snapshot
| Total Undergraduate Students | 23,197 | |
|---|---|---|
| Gender | ||
| Women | 13,242 | 57% |
| Men | 9,955 | 43% |
| Race/Ethnicity | ||
| American Indian / Alaskan Native | 201 | 1% |
| Asian | 4,580 | 20% |
| African American / Black | 1,573 | 7% |
| Hispanic | 3,937 | 17% |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 264 | 1% |
| White | 9,721 | 42% |
| Two or More Races | 891 | 4% |
| International | 333 | 1% |
| Race/Ethnicity Not Reported | 1,697 | 7% |
| Where do Sac State undergraduates call home? | |
|---|---|
| California | 99% |
| Other US States & Territories | <1% |
| Other Countries | 1% |
| Residency Unknown | <1% |
| How old are Sac State undergraduates? | |
| Average Age | 23 |
| Percent of Undergraduates Age 25 or Older | 26% |
New Student Applications (Fall 2010)
New Freshmen High School Background and Test Scores
Test(s) Required for Admission: SAT or ACT recommended
| Test Scores of Enrolled New Freshmen | ACT | SAT |
|---|---|---|
| Composite | 17 - 22 | |
| Math | 17 - 23 | 420 - 540 |
| English | 15 - 22 | |
| Critical Reading | 410 - 520 |
50% of admitted students have test scores within the ranges listed, 25% have scores above, and 25% have scores below.
| High School Background of Enrolled New Freshmen | ||
|---|---|---|
| Percent in top of graduating class Data Not Available | ||
| Average High School GPA (4-point scale) | 3.22 | |
| Percent who submitted High School GPA | 100% | |
Sticker Price: How much does it cost on average?
Typical Undergraduate Costs for 2009-10 without Financial Aid (Full-Time, In-State Students)
Total Typical Cost of Attendance: $21,895
Out-of-State & Other Costs
More Information
The cost to attend California State University, Sacramento varies based on the individual circumstances of students and may be reduced through grants and scholarships.
How much would I pay?
Financial Aid: How much help is there to pay?
Scholarships & Grants
- 61% of 2009-10 full-time undergraduates received need-based grants or scholarships; the average award for the year was $5,862. Scholarships and grants are financial aid that does not need to be repaid and is sometimes referred to as gift aid.
Annual Need-Based Loans
- 44% of 2009-10 full-time undergraduates received need-based work-study and/or loans (not including parent loans); the average loan for the year was $4,084. Loans need to be repaid. Typically, repayment starts once you are no longer enrolled full-time. Please refer to page 12 of the Funding Education Beyond High School guide on the US Department of Education's Federal Student Aid website for more information about Financial Need.
Percent of 2008-2009 Full-time Beginning Students Receiving Each Type of Financial Aid
NOTE: Students may receive aid from more than one source.
Sac State Classes & Instructors
| Classroom Environment | |
|---|---|
| Students per Faculty | 25 to 1 |
| Undergraduate classes with fewer than 30 students | 48% |
| Undergraduate classes with fewer than 50 students | 83% |
| Total Full-Time Instructional Faculty | 695 |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Are Female | 46% |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Are Persons of Color | 30% |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Have the Highest Academic Degree Offered in Their Field of Study | 86% |
More Information
Campus-based Housing
34% of new freshmen live in campus-based housing or residence halls.
7% of all undergraduates live on campus
More Information
Campus Safety
Sacramento State’s top priority is the safety and well-being of students, faculty, staff and visitors. Our University Police are here to serve, with fully sworn officers who are committed to safety and helping the campus community. Officers are on duty 24-7 to respond to emergencies, and services include night escorts and bike patrols. Blue emergency phones located throughout campus are a direct contact to the campus police.
Campus Crime Statistics
Carnegie Classification of Institutional Characteristics
The Carnegie Classification's were created "to reference the great diversity of colleges and universities in the United States, and ... enable [people] to identify groups of roughly comparable institutions." For information on the Carnegie Classifications system, please visit their website: http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/
- Basic Type
- Master's Colleges and Universities (larger programs)
- Size and Setting
- Large four-year, primarily nonresidential
- Enrollment Profile
- High undergraduate
- Undergraduate Profile
- Full-time four-year, inclusive
- Undergraduate Instructional Program
- Balanced arts & sciences/professions, high graduate coexistence
- Graduate Instructional Program
- Single doctoral (education)
NOTE: Institutional classifications based on the Carnegie 2005 edition.
Student Activities and Involvement at Sac State
Students who are actively involved in their own learning are much more likely to be successful in college than those who assume a passive roll. Colleges and universities offer students multiple opportunities both inside and outside the classroom to become engaged with new ideas, people and experiences. There are many ways to measure the effectiveness of these opportunities and help students understand the benefit of these programs and the potential value they add to the college experience.
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Institutions participating in the VSA program measure student involvement on campus using one of four national surveys. Results from the one survey are reported for a common set of questions selected as part of VSA. Following are the selected results from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). The questions have been grouped together in categories that are known to contribute to student learning and development. The results reported below are based on the responses of seniors who participated in the survey.
Group Learning Experiences
- 92% percent of seniors worked with classmates on assignments outside of class.
- 53% of seniors tutored or taught other students
- 17% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week participating in co-curricular activities such as student organizations and intramural sports
Active Learning Experiences
- 81% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week preparing for class
- 10% of seniors worked on a research project with a faculty member
- 40% of seniors participated in an internship, practicum, or field experience
- 47% of seniors participated in community service or volunteer work
- 4% of seniors participated in study abroad
- 96% of seniors made at least one class presentation last year
Institutional Commitment to Student Learning and Success
- 94% of seniors believe this institution provides support for student success
- 63% of seniors rated the quality of academic advising at this institution as good or excellent
- 59% of seniors reported that this institution provided help in coping with work, family and other non-academic responsibilities
- 92% of seniors reported working harder than they thought they could to meet an instructor's standards or expectations
Student Interaction with Campus Faculty and Staff
- 41% of seniors believed that the campus staff were helpful, considerate, or flexible
- 71% of seniors believed that faculty are available, helpful, or sympathetic
- 93% of seniors reported that faculty members provided prompt feedback on their academic performance
- 67% of seniors discussed readings or ideas with faculty members outside of class
Experiences with Diverse Groups of People and Ideas
- 61% of seniors reported that they often tried to understand someone else's point of view
- 89% of seniors reported their experience at this institution contributed to their understanding people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds
- 62% of seniors often had serious conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity
Student Satisfaction
- 79% of seniors would attend this institution if they started over again
- 80% of seniors rated their entire educational experience as good or excellent
- 78% of seniors reported that other students were friendly or supportive
Evaluation of Experiences
Survey Administration Process
Survey Information
Majors and Degrees
| Degrees awarded at California State University, Sacramento in 2009-10 | |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 5,014 |
| Master's | 962 |
| Total | 5,976 |
More Information
| Areas of Study with the largest number of bachelor's degrees awarded in 2009-10 | |
|---|---|
| BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, AND RELATED SUPPORT SERVICES | 22% |
| Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration | 8% |
| Speech Communication and Rhetoric | 7% |
| Psychology, General | 6% |
| Health and Physical Education/Fitness, General | 5% |
| Links to degree programs at California State University, Sacramento |
|---|
Bachelor'sMaster's |
Future Plans of Spring 2010 Bachelor's Degree Recipients
Survey Administration Process
Student Success & Progress Rate
A 89% four-year success and progress rate means that 89% of students starting in Fall 2004 either graduated or are still enrolled at a higher education institution four years later.
More Information
Counts for the Fall 2004 entering class shown in the graph above.
- 2,342 First-Time, Full-Time Students
- 3,033 Full-Time Transfer Students
Success & Progress Rate Table
Retention of Freshman Class
First-time students in Fall 2009 that returned for their second year: 79%
More Information
Student Learning at California State University, Sacramento
All colleges and universities use multiple approaches to measure student learning. Many of these are specific to particular disciplines, many are coordinated with accrediting agencies, and many are based on outcomes after students have graduated.
Sacramento State employs a campus-wide assessment strategy to provide evidence of curricular and co-curricular student learning. The Division of Academic Affairs oversees curricular assessment while co-curricular assessment is facilitated and coordinated by the Division of Student Affairs. For a couple of years now, leaders and staff from both divisions have come together to discuss, measure, and report out on the learning that is taking place in their respective areas. Presently, the Provost and the Vice President for Student Affairs are working on a more integrative way to measure learning since the traditional separation of academic and student affairs is more of an organizational construct than a learning construct.
Until the integration is fully under way, two concurrent processes are in play. On the academic side, each department implements an assessment plan that is part of the annual report submitted to the College dean. Each dean provides Academic Affairs with a complete set of annual reports; Academic Affairs then gives feedback to the Colleges and departments by way of an annual summary and analysis of all of the program reports aimed at promoting organizational learning. The Provost’s Advisory Committee on Assessment (PACA) meets on a biweekly basis to examine assessment issues and develop recommendations to the Provost for continuous improvement of the assessment strategy.
On the Student Affairs side, the directors of each of the division’s 15 departments work with their staff to create an annual assessment plan that measures program improvements and student learning. Program objectives are written to measure changes in the programs or services while direct student learning outcomes are formulated to identify what students may have learned or how their attitude or behavior may have changed after participating in a student affairs’ program or service. The information gathered from assessments is used to design and implement program changes as needed. The assessment plans are designed during the summer months; data collection ensues during the fall and spring semester, and results and conclusions are posted—on the division’s website—by the beginning of the following fall term.
Learning Assessment Examples
Pilot Project to Measure Core Learning Outcomes
Colleges and universities participating in the College Portrait measure the typical improvement in students' abilities to think, reason, and write using one of three tests. This is part of a pilot project to better understand and compare what students learn between their freshman and senior years at different colleges and universities.
- Results from the Collegiate Learning Assessment
The Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) measures critical thinking, analytic reasoning, problem solving, and written communication using a performance task and an analytic writing task. The scores from the tasks are reported separately below.
Test Administration Process
Test Information
Performance Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students
The increase in learning on the performance task is what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.
Freshman Score: 1031
Senior Score: 1177
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.
Average ACT scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 20
Senior Score: 20
Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 949
Senior Score: 1012
Analytic Writing Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students
The increase in learning on the analytic writing task is above what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.
Freshman Score: 1109
Senior Score: 1256
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.
Average ACT scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 21
Senior Score: 19
Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 973
Senior Score: 983