California State University, Northridge

The establishment of CSUN began in 1952 with the proposal of a new satellite campus for Los Angeles State College (now known as California State University, Los Angeles), to be established in Baldwin Hills.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2qxxDwAAQBAJ&q=Suddenly+a+Giant+a+history+of+csun&pg=PA6|title=California State University, Northridge|last1=Jarosz|first1=Ellen|last2=Kutay|first2=Stephen|date=2018|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|isbn=978-1-4671-2995-4|language=en}} However, San Fernando Valley advocates persuaded state officials, including California Assembly member Julian Beck, to change the location to Northridge after a meeting at the Brown Derby restaurant on Wilshire Boulevard.{{cite book|title=Suddenly a Giant: A History of California State University, Northridge|last=Broesamle|first=John|date=1993|publisher=Santa Susana Press|location=Northridge, CA|pages=2–3 |url=https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/concern/publications/2j62s8469}} The origins of San Fernando Valley State College trace back to September 1955, when classes first began in 10 leased classrooms at San Fernando High School.{{cite news |last=Chandler |first=John |date=December 12, 1993 |title=Professor's Chronicle Takes a Hard Look at History of CSUN |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-12-12-vw-1155-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=September 23, 2024}} The official groundbreaking of the university occurred on January 4, 1956, and was performed by, among others, the Governor of California Goodwin Knight and Los Angeles State College President Howard S. McDonald. While it is situated in a suburban location nowadays, it was a rural location during its founding with several agricultural lands having to be cleared to start construction.

Classes started on September 24, 1956, in temporary buildings, with an enrollment of 1,500 students. Delmar Oviatt, the former namesake of the campus library (subsequently renamed University Library), was the dean of the satellite campus until July 1, 1958, when the campus separated from Los Angeles State College and was renamed San Fernando Valley State College (popularly abbreviated to Valley State College, Valley State, or SFVSC) after the California Legislature passed Assembly Bill No. 971.{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-04-13-me-48403-story.html|title=Early CSUN Administrator a Potent Force - Los Angeles Times|website=www.latimes.com|date=April 13, 1997 |access-date=2019-12-20}}{{Cite web|url=https://catalog.csun.edu/about/university-history/|title=University History|website=catalog.csun.edu|access-date=2019-12-21}} Ralph Prator was assigned as the first president of the university and enrollment reached 2,525 with a tuition of $29 per semester. During that same year, the first graduation ceremony was held for around 100 students at the Hollywood Bowl before being moved to campus during subsequent years. In 1959, the university became the first State College to have its own computer. In 1964, the pioneering computer lab was moved into new quarters in the recently completed Sierra Hall building complex, and student enrollment reached nearly 12,000. Other buildings were also swiftly constructed during the early 1960s to accommodate this rapidly growing student population. Additionally, in November 1963 the university established its own radio station, which continues operation to this day as KCSN.

On October 25, 1960, then vice presidential nominee Lyndon B. Johnson visited the campus accompanied by Governor Pat Brown to hold a rally in front of approximately 3,500 students. While some attending students were holding banners in support of his opponents, Johnson used the opportunity to criticize the opposing Republican Party and their candidate Richard Nixon. Four years later, then Republican candidate Nelson Rockefeller held a rally at the university in front of around 6,000 students, which was organized by the university's Republican Club. Having just won the primary in Oregon, California would be crucial in deciding the Republican nominee for the 1964 presidential election. Rockefeller held the lead coming into California but nonetheless lost its primary to Barry Goldwater, effectively handing him the Republican nomination.{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/howwegothere70sd00frum|url-access=registration|title=How we got here : the 70's, the decade that brought you modern life (for better or worse)|last=Frum|first=David|date=2000|publisher=New York, NY : Basic Books|others=Internet Archive|pages=[https://archive.org/details/howwegothere70sd00frum/page/58 58]-59|isbn=9780465041954}} In December 1965, with increasing conversation and tension on the topic of civil rights in the country, the university hosted a debate on the subject between conservative author and commentator William F. Buckley Jr. and liberal African American journalist Louis Lomax.

File:Humphrey Vietnam protest.jpg Hubert Humphrey is met by student protest in 1966 while visiting San Fernando Valley State College (now CSUN)]]

The campus's quiet, moderately conservative and overwhelmingly white suburban setting did not shield it from a share of the noise, strife and social upheavals of the Vietnam War era. As on many college campuses, there were increasingly large antiwar demonstrations and occasional draft card burnings.

In September 1966, Vice President Hubert Humphrey visited the campus, where he was met by student protest and opposition to the Vietnam War. On March 25, 1968, a presidential primary campaign speech on campus by Robert F. Kennedy drew an orderly crowd of 10,000 and mainly focused on his opposition to the Vietnam War.[http://digital-library.csun.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/Sundial/id/8644/rec/1 Daily Sundial, March 26, 1968, p.1] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212001848/http://digital-library.csun.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/Sundial/id/8644/rec/1 |date=December 12, 2013 }}. Retrieved November 11, 2013. Shortly thereafter, his opponent Eugene McCarthy also held a rally at the university which drew a crowd of 7,000 spectators; surprisingly smaller than the crowd of Robert Kennedy as campus polling indicated McCarthy was more popular.

However, 1968 would not end quite so peacefully on the campus. The April assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee, soon followed by the June assassination of Robert F. Kennedy in Los Angeles, then the August 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, had led to a series of riots throughout the nation. On November 4, the assault of an African American student athlete by his white coach on the CSUN campus led a group of African American students to hold the acting college president and more than 30 staff members hostage in the Administration Building for several hours, pressing demands for greater outreach in minority enrollment and employment and the establishment of minority studies departments.{{cite news |last=Hill |first=Gladwin |date=November 5, 1968 |title=300 Seize College Building in Los Angeles Suburb; Students Relinquish Control after the Acting President Agrees to an Amnesty |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1968/11/05/archives/300-seize-college-building-in-los-angeles-suburb-students.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=December 24, 2020}}{{cite book |last1=Davis |first1=Mike |author1-link=Mike Davis (scholar) |last2=Wiener |first2=Jon |author2-link=Jon Wiener |date=2020 |title=Set the Night on Fire: L.A. in the Sixties |location=New York |publisher=Verso Books |chapter=Chapter 29: "The Last Place That Sort of Thing Would Happen:" Valley State (1968-70) }}{{cite news |last1=Greenwood |first1=Leonard |last2=Torgerson |first2=Dial |date=November 8, 1968 |title= Sit-In Aftermath: Attacks on Faculty Members Told; Acting Chief of Valley State Supported on Legal Action |work=Los Angeles Times }} No one was hurt and, under duress, the president agreed to their demands.{{cite news |last=Fanucchi |first=Kenneth |date=December 8, 1968 |title=Shaken Valley State Seeks Peace Formula; Solving Educational Opportunities Problem Held Key to Averting Another Nov. 4 Episode |work=Los Angeles Times }}{{cite book|title=The Time of the Furnaces|last=Anthony|first=Earl|date=1971|publisher=Dial Press|location=New York}} After subsequent negotiations, minority enrollment was increased and both the Africana and Chicano/a departments were established.{{cite news |last=Roberts |first=Steven |date=February 16, 1969 |title=California College, After Strife, is Resolving Racial Problems |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1969/02/16/archives/california-college-after-strife-is-resolving-racial-problems.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=July 23, 2020 }}{{cite news |last=Kumbula |first=John |date=January 13, 1969 |title=Valley State Agrees to Establish 2 Ethnic Studies Departments |work=Los Angeles Times }}{{Cite web|url=https://library.csun.edu/SCA/Peek-in-the-Stacks/november-4th-incident-0|title=S.F.V.S.C., November 4, 1968 {{!}} Oviatt Library|website=library.csun.edu|date=November 13, 2018 |access-date=2019-12-21}}{{cite news |last=Greenwood |first=Leonard |date=February 2, 1969 |title=How Valley State Moved to New Kind of Education; Understanding Resulted from Heated Clashes |work=Los Angeles Times }} Despite an assurance of amnesty, 28 of the students involved were later charged with kidnapping, assault, conspiracy, and false imprisonment,Pamela Moreland, [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-04-22-me-1929-story.html "Legacy of Turmoil: CSUN Looks Back at Years of Activism at Former Valley State College"]. Los Angeles Times, April 22, 1988. Retrieved June 4, 2016.John Chandler, "[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-12-12-vw-1155-story.html Professor's Chronicle Takes a Hard Look at History of CSUN]," Los Angeles Times (December 12, 1993) according to scholar Martha Biondi "the most serious crimes ever in the history of campus protest."{{cite book |last=Biondi |first=Martha |editor1-last=Sinha |editor1-first=Manisha |editor2-last=Von Eschen |editor2-first=Penny|title= Contested Democracy: Freedom, Race, and Power in American History |publisher= Columbia University Press |date=2007 |pages=258–278 |chapter=Chapter 12: Student Protest, Law and Order, and the Origins of African American Studies in California }} Nineteen were convicted and three served time in state prison.{{cite news |last=Einstoss |first=Ron |date=January 29, 1970 |title=3 get prison in Valley State case: 16 others sentenced to jail or put on probation |work=Los Angeles Times}} Almost one month later, a fire started by an arsonist gutted the president's office.{{cite magazine|last=Nevin|first=David|date=March 14, 1969|title=Uneasy Peace at Valley State|magazine=Life Magazine}}{{cite book|title=Suddenly a Giant: A History of California State University, Northridge|last=Broesamle|first=John|date=1993|publisher=Santa Susana Press|location=Northridge, CA|page=52 |url=https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/concern/publications/2j62s8469}} {{multiple image

| align=right

| image1=SWPC-RFK-C004-003.jpg

| alt1=Robert F. Kennedy addresses the crowd at San Fernando Valley State College in 1968

| image2=SWPC-RFK-C006-008.jpg

| alt2=Crowd gathers at San Fernando Valley State College to hear Robert F. Kennedy

| footer=Robert F. Kennedy addresses the crowd at San Fernando Valley State College (now CSUN) in 1968

| footer_align=left

| width=200

}}

Furthermore, several massive antiwar demonstrations took place during 1969–1970, variously resulting in campus shutdowns, heavy police responses, violent clashes, hundreds of arrests, and in a few cases serious injuries to demonstrators. The last such demonstration was in May 1971, on the first anniversary of the Kent State shootings.Neelofer Lodhy, [http://sundial.csun.edu/2013/12/explore-csuns-hidden-history-of-campus-activism/ "Explore CSUN's hidden history of campus activism"]. The Sundial, December 9, 2013. Retrieved June 4, 2016.

Aside from the demonstrations, the university also catered to hippie culture when Janis Joplin performed with Big Brother and the Holding Company at what is now the Matadome on May 12, 1968.{{Cite web|url=https://www.csun.edu/magazine/fall-2018/on_campus|title=On Campus|date=2018-11-30|website=California State University, Northridge|language=en|access-date=2019-12-21}} Additionally, the Newport Pop Festival was held at the Devonshire Downs, now CSUN's North Campus, in June 1969 and attracted 200,000 attendees to watch performances by Jimi Hendrix, Ike & Tina Turner, Marvin Gaye, Jethro Tull and various others.{{cite news |last=Wharton |first=David |date=August 6, 1989 |title=The Lost Love-In : It was the Woodstock they forgot: Newport '69, Los Angeles' own weekend of music, masses and mayhem |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-08-06-ca-315-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=September 1, 2023}}

Despite the turmoil during this period, the university continued to grow and construction of the Oviatt Library began on May 19, 1971. The college also officially renamed itself to California State University, Northridge on June 1, 1972, by action of the Legislature and the Board of Trustees of the California State University.

File:CSUN Central Campus.JPG

On October 24, 1973, the university's library, once named the Oviatt Library and renamed to the University Library in 2020, was completed and opened.{{Cite web|url=https://library.csun.edu/About/HistoryOfTheBuilding|title=History of the Building {{!}} Oviatt Library|website=library.csun.edu|date=June 26, 2009 |access-date=2019-12-21}} In 1975, the construction of the CSUN sculpture began at the southeast corner of campus after the design by alumnus John T. Banks. By 1977, enrollment at the university was 28,023, with tuition at $95. In 1981, the campus officially established a foreign exchange student program with Japan, China, Ukraine, South Korea, Taiwan, Brazil and the Netherlands. In 1988, the campus had an enrollment of 31,575 and a $342 tuition fee.

In 1974, in partnership with UC Santa Barbara, CSUN opened the Ventura Learning Center in Ventura. This became the CSUN Ventura Campus in 1988 and was spun off into California State University, Channel Islands in 1998.{{cite web|url=https://www.csuci.edu/about/facts-history/history.htm |title=About CSUCI: Facts & History}}

In 1990, the Marilyn Magaram Center for Food Science, Nutrition and Dietetics was established; the Oviatt Library east and west wings were added; and the campus could boast of having the California State University system's only fully established astronomy department with a planetarium.

File:Cal state northridge quake damage.jpg at CSUN]]

The 1994 Northridge earthquake struck on January 17 and caused $400 million in damage to the campus, the heaviest damage ever sustained by an American college campus. The epicenter was less than two miles (3 km) away on a previously undiscovered blind thrust fault. Later the same month, Vice President Al Gore visited with a promise of funds to help with the reconstruction. Entire sections of the main library, the art building and several other major structures were either physically unusable or too hazardous to occupy. Among the structures judged to be so seriously damaged that repair was not a practical option were the Fine Arts building, designed by noted modernist architect Richard Neutra, and the South Library, the oldest permanent building on campus. The art courtyard survived. Due to inadequate earthquake engineering, the parking structure next to the Matadome was completely destroyed. It is currently a grass field used for kinesiology instruction, though the driveway formerly used to enter it is still visible from Zelzah Avenue. The large American flag atop the Oviatt Library was installed after the earthquake and has been flown ever since.{{Cite web|url=https://www.csun.edu/advancement/pride-and-traditions|title=Pride and Traditions|date=2013-06-13|website=California State University, Northridge|language=en|access-date=2019-11-12|last3=Northridge|last4=Us|first4=CA 91330 Phone:677-1200 / Contact}} In the aftermath of the 1994 earthquake, CSUN civil engineering faculty and students took part in the research on earthquake protection of building structures, in particular, in the field of seismic performance, vibration control, and base isolation.{{Cite web|url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc691510/m2/1/high_res_d/61702.pdf|title=Journal|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816164347/https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc691510/m2/1/high_res_d/61702.pdf|archive-date=August 16, 2017}}

Despite the extensive damage, classes for the spring term started only two weeks late. The classes were held in rapidly constructed tents and temporary facilities, remaining campus buildings deemed safe for use, and local high schools, community colleges, and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) while the campus was being rebuilt. On January 17, 1995, President Bill Clinton visited the campus to commemorate the first anniversary of the quake.

File:Manzanitas Hall.JPG

In April 1999, the Board of CSU trustees decided to give $27 million to construct post-earthquake projects. The university opened the first Central American Studies program in the nation in May 2000. In 2003, both University Hall and Manzanita Hall were opened, marking the completion of the earthquake recovery program.{{Cite web|url=https://catalog.csun.edu/about/university-history/|title=University History|website=catalog.csun.edu|access-date=2019-11-12}} California State University trustees on March 15, 2006, voted their unanimous approval of Envision 2035, the Cal State Northridge planning initiative that framed the university's physical development for the next several decades.{{Cite web|url=http://www.csun.edu/envision2035/|title=Cal State Northridge Envision 2035|website=www.csun.edu|access-date=2020-03-07}} The vote approved the revised master plan as well as an increase in the campus' master plan enrollment capacity from 25,000 to 35,000 full-time equivalent students (FTEs). The trustees also certified the final environmental impact report on the plan. The university in 2007, with clean energy advocates, built the new 1 megawatt fuel cell power plant which was the largest of its kind in any university in the world.

The campus community maintained its legacy of activism when budget cuts and tuition fee hikes were announced during the 2008 financial crisis. Students formed the Students Against Rising Tuition group and protested while Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger visited the campus in February 2008. Subsequently, students, staff and faculty protested further cuts introduced by the Governor later in the year. Protests against the budget cuts continued on March 4, 2010, when a statewide protest against the budget cuts was organized, with several professors cancelling class and large numbers of students leaving their classes to join the protests and march down Reseda Boulevard. The protests resulted in several arrests, but in turn students raised allegations of abusive behavior from the police. Aside from the protests, politicians continued to visit the campus as in previous decades, this time with visits from 2008 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, United States Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, and a visit in 2016 from future Vice President (then Attorney General of California) Kamala Harris.{{Cite web|last=Herstein|first=Olivia|date=2016-11-03|title=Both U.S. Senate Candidates Visit CSUN to Rally Young Voters|url=https://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/university-news/both-u-s-senate-candidates-visit-csun-to-rally-young-voters/|access-date=2021-09-02|website=CSUN Today}}

The turmoil and budget cuts did not prevent Envision 2035 from being executed. Projects completed as part of the plan included Chaparral Hall (completed in 2009), the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (opened in 2011), the Student Recreation Center (opened in 2012), the Transit Center (finished in 2012), the Extended University Commons building (completed in 2016), the AS Sustainability Center (finished in 2017), and Lilac Hall (opened in 2019).

This period also saw increased donations to the university, with gift commitments reaching a record $31.7 million in 2018.{{Cite web|url=https://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/university-news/csun-alumni-and-friends-set-new-giving-record/|title=CSUN Alumni and Friends Set New Giving Record|date=2018-11-19|website=CSUN Today|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-28}} Major donations included $7 million from Michael Eisner in 2002, $7.3 million from the Bayramian family estate in 2005, $10 million from Mike Curb in 2006, $10 million from David Nazarian in 2014, and a then record $17 million from Younes Nazarian in 2017.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailynews.com/20080822/5-million-csun-gift-anonymous|title=$5 million CSUN gift anonymous|date=2008-08-22|website=Daily News|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-22}} Various corporations like Amazon Alexa, Autodesk, Ernst & Young, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, KPMG and NASA also provided support to the university.*NASA: {{Cite web|url=https://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/education/csun-receives-3-million-from-nasa-to-study-all-aspects-of-artificial-intelligence/|title=CSUN Receives $3 Million from NASA to Study All Aspects of Artificial Intelligence|date=2019-10-22|website=CSUN Today|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-18}}

• Autodesk: {{Cite web|url=https://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/media-releases/csun-receives-1-million-gift-from-autodesk-for-a-center-of-possibilities/|title=CSUN Receives $1 Million Gift from Autodesk for a 'Center of Possibilities'|date=2020-01-15|website=CSUN Today|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-22}}
• Amazon Alexa: {{Cite web|url=https://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/media-releases/alexa-innovation-fellowship-brings-voice-to-csun-student-business-startups/|title=Alexa Innovation Fellowship Brings Voice to CSUN Student Business Startups|date=2018-09-24|website=CSUN Today|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-22}}
• HFP: {{Cite web|url=http://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/csun-receives-2-million-from-hollywood-foreign-press-association|title=CSUN Receives $2 Million From Hollywood Foreign Press Association|website=Philanthropy News Digest (PND)|language=en|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181020182334/http://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/csun-receives-2-million-from-hollywood-foreign-press-association|archive-date=October 20, 2018|access-date=2020-01-22}}
• EY: {{Cite web|url=https://www.csun.edu/acctis/ey-center|title=EY Center for Careers in Accounting and Information Systems|date=2013-04-01|website=California State University, Northridge|language=en|access-date=2020-01-22}}
• KPMG: {{Cite web|url=https://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/business/kpmg-foundation-commits-to-new-csun-endowment/|title=KPMG Foundation Commits to New CSUN Endowment|date=2019-09-10|website=CSUN Today|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-22}} This period also saw an increase in sponsored research.{{Cite web|url=https://www.csun.edu/president/president-dianne-f-harrison-announces-retirement|title=President Dianne F. Harrison Announces Retirement|date=2019-11-21|website=California State University, Northridge|language=en|access-date=2020-01-22}}

In 2019, a record 11,627 students graduated from the university.{{Cite web|url=https://scvnews.com/csun-readies-for-2019-commencement-ceremonies/|title=CSUN Readies for 2019 Commencement Ceremonies|date=2019-05-07|website=SCVNews.com|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-28}} The same year, president Dianne F. Harrison announced she would retire at the end of June 2020.

Like many other universities around the U.S. and the world, CSUN was heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The university ceased in-person instruction on March 12, 2020, when the pandemic started to take hold in the United States.{{Cite web|date=2020-03-11|title=CSUN cancels in-person classes to limit coronavirus spread|url=https://www.dailynews.com/2020/03/11/coronavirus-response-csu-northridge-cancels-in-person-classes|access-date=2021-09-01|website=Daily News|language=en-US}} Two months later, the California State University was the first in the nation to announce that fall instruction would also be almost exclusively online.{{Cite web|last=Burke|first=Michael|title=First in nation, California State University to close campuses for in-person instruction this fall|url=https://edsource.org/2020/california-state-university-classes-to-continue-mostly-online-in-fall/631381|access-date=2021-09-01|website=EdSource|language=en}} The university saw major revenue losses as a result of the pandemic and announced a budget cut in August 2020, despite receiving the 7th largest amount in the nation from the first wave of Covid relief funds under the CARES Act.{{Cite web|last=Agrawal|first=Nina|date=2020-08-24|title=How COVID-19 and budget woes have changed what 'back to school' means at Cal State|url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-08-24/how-covid-19-and-budget-woes-have-changed-what-back-to-school-means-at-cal-state|access-date=2021-09-01|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Bozzi|first=Sloane|title=CSUN to receive $44.6 million from CARES Act|url=https://sundial.csun.edu/157203/news/csun-to-receive-44-6-million-from-cares-act/|access-date=2021-09-01|website=The Sundial}}{{Cite web|last=Carter|first=Shannon|title=CSUN budget cut by $16 million; USU renovation and on-campus hotel delayed|url=https://sundial.csun.edu/159672/news/csun-budget-cut-by-16-million-due-to-the-ramifications-of-covid-19/|access-date=2021-09-01|website=The Sundial}} In total, CSUN received the most federal Covid relief funds ($265 million) out of all universities in California after the three waves of relief funds from the CARES Act, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, and American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.{{Cite web|last=Gordon|first=Larry|date=2021-07-09|title=CSUN is getting $265 million in COVID relief, more than any university in California|url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-07-09/csun-is-getting-265-million-in-covid-19-relief-the-most-of-any-university-in-california|access-date=2021-09-01|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}} In January 2021, CSUN became a vaccination site. When the site closed in June of the same year, around 250,000 people had been vaccinated on the campus.{{Cite web|last=Smith|first=Devin|date=2021-07-21|title=CSUN Vaccination Site Provided Hope and Service to Nearly 250,000|url=https://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/university-news/csun-vaccination-site-provided-hope-and-service-to-nearly-250000/|access-date=2021-09-01|website=CSUN Today}}

CSUN received the two largest donations in its history in 2021. On June 15, 2021, the university announced it had received a donation of $40 million from MacKenzie Scott and her husband Dan Jewett; the largest gift from a single donor in its history.{{Cite web|last=Chandler|first=Carmen|date=15 June 2021|title=CSUN Receives $40 Million Gift from Philanthropist and Author MacKenzie Scott and Husband Dan Jewett|url=https://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/csun-leaders/csun-receives-40-million-gift-from-philanthropist-and-author-mackenzie-scott-and-husband-dan-jewett/|access-date=2 September 2021|website=CSUN Today}} Three months later CSUN announced it had received the second largest donation in its history, $25 million, from Apple.{{Cite web|last=Shalby|first=Colleen|date=2021-09-01|title=CSU to create an immersive tech hub to recruit Latinos, others into STEM fields|url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-09-01/cal-state-to-launch-new-stem-focused-hub-at-csun|access-date=2021-09-02|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Chandler|first=Carmen|date=31 August 2021|title=CSU to Launch Global Hispanic Serving Institution Equity Innovation Hub|url=https://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/education/csu-to-launch-global-hispanic-serving-institution-equity-innovation-hub/|access-date=2 September 2021|website=CSUN Today}} The donation, combined with $25 million of state appropriations and over $7 million in support from Autodesk, was used for the establishment of a Global Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Equity Innovation Hub and construction of the Autodesk Technology Engagement Center (which houses the hub).{{Cite web |date=2023-04-24 |title=CSUN Breaks Ground on Autodesk Technology Engagement Center, a Project with National Impact |url=https://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/giving/csun-breaks-ground-on-autodesk-technology-engagement-center-a-project-with-national-impact/ |access-date=2024-05-08 |website=CSUN Today |language=en-US}} The hub allows for collaboration from across the CSU and other hispanic-serving institutions to improve student success, equity, and prepare students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds for STEM careers. Moreover, Apple will provide technology, design support and creative support at the hub as the project matures. The public–private partnership was made possible by political support from various state politicians, including Governor Gavin Newsom and Senator Alex Padilla, as well as an initial donation of $1 million from Autodesk for a feasibility study.{{Cite web|last=Galeano|first=Damaris|date=2021-11-08|title=Padilla Announces $1 Million to Support Global HSI Equity Innovation Hub at CSUN|url=https://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/uncategorized/padilla-announces-1-million-to-support-global-hsi-equity-innovation-hub-at-csun/|access-date=2021-11-18|website=CSUN Today}}{{Cite web|last=Chandler|first=Carmen Ramos|date=2020-01-15|title=CSUN Receives $1 Million Gift from Autodesk for a 'Center of Possibilities'|url=https://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/media-releases/csun-receives-1-million-gift-from-autodesk-for-a-center-of-possibilities/|access-date=2021-11-18|website=CSUN Today}}

During this time period the university also completed construction of Maple Hall, which was financed by $49.9 million of CSU funds. The completion of this building cleared the way to renovate neighboring Sierra Hall, pending funding and construction approval.{{Cite web |date=2024-03-13 |title=Meet Maple Hall: CSUN's First New Academic Classroom Building in 15 Years |url=https://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/university-news/meet-maple-hall-csuns-first-new-academic-classroom-building-in-15-years/ |access-date=2024-05-08 |website=CSUN Today |language=en-US}}

In the fall of 2018, there were 60,519 applicants, of which 31,102 were admitted for an acceptance rate of 51.4%.{{Cite web|url=https://www.calstate.edu/as/stat_reports/2018-2019/apps_f2018_all.htm|title=CSU New Students (Duplicated) Applications and Admissions by Campus and Student Level, 2018|website=www.calstate.edu|access-date=2019-07-07|archive-date=May 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190518085628/http://www.calstate.edu/as/stat_reports/2018-2019/apps_f2018_all.htm|url-status=dead}} As of fall 2018, CSUN has the largest enrollment percentage of Latino Americans that are not Mexican American in the Cal State system.{{Cite web|url=https://www.calstate.edu/as/stat_reports/2018-2019/feth02.htm|title=Ethnicity Enrollment Profile|website=www.calstate.edu|access-date=2019-07-09|archive-date=October 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191025201228/https://www.calstate.edu/as/stat_reports/2018-2019/feth02.htm|url-status=dead}} These are Latino Americans with heritage from Central America, South America and the Caribbean. In addition, CSUN has the third largest enrollment percentage of non-residents in the California State University system.

For the academic year 2015–2016, the number of foreign students who attended U.S. institutions exceeded the one million mark. During the same year, CSUN was ranked as the number one Master's institution, having the highest number of international students in the United States. The total number of international students for that academic year totaled 3,924.{{Cite journal|year=2017|title=U.S. Institutions With the Most Foreign Students, 2015-16.|journal=Chronicle of Higher Education}}

CSUN is divided into nine colleges:

• Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, & Communication
• College of Humanities
• College of Science and Mathematics
• College of Social & Behavioral Sciences
• David Nazarian College of Business & Economics
• Michael D. Eisner College of Education
• College of Engineering & Computer Science
• College of Health & Human Development
• Roland Tseng College of Extended Learning

The university, in partnership with Southwestern Law School, offers a dual B.A./J.D degree. The program allows students to graduate within six years instead of the traditional seven if both degrees were taken separately. The program began in fall 2014 with an estimated cohort size of 35 students. In addition, students accepted into the program receive an initial $10,000 Wildman/Schumacher entering student scholarship. Students in the program will have their first year of law school double count as their fourth year of undergraduate education.{{cite web|url=http://www.csun.edu/undergraduate-studies/bajd |title=3+3 B.A./J.D. – Success in Six | California State University, Northridge |publisher=Csun.edu |date= 2016-08-17|access-date=2015-10-18}}

The Roland Tseng College of Extended Learning is a division within the university aimed at addressing the educational needs of mid-career professionals. The college develops and offers study opportunities which are designed to ensure that the individuals, communities and organizations served by the university achieve their lifelong learning goals.{{Citation needed|date=October 2016}}

CSUN offers a pathway program for academic progression in the field of Nursing that links CSUN with designated California Community College (CC) partners.{{Cite web|title = Community College Collaboratives|url = http://www.csun.edu/health-human-development/nursing/community-college-collaboratives|website = California State University, Northridge|access-date = 2015-11-05|date = 2015-02-06}} This program enables students who are interested in attaining an ADN to earn a BSN degree in just {{frac|2|1|2}} years from starting the program. Students will be concurrently enrolled in both nursing programs, taking courses for their BSN while completing their associate degree at the community college. On completion of their ADN students will be able to complete their BSN in one year. Students must be accepted into an ADN program at one of the participating community colleges.

The following California Community Colleges are currently partnered up with CSUN Nursing: Glendale Community College,{{Cite web|title = Glendale Community College : Nursing|url = http://www.glendale.edu/index.aspx?page=809|website = www.glendale.edu|access-date = 2015-11-05|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304084430/http://www.glendale.edu/index.aspx?page=809|archive-date = March 4, 2016|df = mdy-all}} College of the Canyons,{{Cite web|title = Home|url = http://www.canyons.edu/Departments/NURSNG/Pages/default.aspx|website = www.canyons.edu|access-date = 2015-11-05|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151104111716/http://www.canyons.edu/Departments/NURSNG/Pages/default.aspx|archive-date = November 4, 2015|url-status = dead}} Los Angeles Valley College,{{Cite web|title = LAVC Nursing Program|url = https://sites.google.com/site/lavcnursingprogram/|website = sites.google.com|access-date = 2015-11-05|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150325123017/https://sites.google.com/site/lavcnursingprogram/|archive-date = March 25, 2015|df = mdy-all}} and Pierce College.{{Cite web|title = piercecollege.edu/departments/nursing|url = http://www.piercecollege.edu/departments/nursing/|website = www.piercecollege.edu|access-date = 2015-11-05}}

Central American Studies is an interdisciplinary academic space with an emphasis on the transnational character of Central America. The department is the only program to focus on Central Americans in the United States.{{cite news |last=Gordon |first=Larry |date=March 9, 2008 |title=Central American studies gaining acceptance |url=http://www.csun.edu/pubrels/clips/March08/03-10-08C.pdf |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=July 23, 2020 }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-02-18/central-american-studies-united-states|title=Central Americans have long migrated north. Today, their studies are getting their due|date=2020-02-18|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-07}} The Central American Studies program was established in 2000 after years of lobbying were derailed by the 1994 Northridge earthquake.{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-may-09-me-28176-story.html|title=CSUN Focuses on Central America|last=Moore|first=Solomon|date=2000-05-09|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=2017-05-26|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035}} The program began with a minor which required 18 units for graduation and developed into a Bachelor of Arts program with 13 graduates in 2017.

CSUN has long been recognized as a major supplier of PhD students by the National Science Foundation. The university ranked fifth in the number of undergraduate students who went on to earn a PhD in the category of master's colleges and universities in the 1999–2003 time frame (with a total of 264 alumni went on to earn a PhD in this time frame).{{cite web |url= http://www.norc.org/PDFs/publications/SED_Sum_Rpt_2003.pdf |title= Doctorate Recipients from United States Universities: Summary Report 2003, Table 35 |publisher= National Science Foundation |page= 82 |year= 2018 |access-date= January 8, 2019}} The other universities in the top 5 of this category, with the exception of the James Madison University at fourth place, were also California State Universities. This trend has persisted in more recent years, with CSUN ranking 4th in this category in 2018 (with a total of 65 alumni who obtained a PhD in that year) and 9th in 2022 (with a total of 43 alumni who obtained a PhD in that year).{{Cite web|title=Table Builder |url=https://ncsesdata.nsf.gov/builder/sed|access-date=2024-06-26|website=ncsesdata.nsf.gov}}

As a result, alumni have become professors at Ivy League institutions (including professor of economics and public affairs Mark Watson at Princeton University, associate professor of surgery Michael F. Daily at Dartmouth College, and associate professor of services marketing Robert Kwortnik at Cornell University)

• {{Cite web|url=https://wws.princeton.edu/faculty-research/faculty/mwatson|title=Mark Watson|date=2013-09-19|website=Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs|language=en|access-date=2019-05-11}}
• {{Cite web|url=https://www.dartmouth-hitchcock.org/findaprovider/provider/2622|title=Find a Provider {{!}} Find a Provider {{!}} Dartmouth-Hitchcock|website=www.dartmouth-hitchcock.org|access-date=2019-05-11}}
• {{Cite web|url=https://sha.cornell.edu/faculty-research/faculty/rjk34|title=Robert Kwortnik, Jr.'s faculty page for the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business|website=sha.cornell.edu|access-date=2019-05-11}}

as well as various Public and Hidden Ivies,*{{Cite web|url=https://philosophy.duke.edu/people/michael-t-ferejohn|title=Michael T. Ferejohn {{!}} Department of Philosophy|website=philosophy.duke.edu|access-date=2019-05-11}}

• {{Cite web|url=https://registrar.nd.edu/BOI/BOI0506FACINDX.pdf|title=Faculty|website=University of Notre Dame|access-date=May 11, 2019|archive-date=August 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813081327/https://registrar.nd.edu/BOI/BOI0506FACINDX.pdf|url-status=dead}}
• {{Cite web|url=https://cns.utexas.edu/directory/item/12-chemistry/68-anslyn-eric-v?Itemid=349|title=ANSLYN, ERIC V - Chemistry - CNS Directory|website=cns.utexas.edu|access-date=2019-05-11}}
• {{Cite journal|title=An (s,Q) policy with setup reduction in a single-stage batch manufacturing system|issue=1|pages=9–19|journal=Computers & Operations Research|volume=19|doi=10.1016/0305-0548(92)90055-A|date=January 1992|last1=Hong|first1=Jae-Dong|last2=Hayya|first2=Jack C.}}
• {{Cite web|url=https://news.usc.edu/23668/Alex-Sevanian-professor-of-molecular-pharmacology-58/|title=Alex Sevanian, professor of molecular pharmacology, 58|date=2005-03-04|website=USC News|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-11}} and other prominent institutions like New York University.{{Cite web|url=https://its.law.nyu.edu/facultyprofiles/index.cfm?fuseaction=profile.overview&personid=19914|title=John A. Ferejohn - Overview |website=its.law.nyu.edu|access-date=2019-05-11}}

CSUN also has a high amount of research activity for a master's level university. Since 2015, CSUN receives around $35 million annually in research funding from over 210 awards each year.{{Cite web|url=https://www.csun.edu/research-graduate-studies/research-sponsored-programs/dashboards|title=Award Data Dashboard|work=California State University, Northridge|access-date=2024-06-26|language=en|date=June 26, 2024}} For the most recent fiscal year of 2024, CSUN received funding of around $45 million from 230 grants. The College of Math and Science at CSUN is the biggest recipient of grant money, with around $11.4 million in funding in fiscal year 2024. Its faculty are published in numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals each year.{{Cite web|url=https://www.csun.edu/science-mathematics/research|title=Research|work=California State University, Northridge|access-date=2019-01-08|language=en|date=April 30, 2013}}

To support research activities for both faculty and students, CSUN built a {{convert|10,000|sqft|adj=on}} research facility.{{Cite news|url=https://www.csun.edu/magazine/homepage/csun-breaks-ground-10000-square-foot-research-building|title=CSUN breaks ground on 10,000-square-foot Research Building|work=California State University, Northridge|access-date=2019-01-08|language=en}} Half of this building, named Lilac Hall, is currently occupied by The Health Equity Research & Education (HERE) Center, which is funded by a $22 million NIH grant to support biomedical and health equity research at CSUN in the form of the BUILD PODER program; the other half of the building houses a laser lab containing femtosecond lasers to study energy flows and electric charges in nanomaterials, with the intention to design more efficient solar energy devices and nanomaterial-based photothermal therapy for cancer treatment.{{Cite web|url=https://www.csun.edu/build-poder/here-center|work=California State University, Northridge|access-date=2019-01-08|language=en|title=Health Equity Research & Education Center|date=June 18, 2018}}{{Cite web|url=https://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/university-news/csun-unveils-collaborative-research-building-lilac-hall/|work=California State University, Northridge|access-date=2019-01-08|language=en|title=CSUN Unveils Collaborative Research Building Lilac Hall | CSUN Today}} Another major research program at CSUN is the CSUN-UCLA Bridges to Stem Cell Research program. This ongoing collaboration allows undergraduate students to perform research in one of 50 stem cell research labs headed by UCLA faculty.{{Cite web|url=https://www.csun.edu/science-mathematics/biology/stem-cell-training-program|title=Stem Cell Training Program|work=California State University, Northridge|access-date=2019-01-08|language=en|date=September 19, 2013}} CSUN has also been collaborating with the Princeton Center for Complex Materials at Princeton University since 2006.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0611562|title=NSF Award Search: Award#0611562 - PREM - Multidisciplinary Research and Education in Computational Materials Science|website=www.nsf.gov|access-date=2019-05-13}} It is also a co-founder and partner institution of the Research Center for Translational Applications of Nanoscale Multiferroic Systems (TANMS), which was established at UCLA through an $18.5 million NSF grant in 2012. Other institutions involved at the center include Cornell University, University of California, Berkeley, ETH Zurich, University of Texas at Dallas and Northeastern University.{{Cite web|url=https://www.csun.edu/wmkeck-computational-materials-theory-center/news/csun-part-new-national-effort-revolutionize|title=CSUN Part of New National Effort to Revolutionize Nanoscale Electromagnetic Devices|date=2015-02-19|website=California State University, Northridge|language=en|access-date=2019-11-22}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.tanms-erc.org/home/about|title=About Us - TANMS Engineering Research Center|website=www.tanms-erc.org|access-date=2019-11-22}} In 2019, the university received $3 million from NASA to establish the NASA Autonomy Research Center for STEAHM. The interdisciplinary research center will comprehensively study increasingly autonomous (IA) systems, such as artificial intelligence and automation, through the collaboration between six of the university's colleges, while also collaborating with researchers from NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center and Jet Propulsion Laboratory.{{Cite web|url=https://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/education/csun-receives-3-million-from-nasa-to-study-all-aspects-of-artificial-intelligence/|title=CSUN Receives $3 Million from NASA to Study All Aspects of Artificial Intelligence|date=2019-10-22|website=CSUN Today|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-18}}

File:ISS-47 CubeSat deployment - STMSat-1 and NODeS satellites.jpg deployer]]

CSUN is also home to the San Fernando Observatory. It has operated this observatory since 1976 and moved the observatory from its location in Sylmar to the campus in 2016.{{Cite web|url=https://www.csun.edu/science-mathematics/physics-astronomy/new-san-fernando-observatory-csun|title=New San Fernando Observatory at CSUN|work=California State University, Northridge|access-date=2019-01-08|language=en|date=March 7, 2016}} The observatory mainly functions as a solar observatory, and due to its decades long operation by CSUN, has allowed hundreds of students and faculty members to collect solar data. The photometric images from this facility are used to determine energy changes in the sun and the data collected by this observatory are used by researchers worldwide. The observatory, in combination with the Donald E. Bianchi Planetarium and the stellar (nighttime) observatory, form the only comprehensive astronomy network in the entire California State University system.

Additionally, over 70 CSUN Engineering and Computer Science students designed, built, programmed, and tested a CubeSat named CSUNSat1, which was funded by NASA's Small Spacecraft Technology Partnership program.{{Cite web|url=http://www.csun.edu/cubesat/|title=CSUNSat1: A California State University Northridge (CSUN) Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Collaboration|author=California State University, Northridge|access-date=March 24, 2019|language=en}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/elana-xvii_oa7-factsheet_508_0.pdf|title=ELaNa XVII International Space Station CubeSat Deployment|author=NASA|access-date=March 24, 2019|language=en|archive-date=June 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170601043237/https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/elana-xvii_oa7-factsheet_508_0.pdf|url-status=dead}} Its mission is to test a low temperature-capable energy storage system in space, developed by JPL, which will raise the technology readiness level of this storage system from 4 or 5 to 7.{{Cite web|url=http://nanoracks.com/cubesat-deployer-mission-11-update|title=NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer Mission 11 Status Update: Good Deploy!|author=Nanoracks|date=May 17, 2017|access-date=March 24, 2019|language=en}} The success of this energy storage system will enable future space missions and scientific studies to conduct more experiments while requiring less energy, mass, and volume. The satellite was launched on 18 April 2017 as part of the ELaNa 17 mission by NASA on the Cygnus CRS OA-7 from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral to the ISS. The satellite was deployed by NanoRacks on May 17, 2017, and the nominal and cold temperature experiments were completed on June 18, 2017. The satellite is still operational and proceeding with its mission operations.

Various faculty members have been awarded prestigious Guggenheim Fellowships for research and creative activity,{{Cite web|url=http://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/arts-and-culture/csun-emeritus-professor-receives-guggenheim-fellowship/|title=CSUN Emeritus Professor Receives Guggenheim Fellowship|date=2013-07-26|website=CSUN Today|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-28}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-04-25-me-58655-story.html|title=Northridge: Professor Wins Guggenheim Grant|date=1995-04-25|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-28}} while over 50 have won Fulbright awards to conduct research or teach abroad.{{Cite web|url=http://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/arts-and-culture/csun-to-host-fulbrights-70th-anniversary-gala/|title=CSUN to Host Fulbright's 70th Anniversary Gala|date=2016-06-07|website=CSUN Today|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-28}} Recipients of the Guggenheim Fellowships have included Kim Victoria Abeles, Judy Baca, and Sabina Magliocco.

{{Prose|section|date=February 2025}}

{{columns-start|num=3}}

{{Infobox US university ranking

| Forbes = 207

| THE_WSJ = 53

| USNWR_REG = 18

| Wamo_MASTERSU = 4

}}

{{column}}

{{column}}

{{columns-end}}

• The 2023 USNWR Best Regional Colleges West Rankings ranks Northridge 13 on Top Public Schools, 15 on Top Performers on Social Mobility.
• The Wall Street Journal ranked CSUN 2 on Most Diverse Learning Environment in the Nation and Sierra Magazine 35 on Sustainable "Cool Schools."
• The 2022 USNWR Best Regional Colleges West Rankings ranks Northridge 13 on best Undergraduate Teaching, 18 on Top Public Schools, 19 on Top Performers on Social Mobility.
• Money Magazine ranked CSUN 45th in the nation out of the nearly 750 schools it included for its 2020-21 Best Colleges ranking.{{cite magazine |author= |title=MONEY's 2020-21 Best Colleges Ranking |url=https://money.com/best-colleges/|magazine= Money|date=2020 |access-date=March 15, 2021}} It also ranked the university 29th among the nation's public colleges.{{cite magazine |author= |title=Best Public Colleges |url=http://money.com/money/best-colleges/rankings/best-public-colleges/|magazine= Money|date=2020 |access-date=March 15, 2021}}
• CSUN was ranked 730th globally among universities by the 2020 Nature Index for the share of publications in high-impact journals.{{Cite web|title=Institution outputs |url=https://www.natureindex.com/institution-outputs/generate/All/global/academic/score/1|access-date=2021-03-15|website=www.natureindex.com}}
• CSUN has been consistently recognized as having one of the best film schools in the U.S. and in the world.{{cite magazine |url= https://variety.com/2017/film/spotlight/entertainment-education-film-school-roundup-1202395702/ |title= Entertainment Education: Stellar Film Schools in 2017 |magazine= Variety |access-date= March 24, 2019}}{{cite magazine |url= https://variety.com/2018/film/spotlight/entertainment-education-film-school-stars-1202785789/ |title= Entertainment Education Report: The Best Film Schools in 2018 |magazine= Variety |access-date= March 24, 2019}}{{cite web |url= https://www.thewrap.com/top-50-film-schools-2018-ranked-from-usc-to-asu/ |title= Top 50 Film Schools of 2018 Ranked, From USC to ASU |publisher= The Wrap |access-date= March 24, 2019|date= October 22, 2018 }}{{cite web |url= https://www.thewrap.com/top-50-film-schools-ranked/ |title= The Top 50 Film Schools, Ranked, in 2016 |publisher= The Wrap |access-date= March 24, 2019|date= February 13, 2017 }}{{cite magazine |url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/best-film-schools-2016-top-united-states-rankings-920344/item/cal-state-university-northridge-25-920389 |title= THR Ranks the Top 25 American Film Schools |magazine= The Hollywood Reporter |access-date= March 24, 2019}} Its music school holds the same recognition.{{Cite web|url=http://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/arts-and-culture/csuns-music-program-ranked-among-the-top-25-by-the-hollywood-reporter/|title=CSUN's Music Program Ranked Among the Top 25 by The Hollywood Reporter|date=2016-12-08|website=CSUN Today|language=en-US|access-date=2019-09-05}}{{Cite web|url=https://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/university-news/hollywood-reporter-csuns-film-composing-school-among-worlds-best/|title=The Hollywood Reporter: CSUN's Film Composing School Among World's Best|date=2019-01-07|website=CSUN Today|language=en-US|access-date=2019-09-05}}
• In 2020, Washington Monthly ranked CSUN 6th for "Best Bang for the Buck" out of 215 schools in the U.S. western region.{{cite web|title=2020 Best Bang for the Buck Rankings: West|url=https://washingtonmonthly.com/2020-best-bang-for-the-buck-rankings-west-2/ |magazine=Washington Monthly |date=August 28, 2020 |access-date=August 31, 2020}}
• Forbes ranked CSUN 92nd in its 2019 ranking of America's Best Value Colleges out of the 300 universities that were included.{{cite magazine|author=Forbes |url=https://www.forbes.com/value-colleges/list/#tab:rank |title=America's Best Value Colleges |magazine=Forbes|date=2018|access-date=2019-07-07}}
• CSUN was ranked 4th in the United States by the Social Mobility Index 2020 college rankings.{{cite web|author=CollegeNET |url=http://www.socialmobilityindex.org |title=Social Mobility Index 2020 - CollegeNET |publisher=Socialmobilityindex.org |access-date=2021-03-15}}
• CSUN was ranked 3rd in the nation and 1st in California in the amount of bachelor's degrees awarded to Hispanics.{{cite web|author=Hispanic Outlook on Education Magazine |url=https://www.hispanicoutlook.com/articles/total-b-degrees-granted-2017 |title=Total B.A. Degrees Granted 2017 |publisher=Top 100 Colleges and Universities for Hispanics 2018 |date= August 2018 |access-date=2019-01-26}} CSUN was also ranked 10th nationally and 4th in California in the amount of master's degrees awarded to Hispanics.{{cite web|author=Hispanic Outlook on Education Magazine |url=https://www.hispanicoutlook.com/articles/total-b-degrees-granted-2017 |title=Total Master's Degree in 2017 |publisher=Top 100 Colleges and Universities for Hispanics 2018 |date= August 2018 |access-date=2019-01-26}}
• As of 2024, CSUN ranked 9th among the top 25 undergraduate schools whose alumni pass the California Bar Exam (1st among the CSU campuses), accounting for almost 4,000 attorneys.{{Cite web |title=Search :: The State Bar of California |url=http://members.calbar.ca.gov/search/demographics.aspx |access-date=2024-05-13 |website=members.calbar.ca.gov}}
• The undergraduate engineering program ranked fifth among California public colleges (Masters level) and fourteenth among U.S. public colleges.{{cite web|url=http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/california-state-university-northridge-110608/overall-rankings|title=California State University-Northridge - Overall Rankings - Best College - US News|access-date=June 18, 2013|archive-date=August 30, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130830082204/http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/california-state-university-northridge-110608/overall-rankings|url-status=dead}}
• CSUN, in collaboration with the LA Cleantech Incubator, ranked 10th worldwide as a top business incubator in 2017/2018.{{cite web |url=https://ubi-global.com/rankings/ |title=World Rankings Report 17/18: Rankings and Recognition of University-Linked Business Incubators and Accelerators |work=UBI Global | Innovation Intelligence Company and Community |publisher=UBI Global |date=February 2018}} LA Cleantech Incubator also collaborates with UCLA, Caltech, University of Southern California, and California State University, Los Angeles.
• The College of Business and Economics has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce for its vital role in promoting international trade in the Los Angeles area.[http://www.csun.edu/ua/marketing-and-communications/press_releases/Spring08/businessrec.html CSUN's College of Business and Economics Recognized by U.S. Department of Commerce] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201195612/http://www.csun.edu/ua/marketing-and-communications/press_releases/Spring08/businessrec.html |date=February 1, 2014 }}
• In 2018, CSUN was designated as an Innovation and Economic Prosperity (IEP) University by the APLU.{{cite web|url=http://www.aplu.org/projects-and-initiatives/economic-development-and-community-engagement/innovation-and-economic-prosperity-universities-designation-and-awards-program/designees.html|title=IEP University Designees|publisher=APLU|access-date=January 24, 2019|archive-date=September 27, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927034002/http://www.aplu.org/projects-and-initiatives/economic-development-and-community-engagement/innovation-and-economic-prosperity-universities-designation-and-awards-program/designees.html|url-status=dead}}

{{clear}}

The CSUN Botanic Garden is located in the southeast quad, near the intersection of Zelzah Avenue and Nordhoff Street.{{cite web |url=http://www.csun.edu/maps/cm1.html |title=MAP |publisher=Csun.edu |date= 2013-07-09|access-date=March 28, 2012}} It is part of the Biology Department for university curriculum, and also a regionally important demonstration garden and educational resource for the community.{{cite web|url=http://www.csun.edu/botanicgarden/about.html |title=INTRO |publisher=Csun.edu |access-date=March 28, 2012}} It has new focus projects for plants usable for regionally local sustainable landscaping using sustainable gardening techniques and studying and 'planting' ethnobotany insights and links.{{cite web|url=http://www.csun.edu/botanicgarden/vision.html |title=Vision |publisher=Csun.edu |access-date=June 22, 2012}} One of the few remaining historic ({{circa|1920s}}) orange groves is thriving on the southeastern campus quad. The citrus industry formerly had groves covering much of the San Fernando Valley. The rows of large eucalyptus trees, historic windbreaks for agricultural fields from the late 19th century, are found towering over the perimeters of the campus, surviving planners developing campus expansions with valor.[http://digital-library.csun.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/SFVH&CISOPTR=3549&CISOBOX=1&REC=8 Valley Citrus] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120407024420/http://digital-library.csun.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=%2FSFVH&CISOPTR=3549&CISOBOX=1&REC=8 |date=April 7, 2012 }}, Oviatt Library Digital Archives (Access date: December 13, 2011)

{{Main|Oviatt Library}}

File:OviattLibrary.jpg

The CSUN University Library provides educational, cultural and information services and resources to the students and faculty. Its primary mission is to support and supplement classroom and independent learning; facilitate student and faculty research; and provide students with lifelong skills in identifying, locating, evaluating and synchronizing information.

All library materials are housed in the University Library, a {{convert|234712|sqft|m2|adj=on}} state-of-the-art facility. There are over 2,500 seats for in-house study. Of note are the Learning Commons, the Creative Media Studio, 5 computer equipped library instruction labs, and over 150 computer workstations devoted to library information resources. Specially equipped computer workstations are located throughout the library for individuals with disabilities, including four assistive technology equipped study rooms for students. During Fall and Spring semesters, the building is open 90 hours a week. The library maintains its own server and web pages providing access to online electronic information and archives 24 hours a day for students and the public at the University Library Digital Collections.{{cite web|url=http://digital-library.csun.edu/ |title=digital-library.csun.edu |publisher=digital-library.csun.edu |access-date=June 22, 2012}} The library also maintains its own AS/RS (Automated Storage and Retrieval System) with the capacity of 1.7 million volumes.{{cite web |url=http://library.csun.edu/About/ASRS |title=library.csun.edu |date=May 13, 2009 |publisher=digital-library.csun.edu |access-date=October 20, 2016 |archive-date=July 8, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100708002241/http://library.csun.edu/About/ASRS |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |last=Chu |first=Henry |date=October 25, 1991 |title=Robotic Library : Information: CSUN students and staff can request selections through computers and have them delivered automatically. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-10-25-me-173-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=May 24, 2019 }}

The University Library has a physical collection containing 1.3 million volumes, of which over one million are books, and over 245,000 bound periodical volumes.{{cite web|url=http://library.csun.edu/About/LibraryStatistics|title=Library Statistics, 2015-2016 - Oviatt Library|work=CSUN University Library |date=February 21, 2014 |access-date=February 14, 2017}} The library subscribes to over 84,000 online journals, 200 online databases and more than 500,000 ebooks. The microform collection contains 3.1 million pieces. There are over 14,000 sound recordings and over 60,000 film and video recordings. The Special Collections & Archives section of the University Library has a large collection of materials on Human Sexuality—possibly the "second largest private collection on human sexuality" behind the Kinsey Institute.{{cite web |first=Dave |last=MacNeal |url=http://sundial.csun.edu/2008/12/pornconnectionataleoftwostashes/ |title=Porn Connection: A Tale of two stashes |publisher=Daily Sundial |date=December 4, 2008}} In addition, the Teacher Curriculum Center provides a circulating collection of curricular materials for education students and local educators.

In 2019, CSUN president Dianne F. Harrison appointed a campus committee to investigate whether the Oviatt Library should be renamed due to allegations of racism.{{cite news |last1=Mayorquin |first1=Orlando |last2=Moran-Perez |first2=Gillian |date=June 25, 2020 |title=CSUN considers renaming Oviatt Library after students claim Delmar T. Oviatt was racist |url=https://sundial.csun.edu/158835/news/csun-considers-renaming-oviatt-library-after-students-claim-delmar-t-oviatt-was-racist/ |work=Daily Sundial |location=Northridge, California |access-date=July 2, 2020 }} In fall 2020, the Oviatt Library Advisory Working Group presented its findings to President Harrison, the Associated Students Senate, and the CSUN Faculty Senate, recommending that the name of Delmar T. Oviatt be removed from the University Library.{{cite news |last=Carter |first=Shannon |date=November 10, 2020 |title=Oviatt Library Advisory Group recommends removing Delmar T. Oviatt's name; AS Senate votes in solidarity |url=https://sundial.csun.edu/161858/news/oviatt-library-advisory-group-recommends-removing-delmar-t-oviatts-name-as-senate-votes-in-solidarity/ |work=Daily Sundial |location=Northridge, California |access-date=November 11, 2020}} After approval from CSU Chancellor Timothy White, the name was changed to University Library in December 2020.{{cite news |last=Bozzi |first=Sloane |date=December 18, 2020 |title=Oviatt name removed from CSUN library, lawn effective immediately |url=https://sundial.csun.edu/162366/news/oviatt-name-removed-from-csun-library-lawn-effective-immediately/ |work=Daily Sundial |access-date=December 19, 2020}}

Other campus departments and centers with collections:

• The Geography Department holds a large collection of Sanborn maps{{cite magazine |last=Miller |first=Greg |date=March 3, 2017 |title=Historical Atlases Rescued from the Trash Could Be a Boon to Historians |url=https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/03/historical-atlas-maps-american-west/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170304062752/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/03/historical-atlas-maps-american-west/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 4, 2017 |magazine=National Geographic |access-date=January 21, 2019 }}
• The Script Library in Manzanita Hall features over 800 screenplays{{cite web |url=https://www.csun.edu/mike-curb-arts-media-communication/cinema-television-arts/script-library |title=Script Library |author= |website=Department of Cinema and Television Arts |date=November 30, 2012 |publisher=California State University, Northridge |access-date=September 29, 2023 |quote=}}

Opened in 2003, the Earthquake Sculpture Garden was created as a means to commemorate those affected by the 1994 Northridge earthquake. This small patch of land, adjacent to the campus bookstore, features actual remnants of the collapsed parking structure weaved into the foliage. The artist, Marjorie Berkson Sievers a CSUN graduate, took inspiration from Peru and its natural architecture. Despite its age, the garden continues to pay homage to the earthquake that majorly impacted the campus and the adjacent community.{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-jan-31-me-garden31-story.html|title = School Sculpture Garden Commemorates '94 Quake|website = Los Angeles Times|date = January 31, 2003}}

The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (formerly the Valley Performing Arts Center) is a performance venue completed in 2011 at a cost of $125 million. Its {{cvt|166,000|sqft}} houses a 1,700-seat three-tier concert hall and a 175-seat black box theater, as well as rehearsal rooms, academic and production support spaces, classrooms, and a lecture hall.Ezarik, Melissa. [http://www.universitybusiness.com/article/valley-performing-arts-center-cal-state-northridge Valley Performing Arts Center at Cal State, Northridge.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151025171332/http://www.universitybusiness.com/article/valley-performing-arts-center-cal-state-northridge |date=October 25, 2015 }} University Business. April 2011. Retrieved June 14, 2015.Ng, David. [https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2011-jan-31-la-et-valley-performing-arts-20110131-story.html A star-studded opening for the Valley Performing Arts Center.] Los Angeles Times. January 31, 2011. Retrieved June 14, 2015. In 2017, Younes Nazarian and his wife, Soraya Nazarian, donated $17 million to rename the Valley Performing Arts Center to the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts, also known as [https://www.thesoraya.org The Soraya].{{cite news|title=Nazarian Family Donates $17M Gift To CSUN Performing Arts Center|url=http://bhcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/072117Fissue.pdf|access-date=July 22, 2017|work=The Beverly Hills Courier|date=July 21, 2017|pages=1; 16|archive-date=September 14, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200914103156/https://bhcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/072117Fissue.pdf|url-status=dead}}

File:Student Recreation Center (Cal State, Northridge).jpg

The Student Recreation Center is a 138,000 square foot facility for exercise and leisure activity.{{cite news|url=https://www.csun.edu/src|title=Student Recreation Center|work=California State University, Northridge |access-date=2018-06-25|date=2014-02-26}} The facility opened in January 2012 after 24 months of construction and cost a total of $62,354,790.{{Cite web|url=https://sundial.csun.edu/48250/news/src-to-celebrate-its-grand-opening/|title=SRC to celebrate its grand opening|last=Nesbitt|first=Irene|website=The Sundial|access-date=2019-08-07}} The Student Recreation Center was originally named the Fitness Centre and it opened its doors in 1995.{{Cite web |title=CSUN SRC History |date=April 28, 2014 |url=https://www.csun.edu/src/history}}

The University Student Union or USU, is a non-profit student organization that strives to better the college experience. The USU provides a variety of involvement opportunities, programs, services, and job opportunities.{{cite web|url=http://www.csun.edu/usu|title=University Student Union|work=California State University, Northridge |access-date=December 16, 2014|date=2013-02-06}} In July 2019, it was announced that the USU complex will be reconstructed and expanded. The project is named "The New Heart of Campus" and will cost an estimated $130 million to both replace the old USU complex with a new three story, {{convert|79,800|sqft|adj=on}} complex and renovate an additional {{convert|49,900|sqft}}. This project will be financed by both an additional student fee and $24 million in reserves from the University Student Union itself. Construction is set to begin in spring 2020 and the estimated opening date will be in the 2022–2023 academic year.{{Cite web|url=https://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/university-news/designing-a-new-heart-of-campus-usu-launches-historic-renovation-and-expansion/|title=Designing a New Heart of Campus: USU Launches Historic Renovation and Expansion|last=Colin|first=Perla|date=2019-07-10|website=CSUN Today|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-07}}

The Veteran Resource Center (VRC) is located within the University Student Union (USU). The VRC is a designated area for veteran students to seek camaraderie and support as they transition from military service to academia. The VRC has a variety of resources such as: several desktop computers, a rest area, sitting area, and a TV for community use. The VRC is open to all CSUN students.{{cite web|url=http://www.csun.edu/vrc/mentor-program|title=Mentor Program|date=April 15, 2014|access-date=February 14, 2017}}

The Oasis Wellness Center is located beneath the USU computer lab and next to the Plaza Pool. It is described as a place of peace and tranquility in order to help achieve academic success. It provides massage therapy, power-napping sleep pods by appointment, nutrition classes, and yoga. The Oasis Wellness Center is open to all CSUN students.{{Cite news|url=http://www.csun.edu/oasis|title=Oasis Wellness Center|date=2015-02-12|newspaper=California State University, Northridge|access-date=2016-11-03}}

The CSUN Food Pantry provides food and personal care items, free of cost with no questions asked. This service opened in 2017. The pantry is in Laurel Hall. This is open to any CSUN student, staff/faculty, and local community members.{{Cite news|url=https://www.csun.edu/mic/csun-food-pantry|title=CSUN Food Pantry|date=2016-10-18|work=California State University, Northridge|access-date=2017-10-31|language=en}}

The National Center on Deafness was established in 1972. Support services such as sign language interpreters, real-time captioners, and notetakers are coordinated from this center, as well as serving as a location of academic advisement and gathering of deaf students.{{cite web|url=http://library.csun.edu/50/CSUNCommunity.html|title=Fifty and fabulous|publisher=California State University Northridge}}

Since 1988 the Strache Leadership Award has been awarded at the CSUN Conference for leadership in the field of disability and technology.{{cite web|url=https://www.csun.edu/cod/conference-awards|title=The Strache Leadership Award|date=November 15, 2017 |publisher=California State University Northridge}} The award recognizes the role of education and mentorship while remaining a leader in their field.

Since 2013 the CSUN Conference has issued a Call for Papers{{cite web|url=https://www.csun.edu/cod/journal-call-papers|publisher=California State University Northridge|title=Journal Call for Papers |date=April 14, 2014 }} and selected papers become part of the Journal on Technology & Persons with Disabilities. In 2018, Journal began providing awards for The Dr. Arthur I. Karshmer Award for Assistive Technology Research for leading researchers in Assistive Technology, Accessibility and Inclusion.{{cite web|url=https://www.csun.edu/cod/journal-awards|title=The Dr. Arthur I. Karshmer Award for Assistive Technology Research |date=November 9, 2017 |publisher=California State University Northridge}}

Because of its proximity to Hollywood and its diverse array of modern architecture, the campus has long been an attractive filming location for motion picture and television productions.[http://www.csun.edu/node/17426/ "Past Motion Picture, Television, Motion/Print Ad, and Digital Content Projects"]. csun.edu. Lists select post-2002 projects only. Retrieved 2016-06-03. An early example is the 1966 film The Glass Bottom Boat, for which parts of Sierra Hall and the Engineering Building were temporarily dressed up as NASA facilities. It has appeared in American Idol, Arrested Development, Ringer, Chuck, Dexter, My Name Is Earl, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Criminal Minds, Commander in Chief, Van Wilder, Six Feet Under, The Karate Kid, The Bionic Woman, Battlestar Galactica, The Office, McMillan & Wife, Son in Law, Bring It On: Fight to the Finish, Legally Blonde 2, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Roswell, The Nick Cannon Show, Quincy, M.E., Georgia Rule, and Sky High (in which the Oviatt Library is prominently featured). The Barry Levinson-directed What Just Happened was filmed at the Oviatt Library and featured Robert De Niro and Sean Penn. The pilot of the remake of the television series "Knight Rider" filmed a car chase on the campus, which stood in for Stanford University. During the spring break of 2008, the library served as Starfleet Academy for Star Trek (2009 version).[https://www.aintitcool.com/node/36031 Ain't It Cool News] Accessed March 2008 The parking lots to the north of the campus were featured in the movie Superbad.{{cite web|url=http://sundial.csun.edu/2013/02/american-idol-holds-auditions-at-vpac-adding-to-long-list-of-productions-filmed-on-campus/|title='American Idol' holds auditions at VPAC, adding to long list of productions filmed on campus|first=Melanie|last=Gaball|date=February 3, 2013|access-date=February 14, 2017}} In September 2014, CSUN's Matador Bookstore and Oviatt Library served as backdrops for the Netflix movie We Are Your Friends, starring Zac Efron.{{cite web|title = We Are Your Friends movie filmed at CSUN |url = http://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/arts-and-culture/we-are-your-friends-movie-filmed-at-csun/|website = csunshinetoday.csun.edu | date=September 23, 2014 |access-date = 2015-07-27}} In the Fall of 2016, CSUN's Citrus Hall, Jerome Richfield Hall, and Sierra Quad were featured in the television series Lucifer. The Valley Performing Arts Center saw extensive use in the web-series VGHS.

With one of the most recent filming of The Orville, Season 2, a Fox show starring Seth MacFarlane was filmed in front of The Oviatt Library in April 2017. Following the filming of The Good Place, an NBC TV show that is a comedy fiction series created by Michael Schur, various cast members, including Kristen Bell and Ted Danson, were spotted at CSUN. The Good Place Season 3 was filmed on campus in April 2018: exterior shots include Bayramian Hall, Manzanita Hall and the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (formerly known as the Valley Performing Arts Center); interior shots include Noski Auditorium and the Extended University Commons.{{Cite news|url=https://sundial.csun.edu/2018/04/nbc-films-tv-show-on-campus/|title=NBC films TV show on campus|date=2018-04-19|work=The Sundial|access-date=2018-10-23|language=en-US}}

{{main|Cal State Northridge Matadors}}

{{see also|Cal State Northridge Matadors men's basketball}}

File:Matadome.jpg]]

CSUN fields [http://www.gomatadors.com/ 19 teams] at the NCAA Division I level. CSUN fields both men's and women's teams in basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, indoor and outdoor track and field, and volleyball. CSUN also has baseball and softball and fields women's teams in beach volleyball, tennis and water polo. Due to state and university budget deficits, CSUN dropped football following the 2001 season. The football team cost the university $1 million a year and had little fan support.CSUN May Punt Expensive Football Team, Oct. 3, 2001, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-oct-03-me-52766-story.html CSUN also dropped men's and women's swimming in 2010 due to a statewide and campus budget crisis.Cal State Northridge Announces Discontinuation of Men's and Women's Swimming Programs, March 1, 2010, {{cite web |url=http://blogs.csun.edu/news/2010/03/swimming/ |title=Cal State Northridge Announces Discontinuation of Men's and Women's Swimming Programs – Newsroom – California State University, Northridge |access-date=2013-12-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211152421/http://blogs.csun.edu/news/2010/03/swimming/ |archive-date=December 11, 2013 |df=mdy-all }} CSUN is one of only 45 schools in the nation that has a beach volleyball program.{{cite web |url=http://www.collegesand.org/schools |title=sandy schools - CollegeSand.org: Your Guide to Collegiate Sand Volleyball |publisher=CollegeSand.org |access-date=2014-08-17}}

CSUN moved up to Division I in 1990. Before moving up, the university won 34 national titles at the Division II level which still ranks third all time.{{cite web |url=http://gomatadors.com/Traditions.pdf |title=CSUN |publisher=Gomatadors.com |access-date=2014-08-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502031801/http://gomatadors.com/Traditions.pdf |archive-date=May 2, 2014 |df=mdy-all }} CSUN was a member of the Big Sky Conference from 1996 to 2001. They have been a member of the Big West Conference ever since for most sports. The men's and women's indoor track and field teams and the men's volleyball team compete in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation instead.

File:Florence Griffith Joyner2.jpg is considered the fastest woman of all time;{{cite news| title=FloJo: World's Fastest Woman|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/olympics/features/joyner/gallery/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010215043312/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/olympics/features/joyner/gallery/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 15, 2001 | work=CNN}}{{cite news| url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/2011-06-22-carmelita-jeter-womens-100_n.htm | work=USA Today | title=World's fastest woman Carmelita Jeter seeks Olympic gold | date=June 22, 2011}}[http://www.legacy.com/ns/news-story.aspx?t=florence-griffith-joyner--the-fastest-woman-on-earth&id=196 Florence Griffith Joyner: Fastest Woman on Earth]. Legacy.com. December 21, 2010. the world records she set in 1988 for both the 100 m and 200 m still stand. ]]

Since moving up to Division I CSUN has produced two NCAA national runner-up teams: the men's volleyball team in 1993 and softball team in 1994. The Matadors softball team has appeared in three Women's College World Series in 1981, 1993 and 1994, advancing to the title game in 1994 before falling to Arizona.{{cite book|title=A Series Of Their Own: History Of The Women's College World Series|first1=William|last1=Plummer|first2=Larry C.|last2=Floyd|year=2013|publisher= Turnkey Communications Inc.|location= Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States|isbn=978-0-9893007-0-4}} In 2010 the men's volleyball team spent several weeks as the number one ranked team in the nation and also made the Final Four but lost to Penn State in a semi-final match.

The men's basketball team has made it to the NCAA tournament two times in 2001 and 2009. The team made it to three Big Sky championship games in 1997, 2000 and 2001. CSUN beat Eastern Washington in 2001 to advance to their first NCAA tournament. CSUN was seeded 13th and lost to the fourth seed Kansas in the round of 64. CSUN has played in two Big West championship games in 2004 and 2009. CSUN beat Pacific in 2009 and was seeded 15th in the NCAA tournament and lost to the second seed Memphis.

The women's basketball team won the Big West Championship for the first time in 2014. They were the 16th seed in the NCAA tournament and lost to the first seed South Carolina.

CSUN men's Soccer reached the 3rd Round of the 2006 NCAA tournament, knocking out Big West Conference rival UC Santa Barbara in the 2nd Round.

The Women's Track and Field team won six straight Big West titles from 2006 to 2011. The men's Track and Field team has won three Big West titles in 2007, 2009 and 2010.

The men's and Women's Basketball and Volleyball teams all play in the 2,500 seats Matadome located in Redwood Hall.

CSUN's sports teams are known as the Matadors. In 1958 a student vote chose the school colors red and white and 'Matadors' as the school mascot over 158 nominations for possible nicknames.{{cite web|url=http://www.csun.edu/aboutCSUN/history/calstatenorthridge.html |title=CSUN Traditions and Special Characteristics |publisher=Csun.edu |access-date=2014-08-17}} Matadors was elected over four other finalists Apollos, Falcons, Rancheros and Titans.

The men's and women's boxing teams compete in the National Collegiate Boxing Association. CSU hosted the 2016 national championships for the United States Intercollegiate Boxing Association.{{cite web |url=http://www.collegeboxing.org/national-tournament |title=Past USIBA Champions |access-date=2019-08-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190823190922/http://www.collegeboxing.org/national-tournament |archive-date=August 23, 2019 |url-status=dead }}

The CSUN Esports Club currently hosts several teams for a variety of competitive video games such as League of Legends, Overwatch, Valorant, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. As of 2020, the CSUN Esports Club has been officially affiliated by Cloud9, an American Esports Organization under their Cloud9 University Affiliate Program.{{Cite web|date=2020-10-29|title=Presenting the Cloud9 Collegiate 2020 Series|url=https://www.cloud9.gg/latest/presenting-the-cloud9-collegiate-2020-series/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031224125/https://www.cloud9.gg/latest/presenting-the-cloud9-collegiate-2020-series/|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 31, 2020|access-date=2020-12-15|website=Cloud9|language=en-US}}

CSUN encourages students to enhance their overall college experience by joining clubs and organizations. There are more than 300 student clubs and organizations at CSUN. Through the Matador Involvement Center, students also have the opportunity to start a new club.{{cite web|url=http://www.csun.edu/mic/clubs-and-organizations|title=Clubs and Organizations|work=California State University, Northridge|access-date=December 16, 2014|date=2014-03-10}} All clubs and organizations at CSUN must sign a non-hazing contract. CSUN has a zero tolerance for any form of hazing.{{Cite web |url=http://www.csun.edu/sites/default/files/Non-Hazing-Agreement-for-Clubs-and-Orgs-Final.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=October 12, 2014 |archive-date=October 13, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141013233515/http://www.csun.edu/sites/default/files/Non-Hazing-Agreement-for-Clubs-and-Orgs-Final.pdf |url-status=dead }}

CSUN clubs can be located at the CSUN Mata Sync Page [https://csun.campuslabs.com/engage/organizations]. The Mata Sync page allows you to search through the many clubs available in addition read a small description of the club's purpose. Through the CSUN Mata Sync page, it also allows students to search for clubs through categories, such as Community Service, Cultural, Fraternity/Sorority, Honors, Political, Religious, Special Interest, Sports club, University Department/Program.

The university is home to many Greek life organizations. The university's Pi Kappa Phi chapter surrendered their charter in 2014 following the hazing related death of Armando Villa.{{cite news|last1=Baldonado|first1=Kim|title=CSUN Says Hazing Was a Factor in Student's Death|url=http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/CSUN-to-Release-Results-of-Investigation-Into-Students-Death-Armando-Villa-Fraternity-Hike-274144101.html|agency=NBC Los Angeles|date=September 5, 2014}} Greek Life at the university has been beneficial to both the campus and surrounding community. The Greek community established the Matador Patrol over twenty years ago to help the police with safety patrols at the on-campus student apartments, safety watches at the University Library and University Student Union facilities, and special event staffing.{{Cite web|url=https://www.csun.edu/police/matador-patrol|title=Matador Patrol|last=CSUN Department of Police Services|date=2013-11-22|website=California State University, Northridge|language=en|access-date=2019-08-27}}

File:Sublime at Cal State Northridge.jpg

The AS/SPACE (Associated Students / Student Productions and Campus Entertainment) produced a weekly concert series held on Wednesdays at noon in the quad of the University Student Union.  Nationally known musical artists and bands have performed there, including Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and Red Hot Chili Peppers.{{Cite news |first=Sam |last=Henriquez |title=Cover Story: Destination: Cal State Northridge: The commuter campus, open to the public, is chock-full of resources. There's a gym for workouts, a swimming pool, even a job counseling center. Don't forget the library, the largest in the Valley. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-10-07-va-47548-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times}}

The Associated Students has organized the Big Show, a concert where various musicians perform on the Oviatt Lawn, since 2001.{{Cite web|url=https://www.csun.edu/as/events/big-show-19|title=Big Show 19|date=2018-08-17|website=California State University, Northridge|language=en|access-date=2019-08-27}} Each year, students vote on both the genre and the artists they want to see.{{Cite web|url=https://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/music/aap-ferg-dj-mustard-bring-surprise-guest-tyga-to-sold-out-big-show-18/|title=A$AP Ferg, DJ Mustard Bring Surprise Guest Tyga To Sold-Out Big Show '18|date=2018-10-15|website=CSUN Today|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-27}} This has resulted in a variety of performances throughout the years, with headliners like Jimmy Eat World, Common, Ne-Yo, Ludacris, Diplo, Afrojack, Laidback Luke, DVBBS, Big Sean, Tyga, Dillon Francis, Louis the Child, and ASAP Ferg.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GigvSi9UljU| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211108/GigvSi9UljU| archive-date=2021-11-08 | url-status=live|title=Big Show History 2004-2013|date=2013-10-02|website=Youtube Channel of CSUN Associated Students|language=en|access-date=2019-08-27}}{{cbignore}}{{Cite web|url=http://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/arts-and-culture/csun-big-show-17-turns-oviatt-lawn-into-a-music-festival/|title=CSUN Big Show '17 Turns Oviatt Lawn Into A Music Festival|date=2017-10-13|website=CSUN Today|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-27}}

File:Magic Johnson Big Lecture at CSUN2.jpg talks at CSUN's Big Lecture]]

• KCSN radio
• The Daily Sundial:{{cite web|url=http://sundial.csun.edu/ |title=sundial.csun.edu |publisher=sundial.csun.edu |date=June 5, 2012 |access-date=June 22, 2012}} college newspaper
• Valley View News: student television station{{Cite web |date=2024-12-18 |title=Valley View News |url=https://sundial.csun.edu/valley-view-news/ |access-date=2024-12-26 |website=Daily Sundial}}
• Scene Magazine: student-created magazine
• Northridge Magazine

3 WINS Fitness, formerly known as 100 Citizens, is a free exercise program in Southern California that offers exercise agendas for local communities.{{cite web|url=http://abc7.com/archive/8310240/ |title=Free exercise program offered to combat health crisis |publisher=abc7.com |date=2011-08-16 |access-date=2015-10-18}} This program is implemented by volunteer kinesiology students attending CSUN.{{cite web |url=http://www.sfrcs.com/community-programs/adult-programs/adult-exercise/ |title=Adult Outdoor Fitness (100 Citizens Program) « Recreation & Community Services |publisher=Sfrcs.com |access-date=2015-10-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150318082057/http://www.sfrcs.com/community-programs/adult-programs/adult-exercise/ |archive-date=March 18, 2015 |df=mdy-all }} In 2012, the program obtained recognition from the White House, winning Popular Choice award in First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move video challenge.{{cite web|url=http://www.dailynews.com/20120725/csuns-100-citizens-program-to-battle-obesity-wins-white-house-recognition |title=CSUN's 100 Citizens program to battle obesity wins White House recognition |publisher=Dailynews.com |date= 2012-07-25|access-date=2015-10-18}}

{{Main|List of California State University, Northridge people}}

With over 350,000 alumni as of 2019, CSUN has been home to a range of prominent alumni, faculty, and staff.{{Cite web|url=https://catalog.csun.edu/about/alumni-association/|title=Alumni Association|website=catalog.csun.edu|access-date=2019-07-07}}

In politics, three former faculty and staff members have become high-ranking officials in foreign countries, including Mohamed Morsi who became the 5th President of Egypt in 2012, as well as Mohammad Qayoumi and Prakash Chandra Lohani. At the national level, CSUN has been home to two former heads of the United States Census Bureau (Roy Peel and Vincent Barabba), a former Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (Kathleen Utgoff), the Program Executive Officer of the Joint Strike Fighter program (Lt Gen Christopher Bogdan), and a former member of the Council of Economic Advisers and president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland (Jerry Jordan), as well as the Ambassador to the Bahamas (Nicole Avant), an Ambassador to Mexico (Julian Nava), Governor of Hawaii (Linda Lingle), and Lieutenant Governor of California (Mike Curb). In 2018, alumnus Katie Hill became a member of the United States House of Representatives, while Alex Villanueva became Sheriff of Los Angeles County. The following year, graduate Nury Martinez became the first Latina president of the Los Angeles City Council. On January 20, 2021, alumnus Doug Emhoff became the first Second Gentleman of the United States as he is the spouse of former Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris. Later that year James Lawson, a civil rights leader and visiting scholar at the university since 2010, received the NAACP Image Award – Chairman's Award.Evidence of affiliations:

• Morsi: {{cite web|url=http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/06/25/egyptian-president-elect-has-ties-to-usc-csun/|title=Egyptian President-Elect Has Ties To USC, CSUN|author=Mertz, Ed|date=2012-06-25|publisher=KNX (CBS News)|access-date=2019-05-07}}
• Qayoumi: {{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-apr-26-me-23431-story.html|title=CSUN Appoints New Finance Official|last=Moore|first=Solomon|date=2000-04-26|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=2019-05-10|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035}}
• Lohani: {{Cite web|url=http://www.saim.edu.np/faculty-and-staffs|title=Faculty And Staff|website=www.saim.edu.np|access-date=2019-05-10|archive-date=May 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190510181043/http://www.saim.edu.np/faculty-and-staffs|url-status=dead}}
• Peel: {{Cite web|url=https://www.trumanlibrary.org/hstpaper/peelrv.htm|title=Truman Library - Roy V. Peel Papers|website=www.trumanlibrary.org|access-date=2019-05-10}}
• Barabba: {{Cite web|url=https://www2.calstate.edu/impact-of-the-csu/alumni/Honorary-Degrees/Pages/vincent-p-barabba.aspx|title=Vincent P. Barabba |website=www2.calstate.edu|access-date=2019-05-07}}
• Utgoff: {{Cite web|url=https://www.bls.gov/bls/history/commissioners/utgoff.htm|title=Commissioners : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics|website=www.bls.gov|language=en-us|access-date=2019-05-07}}
• Bogdan: {{Cite web|url=https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/108398/christopher-c-bogdan/|title=Lieutenant General Christopher C. Bogdan > U.S. Air Force > Biography Display|website=www.af.mil|access-date=2020-01-28}}
• Jordan: {{Cite web|url=https://www.federalreservehistory.org/people/jerry_l_jordan|title=Jerry L. Jordan {{!}} Federal Reserve History|last=Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland|website=www.federalreservehistory.org|access-date=2019-05-07}}
• Avant: {{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/obama-ted-sarandos-netflix-nicole-avant-315830|title=Obama's $500,000 Power Couple|last=Daunt|first=Tina|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=April 25, 2012|language=en|access-date=2019-11-20}}
• Nava: {{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-09-09-me-42038-story.html|title=CSUN Says 'Happy 40th' to Pioneering Professors|date=1996-09-09|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-27}}
• Lingle: {{Cite web|url=http://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/education/former-hawaii-gov-linda-lingle-returns-to-csun-to-teach/|title=Former Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle Returns to CSUN to Teach|date=2014-01-15|website=CSUN Today|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-20}}
• Curb: {{Cite web|url=http://www.csun.edu/pubrels/press_releases/fall06/curbgala.html|title=Cal State Northridge Gala Celebrates Newly Named Mike Curb College Community and Entertainment Industry Leaders Mark Music Icon's $10 Million Gift|website=www.csun.edu|access-date=2019-12-29}}
• Hill: {{Cite web|url=https://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/politics-and-society/ms-hill-goes-to-washington/|title=Ms. Hill Goes to Washington |last=Herstein|first=Olivia|date=2018-12-17|website=csunshinetoday.csun.edu|access-date=2019-05-07}}
• Villanueva: {{Cite web|last1=Lau|first1=Maya|last2=Gerber|first2=Marisa|date=2018-12-05|title=Alex Villanueva, the county's new top cop, has been quietly fighting for a political win for decades|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-alex-villanueva-profile-20181205-story.html|access-date=2020-12-24|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}}
• Martinez: {{Cite web|url=https://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/csun-leaders/csun-alumna-nury-martinez-wins-city-council-seat/|title=CSUN Alumna Nury Martinez Wins City Council Seat|date=2013-08-05|website=CSUN Today|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-29}}
• Emhoff: {{Cite web|last=Santucci|first=Jeanine|title=Doug Emhoff, Kamala Harris' husband, will be the nation's first 'second gentleman'|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/11/07/kamala-harris-husband-doug-emhoff-first-second-gentleman/6168693002/|access-date=2020-11-07|website=USA Today|language=en-US}}
• Lawson: {{Cite web|title=Rev. James M. Lawson, Jr. |url=https://www2.calstate.edu:443/impact-of-the-csu/alumni/Honorary-Degrees/Pages/Rev-James-M-Lawson-Jr.aspx|access-date=2021-06-16|website=www2.calstate.edu|language=en-US}}

Shortly after graduating from CSUN, Lee Soo-man founded SM Entertainment in 1989. The company has since grown to become South Korea's largest entertainment company, leading Lee Soo-man to occasionally be referred to as 'the father of K-pop'.{{Cite web|last=Ramsay|first=Derek|date=2017-12-06|title=Lee Soo-Man|url=https://variety.com/exec/lee-soo-man/|access-date=2020-12-24|website=Variety|language=en}} In 2008, alumnus Stanford Kurland founded PennyMac Financial Services, a move which was subject to criticism as he was accused of profiting from the 2008 financial crisis which he helped create due to his role in devising and marketing subprime mortages as president of Countrywide Financial.{{Cite news|last=Lipton|first=Eric|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/04/business/04penny.html|title=Ex-Leaders of Countrywide Profit From Bad Loans|date=2009-03-03|work=The New York Times|access-date=2020-02-19|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web|url=https://moneyweek.com/31548/stanford-kurland-the-architect-of-subprime-42638|title=Stanford Kurland: the architect of subprime returns|website=MoneyWeek|date=March 13, 2009 |language=en|access-date=2020-02-19}} Nonetheless, he remained chairman and CEO of PennyMac until his death in 2021.{{Cite web|title=PennyMac's Stanford Kurland Dies of COVID |url=https://www.sfvbj.com/news/2021/jan/25/pennymacs-stanford-kurland-dies-covid/|access-date=2021-03-12|website=www.sfvbj.com|date=January 25, 2021 }} In 2013, alumnus Stan Polovets was one of the key players in the $55 billion sale of TNK-BP to Rosneft, one of largest mergers ever to occur in the energy sector, due to his role as CEO for the Alfa Group Consortium. Around the same time, alumnus Gene Haas founded Haas F1 Team, having already co-founded the Stewart-Haas Racing NASCAR team in 2002 and his company Haas Automation in 1983. In 2016, alumnus Stephen Bollenbach died after a career in which he served as CFO for the Holiday Corporation and Disney and as CEO for Hilton Worldwide, while Del Mayberry retired as CFO for the Fox Networks Group.{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2016/06/fox-network-group-cfo-del-mayberry-retire-ravi-ahuja-cfo-1201771872/|title=Fox Networks Group CFO Del Mayberry To Retire After 30+ Years|last1=Lieberman|first1=David|date=2016-06-13|website=Deadline|language=en|access-date=2020-01-28}} Three years later, alumnus Charles Noski became a director at Wells Fargo, having previously served as CFO for Bank of America, Northrop Grumman, and AT&T and as a director for Microsoft. The current CEOs of A&E Networks (Paul Buccieri), Autodesk (Andrew Anagnost), and investment bank Houlihan Lokey (Scott Beiser) are also alumni, as well as the current CFOs of Farmers Insurance Group (Ron Myhan) and PetSmart (Alan Schnaid) and the president and COO of Bank of Hope (David Malone).Evidence of affiliations:

• Soo-man: {{Cite web|last=Ramsay|first=Derek|date=2017-12-06|title=Lee Soo-Man|url=https://variety.com/exec/lee-soo-man/|access-date=2020-12-24|website=Variety|language=en}}
• Kurland, Beier, Myhan: {{Cite news|url=https://www.csun.edu/nazarian-fab-50|title=Nazarian Fab 50|date=2016-09-20|website=California State University, Northridge|language=en|access-date=2020-02-19}}
• Polovets: {{Cite web|url=https://digital-collections.csun.edu/digital/api/collection/Sundial/id/27242/download|title=Daily Sundial|access-date=2019-07-07}}
• Haas: {{Cite web|url=https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.sunday-conversation-gene-haas-on-staying-humble-and-racing-on-his-own-terms.6tUcQ7oxskoEEai8I8uskS.html|title=Sunday Conversation: Gene Haas on staying humble and racing on his own terms|last=Formula 1|date=2018-04-08|website=www.formula1.com|language=en|access-date=2019-05-07}}
• Bollenbach: {{Cite web|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20080116006116/en/AIG-Elects-Stephen-F.-Bollenbach-Board-Directors|title=AIG Elects Stephen F. Bollenbach to Board of Directors|date=2008-01-16|website=www.businesswire.com|language=en|access-date=2019-10-18}}
• Mayberry: {{Cite web|url=https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/mayberry-upped-fox-networks-74550|title=Mayberry upped at Fox networks|last=Albiniak|first=Paige|website=Broadcasting & Cable|language=en-us|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200128182838/https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/mayberry-upped-fox-networks-74550|archive-date=January 28, 2020|access-date=2020-01-28}}
• Noski: {{Cite web|url=https://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/csun-leaders/accounting-alumnus-charles-noski-named-among-top-influential-leaders-in-business-by-accrediting-body/|title=Accounting Alumnus Charles Noski Named Among Top Influential Leaders in Business by Accrediting Body|last=Hamaker|first=Amy|date=2019-02-14|access-date=2019-07-07}}
• Buccieri: {{Cite web|url=https://www.csun.edu/magazine/matadors-hollywood|title=Matadors in Hollywood|date=2016-04-07|website=California State University, Northridge|language=en|access-date=2020-01-28}}
• Anagnost: {{Cite web|url=https://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/alumni/300k-anagnost-gift-creates-engineering-scholarships-for-csun-students/|title=$300K Anagnost Gift Creates Engineering Scholarships for CSUN Students|date=2019-09-03|website=CSUN Today|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-28}}
• Schnaid: {{Cite web|url=https://www.petsmartcorporate.com/management-team/alan-schnaid/|title=Alan Schnaid – Heart of Petsmart|language=en-US|access-date=2020-02-19}}
• Malone: {{Cite web|url=http://www.ir-hopebancorp.com/OD|title=Board of Directors > Bank of Hope|website=www.ir-hopebancorp.com|access-date=2020-02-19}}

In entertainment, alumni have won Academy Awards, Grammy Awards, Emmy Awards, and Golden Globes. The award-winners include Paula Abdul, John Densmore (as drummer of The Doors), Michelle DeYoung, Daryl Dragon (as part of Captain & Tennille), Richard Dreyfuss, Jenna Elfman, Mike Elizondo, Gordon Goodwin, Don Hahn, Phil Hartman, Cheech Marin, Brian A. Miller, Andy Summers (as guitarist of The Police), Serj Tankian (as frontman of System of a Down), and Diane Warren. Although former student Debra Winger was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Actress as well as nominated five times for Golden Globe Awards, she won none of the nominations. Actresses Alyson Hannigan and Eva Longoria also graduated from CSUN and received People's Choice Awards for their roles in How I Met Your Mother and Desperate Housewives, respectively. Additionally, Lucille Ball was an assistant professor in 1979.Evidence of affiliations:

• Abdul: {{Cite web|url=https://gazettereview.com/2016/11/happened-paula-abdul-news-updates/|title=What Happened to Paula Abdul - News & Updates|last=Briscoe|first=Jake|date=2016-11-02|website=Gazette Review|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-10}}
• Densmore, DeYoung, Dragon, Elizondo, Summers, Warren: {{Cite web|url=https://www.csun.edu/magazine/homepage/matadors-mic|title=Matadors On The Mic|date=2017-12-06|website=California State University, Northridge|language=en|access-date=2019-05-10}}
• Dreyfuss: {{Cite web|url=https://www.csun.edu/magazine/matadors-hollywood|title=Matadors in Hollywood|date=2016-04-07|website=California State University, Northridge|language=en|access-date=2019-05-10}}
• Elfman: {{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/california-state-university-northridge-debuts-hfpa-wing-1039983|title=California State University, Northridge Debuts HFPA Wing|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=September 17, 2017|language=en|access-date=2019-05-10}}
• Goodwin: {{Cite web|url=http://www.csun.edu/pubrels/press_releases/summer07/summerjazz.html|title=Award-Winning Musician, Composer Gordon Goodwin Returns to Alma Mater with Summer Jazz Workshop for Teens|date=2007-07-18|website=www.csun.edu|access-date=2019-05-10}}
• Hahn: {{Cite web|url=http://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/arts-and-culture/from-drums-to-disney-alumnus-don-hahn-works-his-way-to-the-animation-pinnacle/|title=From Drums to Disney: Alumnus Don Hahn Works His Way to the Animation Pinnacle|last=Mayer|first=Cati|date=2016-04-06|website=CSUN Today|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-18}}
• Hartman: {{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-phil-hartman-19980529-20160521-snap-htmlstory.html|title=From the Archives: Actor Phil Hartman, Wife Killed in Murder-Suicide|date=1998-05-29|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-29}}
• Marin: {{Cite web|url=https://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/university-news/alum-cheech-marin-and-csuns-harry-gamboa-featured-in-french-art-exhibit/|title=Alum "Cheech" Marin and CSUN's Harry Gamboa Featured in French Art Exhibit|date=2014-06-30|website=CSUN Today|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-28}}
• Miller: {{Cite web|last=Chandler|first=Carmon|date=2021-04-19|title=CSUN to Host Final for a TV Pitch Competition|url=https://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/arts-and-culture/csun-to-host-final-for-a-tv-pitch-competition/}}
• Tankian: {{Cite web|url=https://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/community/csun-student-music-groups-share-stage-with-world-renowned-performers/|title=CSUN Student Music Groups Share Stage with World-Renowned Performers|last=Amico|first=Paul|date=2016-11-29|website=CSUN Today|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-18}}
• Winger: {{Cite news|last=Allen|first=Henry|date=1983-12-13|title=Debra Winger, Coming to Terms|language=en-US|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1983/12/13/debra-winger-coming-to-terms/9b5b12f7-8436-4a06-9d81-cded54754157/|access-date=2020-06-06|issn=0190-8286}}
• Hannigan: {{Cite web|url=https://csun.edu/node/244126|title=Alyson Hannigan took immediate 'Fancy' to 'Nancy'|date=2018-07-12|website=California State University, Northridge|language=en|access-date=2019-12-29}}
• Longoria: {{Cite web|url=https://www.csun.edu/magazine/all-about-eva|title=All About Eva|date=2016-03-27|website=California State University, Northridge|language=en|access-date=2019-12-29}}
• Ball: {{Cite web|url=http://www.lucyfan.com/lucyatnorthridge.html|title='Everybody is a Comedian' Lucille Ball Starring in Northridge Classroom|last=Holguin|first=Richard|date=1979-12-16|website=Los Angeles Times|page=5|access-date=2019-05-10|archive-date=October 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023015419/http://www.lucyfan.com/lucyatnorthridge.html|url-status=dead}}

Three Pulitzer Prize winners have attended CSUN: Frank del Olmo (for Public Service), Paul Pringle (for Public Service and for Investigative Reporting), and Ken Lubas (photojournalist). Journalist and political commentator Ana Kasparian of The Young Turks network also graduated from CSUN. James Dickey, United States Poet Laureate and winner of a National Book Award for Poetry, was a visiting lecturer at the university.Evidence of affiliations:

• del Olmo: {{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/20/us/frank-del-olmo-55-los-angeles-journalist.html|title=Frank del Olmo, 55, Los Angeles Journalist|last=Martin|first=Douglas|date=2004-02-20|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-05-10|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}
• Pringle: {{Cite web|url=http://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/alumni/csun-alumnus-wins-pulitzer-prize-for-investigative-journalism/|title=CSUN Alumnus Wins Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Journalism |website=csunshinetoday.csun.edu|date=April 22, 2019 |access-date=2019-05-10}}
• Lubas: {{Cite web|url=https://tsengcollege.csun.edu/sites/default/files/aboutus/CSUN-college-of-arts-media-communication.pdf|title=Mike Curb College of Arts, Media and Communication at CSU Northridge|website=California State University, Northridge}}
• Kasparian: {{Cite web|last=Osborne|first=Cary|date=2016-02-03|title=Anti-Establishment Truth Teller Kasparian Makes Forbes 30 Under 30|url=https://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/csun-profiles/anti-establishment-truth-teller-kasparian-makes-forbes-30-under-30/|website=CSUN Today}}
• Dickey: {{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-11-20-va-618-story.html|title=THEATER : A Circle Closes : Poet James Dickey, who says he's done 'almost every other form of writing there is,' will now see one of his works adapted for the stage in 'Sermon.'|last=Koehler|first=Robert|date=1992-11-20|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=2019-05-10|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035}}

In the sciences, CSUN alumni include astronaut Scott J. Horowitz, who flew four Space Shuttle missions, Adriana Ocampo, who is a planetary geologist known for her contributions to the discovery of the Chicxulub crater as well as her work as Science Program Manager at NASA and lead program executive for the New Frontiers Program, and Olympia LePoint, who served as reliability and system safety engineer for various NASA Space Shuttle missions. The university has also had two prominent mathematicians in its faculty: Lorraine Foster, who became the first woman to receive a Ph.D. in mathematics from California Institute of Technology, and William Karush, a mathematician known for Karush–Kuhn–Tucker conditions and physicist on the Manhattan Project. Faculty members Maria Elena Zavala and Stephen Oppenheimer received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring from President Bill Clinton and President Barack Obama, respectively.Evidence of affiliations:

• Horowitz: {{Cite web|url=https://www.csun.edu/engineering-computer-science/alumni/scott-horowitz|title=Scott Horowitz|date=2013-05-31|website=California State University, Northridge|language=en|access-date=2019-05-10}}
• Ocampo and LePoint: {{Cite web|last=Herstein|first=Olivia|title=Touching the Stars|url=https://www.csun.edu/magazine/homepage/touching-stars|website=CSUN Magazine}}
• Foster: {{Cite web|url=https://catalog.csun.edu/academics/math/faculty/foster-lorraine-l/|title=Foster, Lorraine L.|website=catalog.csun.edu|access-date=2019-05-11}}
• Karush: {{Cite web|url=https://www.atomicheritage.org/profile/william-karush|title=William Karush|website=Atomic Heritage Foundation|language=en|access-date=2019-05-11}}
• Zavala and Oppenheimer: {{Cite web|url=http://www.dailynews.com/sports/20090720/csun-professor-gets-presidential-honor|title=CSUN professor gets presidential honor|date=2009-07-20|website=Daily News|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-19}}

Former students have also won various Olympic medals, with Jeanette Bolden (gold medal), Valerie Brisco-Hooks (three gold medals and one silver medal), Alice Brown (two gold medals and one silver medal), Florence Griffith Joyner (three gold medals and two silver medals), Joe Ryan (silver medal), and Bob Samuelson (bronze medal) all winning medals at the Olympic Games. The former four were all coached by alumnus Bob Kersee.Evidence of affiliations:

• Bolden: {{Cite web|url=https://dailybruin.com/1998/04/29/real-bruins2/|title=Real bruins|website=dailybruin.com|language=en|access-date=2020-01-24}}
• Brisco-Hooks: {{Cite web|url=https://www.si.com/vault/1985/06/03/620846/after-the-gold-some-glitter|title=After The Gold, Some Glitter|last=Castro|first=Tony|website=Vault|language=en|access-date=2020-01-24}}
• Brown: {{Cite web|url=https://gomatadors.com/news/2015/2/27/2_27_2015_303.aspx?path=general|title=Olympian and Former Matador Alice Brown Celebrated during Black History Month|website=CSUN Athletics|date=February 27, 2015 |language=en|access-date=2020-01-24}}
• Joyner: {{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-07-29-sp-7928-story.html|title=Griffith-Joyner Leaves Kersee's Club; She'll Be Coached Solely by Husband|date=1988-07-29|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-24}}
• Samuelson: {{Cite web|url=https://www.csun.edu/magazine/fall-2018/matador-athletics-through-years|title=Matador Athletics Through the Years|date=2018-12-10|website=California State University, Northridge|language=en|access-date=2020-01-24}}
• Ryan: {{Cite web|last=Nunez|first=David|title=CSUN alumnus Joe Ryan begins his MLB career with the Minnesota Twins|url=https://sundial.csun.edu/165506/sports/csun-alumnus-joe-ryan-begins-his-mlb-career-with-the-minnesota-twins/|access-date=2021-09-10|website=The Sundial}}
• Kersee: {{Cite web|url=https://heavy.com/sports/2016/08/allyson-felix-coach-bob-kersee-wife-jackie-joyner-age-career-bio-athletes-olympic-gold-medals-history-achievements/|title=Bob Kersee, Allyson Felix's Coach: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know|last=Keeney|first=Tim|date=2016-08-15|website=Heavy.com|language=en|access-date=2020-01-24}}

CSUN has also seen alumni Jason Thompson and Robert Fick become MLB All-Stars, while Adam Kennedy was named the ALCS MVP in 2002.

The 2017 Las Vegas shooting was committed by Stephen Paddock, who graduated from the university in 1977 with a degree in business administration.{{cite news |last=Woods |first=Wes |title=Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock was a CSUN graduate, university confirms |url=http://www.ocregister.com/2017/10/03/las-vegas-shooter-stephen-paddock-was-a-cal-state-northridge-graduate-university-confirms/ |access-date=October 3, 2017 |work=The Orange County Register |date=October 3, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171003220345/http://www.ocregister.com/2017/10/03/las-vegas-shooter-stephen-paddock-was-a-cal-state-northridge-graduate-university-confirms/ |archive-date=October 3, 2017 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }} The shooting killed 58 concertgoers and injured 851, making it the deadliest mass shooting committed by a single person in American history.{{cite news |url=https://lasvegassun.com/news/2018/jan/19/sheriff-to-provide-update-about-strip-mass-shootin/ |title=Sheriff: Person of interest part of Strip shooting probe; Paddock had child porn |date=January 19, 2018 |work=Las Vegas Sun |access-date=January 19, 2018 |first1=Ricardo |last1=Torres-Cortez |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180119213722/https://lasvegassun.com/news/2018/jan/19/sheriff-to-provide-update-about-strip-mass-shootin/ |archive-date=January 19, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}

File:Mohamed Morsi-05-2013.jpg|Mohammed Morsi, 5th President of Egypt

File:Doug Emhoff June 2021.jpg|Doug Emhoff, former Second Gentleman of the United States

File:Eva Longoria Cannes 2015.jpg|Eva Longoria, award-winning actress

File:Linda Lingle in March 2010.jpg|Linda Lingle, 6th Governor of Hawaii

File:Scott J Horowitz.jpg|Scott J. Horowitz, NASA astronaut

File:Mike Curb Congregation and Davy Jones on Pop 1972 (cropped).JPG|Mike Curb, 42nd Lieutenant Governor of California and musician

File:Stan Polovets awards Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Lifetime Achievement Award 2018 (cropped).jpg|Stan Polovets, former CEO of the Alfa Group Consortium and current CEO of the Genesis Prize Foundation

File:Richard Dreyfuss Cannes 2013.jpg|Richard Dreyfuss, Academy Award–winning actor

File:Paula Abdul 2011 2.jpg|Paula Abdul, Emmy and Grammy Award-winning singer and choreographer

File:Kathleen Utgoff Official BLS photo.jpg|Kathleen Utgoff, former Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics

File:Alyson Hannigan 2.jpg|Alyson Hannigan, award-winning actress

File:Gene Haas 2017 United States GP.jpg|Gene Haas, founder and owner of Haas F1 Team and Haas Automation

File:Andy Summers with guitar 2015.jpg|Andy Summers, guitarist for The Police

File:Phil as Chick-1-1.jpg|Phil Hartman, Emmy Award–winning comedian and actor

File:Serj Tankian Coachella 2008.jpg|Serj Tankian, frontman of System of a Down

File:Diane Warren 03 b.jpg|Diane Warren, Emmy, Grammy, Golden Globe, and Academy Award–winning musician

File:CPMartinez.jpg|Nury Martinez, 25th President of the Los Angeles City Council

File:John Densmore 1971.png|John Densmore, drummer of The Doors

File:Jenna Elfman by Gage Skidmore.jpg|Jenna Elfman, Golden Globe Award–winning actress

File:LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHRISTOPHER C. BOGDAN USAF.JPG|Lt Gen Christopher Bogdan, former Program Executive Officer of the Joint Strike Fighter program

File:Cheech Marin 2012.jpg|Cheech Marin, Grammy Award–winning comedian

File:Avant, Nicole.JPG|Nicole Avant, 13th Ambassador to the Bahamas

File:Vincent Barabba Census.jpg|Vincent Barabba, two-time Director of the United States Census Bureau

File:Mike Elizondo 2022.jpg|Mike Elizondo, Grammy Award-winning music producer and songwriter

{{Notelist}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Commons category}}

• {{Official website|http://www.csun.edu/ }}
• [http://www.gomatadors.com/ CSU Northridge Athletics website]
• [https://www.csun.edu/sites/default/files/CSUN_Sust_Plan-m.pdf CSUN Sustainability Plan, 2013–2023]

{{California State University, Northridge}}

{{Navboxes

| title = Articles related to California State University

| state = collapsed

| titlestyle = background: #D00D2D; color: white; border: 2px solid black

| list1 =

{{Northridge, Los Angeles}}

{{California State University}}

{{Big West Conference navbox}}

{{Colleges and universities in Los Angeles County}}

{{Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities}}

{{CDIO}}

}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Universities and colleges in Los Angeles

Category:Universities and colleges in the San Fernando Valley

Northridge

California State University, Northridge

Category:Northridge, Los Angeles

Category:Universities and colleges established in 1958

Category:1958 establishments in California

Category:Schools accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges

Category:Schools of deaf education in the United States