Sonoma State University
About
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.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 8.6-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 60 Title IV programs, 28 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 32 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing28 · 46.7%
- No Data32 · 53.3%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
WASC Senior College and University Commission
Programmatic accreditations · 7
Action history · 8
- May 2025Renewal of AccreditationCommission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the graduate degree levels
- May 2025Renewal of AccreditationCommission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
- Jun 2021Grant Substantive Change: ProgramWASC Senior College and University Commission
- Jul 2020Loss of Accreditation or Preaccreditation: Voluntary WithdrawalAccreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. — May 6, 2013 Formerly: National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission · Nursing (NUR) - Baccalaureate program
- Jul 2020Loss of Accreditation or Preaccreditation: Voluntary WithdrawalAccreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. — May 6, 2013 Formerly: National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission · Nursing (MNUR) - Master's program
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 2,369 students received $13.7M in Pell grants, alongside $14.2M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 1,711 borrowers who entered repayment, 25 (1.4%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at Sonoma State
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 9
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus13
Includes 9 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
- Bordeaux1 fireCookingDamage $100-$999
- Trentino1 fireCookingDamage $0-$99
Data quality: 1 report was later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Sonoma State vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Sonoma State selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectSonoma State University | 58% | 93.4% | 5,891 | $12,885 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
| 49% | 98.2% | 6,237 | $13,171 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 50% | 93.9% | 10,419 | $5,652 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 51% | 94.8% | 5,592 | $9,849 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs | |
| 63% | 92.7% | 15,257 | $14,480 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 48% | 97.4% | 12,326 | $9,320 | R2 Research | |
| 59% | 97.4% | 7,713 | $13,663 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 55% | 95.1% | 16,237 | $10,229 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 53% | 98.1% | 9,724 | $6,067 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 57% | 63.3% | 10,039 | $10,867 | Baccalaureate | |
| 70% | 70.6% | 5,981 | $18,173 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 72% | 61.6% | 7,898 | $18,809 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 71% | 66.4% | 3,945 | $18,211 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs | |
| 69% | 83.8% | 3,664 | $12,780 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs | |
| 66% | 79.8% | 3,826 | $20,667 | Baccalaureate | |
| 65% | 90.6% | 6,058 | $12,319 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| Peer group median | 59% | 93.1% | 6,975 | $12,833 |
Institutions like Sonoma State
Explore the federal data for institutions in Sonoma State's comparison group.
- Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsCalifornia
California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt
Grad rate49%Admit rate98.2%Enrollment6,237Net price$13,171View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsCalifornia
California State University-Bakersfield
Grad rate50%Admit rate93.9%Enrollment10,419Net price$5,652View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Small ProgramsCalifornia
California State University-Channel Islands
Grad rate51%Admit rate94.8%Enrollment5,592Net price$9,849View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsCalifornia
California State University-Chico
Grad rate63%Admit rate92.7%Enrollment15,257Net price$14,480View data - R2 ResearchCalifornia
California State University-East Bay
Grad rate48%Admit rate97.4%Enrollment12,326Net price$9,320View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsCalifornia
California State University-Monterey Bay
Grad rate59%Admit rate97.4%Enrollment7,713Net price$13,663View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsCalifornia
California State University-San Marcos
Grad rate55%Admit rate95.1%Enrollment16,237Net price$10,229View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsCalifornia
California State University-Stanislaus
Grad rate53%Admit rate98.1%Enrollment9,724Net price$6,067View data - BaccalaureateNew York
Farmingdale State College
Grad rate57%Admit rate63.3%Enrollment10,039Net price$10,867View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsNew Jersey
Ramapo College of New Jersey
Grad rate70%Admit rate70.6%Enrollment5,981Net price$18,173View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsNew York
State University of New York at New Paltz
Grad rate72%Admit rate61.6%Enrollment7,898Net price$18,809View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Small ProgramsNew York
SUNY College at Geneseo
Grad rate71%Admit rate66.4%Enrollment3,945Net price$18,211View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium ProgramsMissouri
Truman State University
Grad rate69%Admit rate83.8%Enrollment3,664Net price$12,780View data - BaccalaureateVirginia
University of Mary Washington
Grad rate66%Admit rate79.8%Enrollment3,826Net price$20,667View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsWashington
University of Washington-Bothell Campus
Grad rate65%Admit rate90.6%Enrollment6,058Net price$12,319View data
Sonoma State Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The Office of Institutional Effectiveness serves Sonoma State University by providing consistent and accurate information that helps decision-makers act on behalf of students and the community to foster student success and academic excellence.
Visit IR office page- Heather BrownAssociate Vice President, Institutional Effectiveness
- Kathryn AtwoodData Analyst
- Giovanni MejiaData Analyst
- Vanessa PedroData Analyst
Common Data Set
Sonoma State's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.
Affordability & Value
Cost of attendance
GTotal sticker cost of attendance is $25,154 (2018-2019).
Sticker vs. net price
G+HSticker $25,154 → about $14,267 net for aided students after the average need-based grant ($10,887); 57% of demonstrated need is met.
Where grant aid comes from
H120% of need-based grant dollars come from the institution itself.
Outcomes & Equity
Graduation & retention
B6-year graduation rate 63%; first-year retention 80%.
Equity: Pell graduation gap
B4Pell-grant recipients graduate 6 pts below the overall rate (57% vs 63%).
Academic Experience
Class-size distribution
I324% of classes have under 20 students; 19% have 50+.
Faculty profile
IKey faculty indicators.
Degrees by discipline
JSTEM-dominant: ~12% of bachelor's degrees are in computing, engineering, math & sciences.
Student Body & Diversity
Undergraduate race/ethnicity
B2Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity.
Undergrad vs graduate
B18,565 undergraduates and 636 graduate students.
Transfer Path
Transfer admissions
D14,236 transfer applicants → 2,506 admitted (59.2%) → 842 enrolled
Source publications
Reports & documents (3)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- Data definitionData Glossary | Institutional Effectiveness at Sonoma State UniversityThe page provides a glossary of terms and acronyms used in Institutional Effectiveness data at Sonoma State University. It includes definitions of key metrics and classifications related to enrollment, demographics, faculty, and student performance, assisting in data understanding and reporting across the university system.data.sonoma.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- Strategic planBuilding Our Future @ SSU | Strategic Plan 2025 at Sonoma State UniversitySonoma State University's Strategic Plan 2025 outlines a vision to become a national model for public higher education by 2025, focusing on student success, academic excellence, leadership cultivation, and transformative impact. The plan emphasizes the development of innovative programs, real-world learning, and community engagement as key components of preparing students for 21st-century challenges. Through dedicated faculty and staff efforts, Sonoma State aims to transform students' lives and make significant contributions to local and global communities.strategicplan.sonoma.edu
Grants & funding (7)
Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.
- opportunityNSF: Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER)National Science Foundationinstitution_site$400,000
- opportunityCaplan Foundation for Early ChildhoodCaplan Foundationinstitution_site
- opportunityMedline Educational Program GrantsMedlineinstitution_site
- opportunityNational Endowment of the Arts (NEA) Grants for Arts ProjectsNational Endowment of the Artsinstitution_site
- opportunityNIGMS Institutional Biomedical Undergraduate Research Training (BURT) Program (T34)National Institutes of Healthinstitution_site
- opportunityNSF: Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE): Future Computing Research (Future CoRe)National Science Foundationinstitution_site
- opportunityNSF: Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Directorate for STEM Education (IUSE: EDU)National Science Foundationinstitution_site
Notable alumni of Sonoma State (30)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Abdul Rahman DahlanPolitics
- Dan Antonioli
- Tony Arnerich
- Jennifer Barrett
- Christina Bell
- Ianthe Elizabeth Brautigan
- Kate BravermanLiterature
- David V. BrewerLaw
- Wendell BurtonEntertainment
- Kevin DanaherActivism
- Sharon N. DeWitteAnthropology
- Cameron DokeyLiterature
Frequently asked questions about Sonoma State University
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Sonoma State.
What is the acceptance rate at Sonoma State University?
What is the graduation rate at Sonoma State University?
How many students attend Sonoma State University?
What is the average net price at Sonoma State University?
What is the yield rate at Sonoma State University?
Where is Sonoma State University located?
Who runs Institutional Research at Sonoma State University?
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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