Sonoma State University College Portrait

Test(s) Required for Admission: SAT or ACT recommended

50% of admitted students have test scores within the ranges listed, 25% have scores above, and 25% have scores below.

Typical Undergraduate Costs for 2009-10 without Financial Aid (Full-Time, In-State Students)

Total Typical Cost of Attendance: $21,913

Out-of-State & Other Costs

The cost to attend Sonoma State University 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

• 49% of 2009-10 full-time undergraduates received need-based grants or scholarships; the average award for the year was $8,826. 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

• 56% 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 $4,284. 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 2009-2010 Full-time Beginning Students Receiving Each Type of Financial Aid

NOTE: Students may receive aid from more than one source.

91% of new freshmen live in campus-based housing or residence halls.
36% of all undergraduates live on campus

More Information

Sonoma State University’s Police and Parking Services strives to support a safe learning environment in support of faculty, staff and students. Officers are sworn peace officers and, working in collaboration with the campus community, provide leadership in the areas of general safety and emergency management. On-going education and training for officers and dispatchers ensures professional delivery of law enforcement services and crime prevention programs.

Campus Crime Statistics

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

Medium four-year, highly residential

Enrollment Profile

High undergraduate

Undergraduate Profile

Full-time four-year, more selective, higher transfer-in

Undergraduate Instructional Program

Arts & sciences plus professions, some graduate coexistence

Graduate Instructional Program

Postbaccalaureate comprehensive

NOTE: Institutional classifications based on the Carnegie 2005 edition.

More Information

Students who are actively involved in their own learning and development are more likely to be successful in college. Colleges and universities offer students a wide variety of opportunities both inside and outside the classroom to become engaged with new ideas, people, and experiences. Institutions measure the effectiveness of these opportunities in a variety of ways to better understand what types of activities and programs students find the most helpful.

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

• 96% percent of seniors worked with classmates on assignments outside of class.
• 56% of seniors tutored or taught other students
• 18% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week participating in co-curricular activities such as student organizations and intramural sports

Active Learning Experiences

• 88% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week preparing for class
• 18% of seniors worked on a research project with a faculty member
• 53% of seniors participated in an internship, practicum, or field experience
• 57% of seniors participated in community service or volunteer work
• 10% of seniors participated in study abroad
• 98% of seniors made at least one class presentation last year

Institutional Commitment to Student Learning and Success

• 97% of seniors believe this institution provides support for student success
• 64% 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
• 96% 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

• 50% of seniors believed that the campus staff were helpful, considerate, or flexible
• 83% of seniors believed that faculty are available, helpful, or sympathetic
• 95% of seniors reported that faculty members provided prompt feedback on their academic performance
• 76% of seniors discussed readings or ideas with faculty members outside of class

Experiences with Diverse Groups of People and Ideas

• 68% of seniors reported that they often tried to understand someone else's point of view
• 85% of seniors reported their experience at this institution contributed to their understanding people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds
• 57% 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
• 85% of seniors rated their entire educational experience as good or excellent
• 79% of seniors reported that other students were friendly or supportive

Evaluation of Experiences

Survey Administration Process

Survey Information

A 91% four-year success and progress rate means that 91% of students starting in Fall 2004 either graduated or are still enrolled at a higher education institution four years later.

Counts for the Fall 2004 entering class shown in the graph above.

• 1,091 First-Time, Full-Time Students
• 512 Full-Time Transfer Students

Success & Progress Rate Table

First-time students in Fall 2009 that returned for their second year: 80%

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.

Sonoma State University is committed to academic excellence and to assessment of student learning to improve the quality of the educational experience for our students. All departments have defined student learning outcomes for their majors and report annually their assessment findings and plans for improvement of curriculum and pedagogy. SSU’s General Education Program has a clearly articulated mission statement, teaching goals, and learning objectives. Additionally, institution-wide assessment data are gathered through the use of nationally recognized surveys, such as the NSSE, and through direct assessment measures, such as the Written English Proficiency Test, required of all students prior to graduation.

Learning Assessment Examples

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.

2006-10 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 well above what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.

Freshman Score: 1057
Senior Score: 1161
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.

Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 1070
Senior Score: 1001

Analytic Writing Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students

The increase in learning on the analytic writing task is well above what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.

Freshman Score: 1116
Senior Score: 1235
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.

Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 1070
Senior Score: 1001