Sonoma State University
A good fit for students who want accessible admissions and families looking for lower cost. no major red flags in the data. a public school with 5,166 students.
About This School
Sonoma State University is a public institution located in Rohnert Park, California with approximately 5,166 undergraduate students enrolled. Sonoma State University has an open or accessible admissions process, with an acceptance rate of 93%. The average net price after financial aid is $12,885 per year. The graduation rate is 58%, and the typical graduate earns $53,200 within 10 years of enrollment.
Sonoma State University is a public university in Rohnert Park, Sonoma County, California, United States. It is part of the California State University system and has three academic colleges: the College of Education, Counseling and Ethnic Studies; the College of Humanities, Social Sciences and the Arts; and the College of Science, Technology and Business. The school offers 62 bachelor's degree programs, 13 master's degree programs, and 24 teaching credentials.
The numbers tell a mixed story here: the 95% acceptance rate and $13,000 median debt at graduation make this one of the more accessible and affordable CSU options, and the Northern California wine country location has real appeal for certain programs. However, the 61% graduation rate is a genuine concern — it means roughly 4 in 10 students who start here don't finish, which is worth taking seriously before enrolling. Worth considering if you're drawn to a small public campus with low financial risk, but ask hard questions about support services and your specific program's completion rates.
Popular Programs
Percentage of degrees awarded. Source: College Scorecard.
Notable Alumni
Source: Wikidata. Used for context only.
Admissions
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Cost & Financial Aid
Net Price by Family Income
Average annual cost after grants/scholarships, by household income. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Financial Aid
Full Cost
After Graduation
Earnings 6 Years After Enrollment, by Gender
Gap: 5% less for female graduates. National avg ~16%.
What Each Major Actually Earns
Median earnings four years after graduation, by major, next to the national median for that same major at every college. The school-wide average hides this: at most schools the spread between the best- and worst-paying majors is far wider than the gap between schools.
Sonoma State University graduates earn most above the national rate in Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($143,886 vs $88,910 nationally).
| Major | Grads | Here | National | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 323 | $75,887 | $68,257 | +$7,630 |
| Psychology, General | 289 | $57,335 | $50,706 | +$6,629 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 115 | $59,444 | $53,072 | +$6,372 |
| Sociology | 112 | $56,581 | $52,657 | +$3,924 |
| Biology, General | 97 | $56,345 | $57,214 | −$869 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 90 | $68,833 | $56,359 | +$12,474 |
| Education, Other | 89 | $52,842 | $49,113 | +$3,729 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 80 | $67,351 | $54,562 | +$12,789 |
| English Language and Literature, General | 76 | $59,418 | $48,590 | +$10,828 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 57 | $66,892 | $55,378 | +$11,514 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 54 | $143,886 | $88,910 | +$54,976 |
| History | 53 | $56,819 | $50,680 | +$6,139 |
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data. Median earnings of graduates working and not enrolled four years after completing a bachelor's degreehere. Majors with too few graduates to report are omitted for privacy, so this is not the school's full program list.
Will This School Pay Off?
Strong return. Graduates earn well above their debt load.
Earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. These are means across all graduates, not specific to any major.
Student Body
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (5,166 undergraduates).
Contact & Location
Official Links
Schools Like This in California
Merritt College
Oakland, CA · Public
California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt
Arcata, CA · Public
Contra Costa College
San Pablo, CA · Public
California State University-Channel Islands
Camarillo, CA · Public
Monterey Peninsula College
Monterey, CA · Public
Crafton Hills College
Yucaipa, CA · Public
See How Colleges Compare
Sonoma State University is one of thousands of colleges in our data studies, each built from the same U.S. Department of Education data shown on this page. Compare schools head to head:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Sonoma State University?
Sonoma State University has an acceptance rate of 93%, based on the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education.
Is Sonoma State University hard to get into?
Not especially. Sonoma State University has an acceptance rate of 93%, so admissions are relatively accessible for applicants who meet the requirements.
How much does Sonoma State University cost?
The average net price at Sonoma State University is about $12,885 per year after grants and scholarships, based on federal data. Your actual cost depends on your family's finances and aid package.
What is the graduation rate at Sonoma State University?
Sonoma State University has a graduation rate of 58%, according to U.S. Department of Education data.
Sources & Methodology
Primary data source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Accessed via automated sync. Latest values may come from different reporting years depending on the metric.
School overview from Wikipedia. Used for context only, not as a primary data source for admissions, cost, or outcomes claims.
- Earnings figures are institution-level averages, not major-specific.
- Some metrics are based on Title IV financial aid recipients only.
- Some values may be privacy-suppressed or rolled up by the Department of Education.
- Contact the school directly for current admissions requirements and costs.
All school names, logos, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Their use on this page is for identification purposes only and does not imply endorsement or affiliation with CollegeHelpGuide.