CSU Fresno vs MSU Denver

California State University-Fresno and Metropolitan State University of Denver, two distinct institutions of higher learning, offer unique educational experiences to students with diverse aspirations. CSU-Fresno, nestled in the heart of California's Central Valley, boasts a sprawling campus and a vibrant student life, while MSU Denver, situated in the Mile High City, captivates with its urban charm and proximity to cultural attractions. With varying acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation outcomes, these universities cater to different academic pursuits and personal preferences. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your educational goals and aspirations.

	California State University-Fresno	Metropolitan State University of Denver
Overview
Location	Fresno, California	Denver, Colorado
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	77.0%	63.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	97.3%	88.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $70	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $50
SAT range	N/A	910 - 1140
ACT range	N/A	18 - 24
Students submitting SAT score		32.0%
Students submitting ACT score		8.0%
Total number of applicants	15,231	11,306
Total number of admissions given out	14,816	10,042
Admitted students who chose to enroll	3,451	1,832
Yield rate	23.3%	18.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $28,085 Out of state: $39,965	In state: $30,721 Out of state: $48,202
Average net price	$6,336	$14,195
Tuition	In state: $5,742 Out of state: $17,622	In state: $8,280 Out of state: $25,761
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,433 Meal plan: $4,560
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan Other alternative tuition plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	82.0% Average amount $10,314	61.0% Average amount $6,912
Students receiving federal student loan	12.0% Average amount $4,620	57.0% Average amount $5,116
Students taking out private loans	0.0% Average amount $8,114	2.0% Average amount $10,638

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	22,187 Men 39.9% Women 60.1%	16,515 Men 44.1% Women 55.9%
Graduate students	2,860 Men 33.8% Women 66.2%	1,163 Men 21.6% Women 78.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	1.1%	2.4%
International students	4.8%	0.7%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,139	N/A
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Arizona Washington Colorado Hawaii	Colorado California Texas Arizona Florida

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Health Professions Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Engineering Public Administration and Social Service	Public Administration and Social Service Health Professions Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences Business
Students to faculty ratio	22:1	19:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	56.6%	29.8%
Dropout rate	36.1%	26.8%
Transferred out	1.6%	37.3%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $134,798 Year 2: $152,201 Year 3: $138,860 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $108,496 Year 2: $102,409 Year 3: $120,286 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $86,427 Year 2: $101,964 Year 3: $107,577 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $83,988 Year 2: $90,049 Year 3: $93,007 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $83,843 Year 2: $86,867 Year 3: $92,510 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $84,004 Year 2: $85,159 Year 3: $89,931 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,885 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $84,934 Construction Engineering Technologies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,380 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $83,440 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $81,726 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $69,361 Year 2: $70,009 Year 3: $79,715	Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $68,483 Year 2: $72,790 Year 3: $83,404 Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,535 Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: $70,061 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $60,241 Year 2: $58,131 Year 3: $68,317 Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,003 Year 2: $54,254 Year 3: $66,636 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,686 Year 2: $62,922 Year 3: $64,216 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,437 Year 2: $56,415 Year 3: $64,125 Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,154 Year 2: $57,770 Year 3: $61,122 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,504 Year 2: $51,551 Year 3: $58,317 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $48,409 Year 2: $48,376 Year 3: $55,676 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,189 Year 2: $44,356 Year 3: $54,984

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CSU Fresno vs MSU Denver

California State University-Fresno

Metropolitan State University of Denver

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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