Freshman Impaction

Impaction continues for the 2020-2021 academic year and thereafter. For an overview, please see CSUN Impaction.

All first-time freshman applicants must meet the minimum standard CSU admission requirements described at First-Time Freshman Applicant. Freshman applicants affected by CSUN impaction must also meet CSUN's supplementary admission criteria described on this page to be considered for admission. 

Topics on this page:

• Does freshman impaction affect you?
• Local vs. Non-Local Area
• Impacted Majors
• Eligibility Index
• Fall 2020 Admission Criteria - NEW!
  

Does freshman impaction affect you? 

To find out whether or not impaction affects you, take the following steps in the suggested order:

1.  Determine if you are a "local" or "non-local" applicant.

• If the California high school you’ve graduated from is inside CSUN’s local admission area, you will be considered a "local-area" applicant.
• If your high school is outside CSUN's local area but still in California, you will be considered a "non-local area" applicant.

2.  Determine if you will be applying to an impacted major.

• Choose your major carefully. You will not be able to change it during the admission process.

3.  You are NOT affected by impaction if you are a nonresident of California or a U.S. service member (active duty or veteran). Find application instructions at:

• Domestic Out-of-State Applicants (A higher eligibility index must achieved even without impaction.)
• International Admissions
• Veterans Admissions

Local vs. Non-Local Admission

• Local area applicants must possess a minimum eligibility index of 2950 using the SAT or 694 using the ACT.
• Non-local area freshman applicants from the rest of California must meet any CSUN supplementary admission criteria based on the eligibility index. The supplementary eligibility index will be determined by the number and academic characteristics of the non-local freshman applicant pool. This supplementary eligibility index could require non-local area freshman applicants to possess a higher eligibility index than is required for local area applicants. Space permitting, non-local area applicants who achieve the supplementary eligibility index will be admitted until the freshman class is full..
• View a list and map of high schools/districts inside CSUN's local admission area.

Impacted Major Admission

For Fall 2020 admission, several undergraduate majors are impacted at CSUN. The academic department for each impacted major may set supplementary admission criteria for its applicants.

If you are choosing one of the impacted majors listed below and you are a student from California, you will need to meet that major’s supplementary admission criteria if any. For Fall 2020, first-time freshmen within CSUN's local admission area who are applying to an impacted major will receive the following advantage:

• a 100-point bump up on their SAT Eligibility Index, or
• a 30-point bump up on their ACT Eligibility Index

The number and academic characteristics apparent in the freshman applications from California residents will determine the need for supplementary admission criteria. In all majors except Music, this could mean achieving a higher admission eligibility index than is required for a non-impacted major. Space permitting, applicants who meet any supplementary criteria will be admitted first, until the impacted major is full.

Explore all CSUN undergraduate majors.

The impacted majors for Fall 2020 are listed below.

The following four (4) impacted business majors and options admit applicants to the pre-major program. Then, after successfully completing the pre-major program, students file for a change of major:

1. Accountancy - Information Systems and/or Professional Accountancy options
2. Finance - Financial Analysis
3. Finance - Financial Planning
4. Finance - Insurance

The following impacted majors and their options admit applicants directly to the major program based on their CSU eligibility index:

5. Biology B.A. and B.S.
6. Cinema and Television Arts
7. Communication Studies 
8. Health Sciences majors:

• Health Administration
• Public Health
• Radiologic Sciences

9. Kinesiology
10. Psychology

Applicants to the following impacted major are required to pass an audition:
11. Music - See Audition & Placement. 

Eligibility Index

The CSU statewide eligibility index is a combination of your high school grade point average (GPA) and scores on either the ACT or the SAT. GPAs are based on grades earned in college preparatory courses ("a-g" subject requirements) taken during the final three years of high school. Included in calculating GPA are any bonus points earned for approved honors courses.

You can look up your CSU eligibility index. Or, to calculate your eligibility index, multiply your GPA by 800 and add your total score on the SAT mathematics and critical reading scores. If you took the ACT, multiply your GPA by 200 and add ten times the ACT composite score (do not include the writing score). In other words:

• Eligibility Index using SAT I Scores = (GPA) x 800 + SAT I Total of Mathematics + Critical Reading Scores
• Eligibility Index using ACT Scores = (GPA) x 200 + (10 x ACT composite score)

Domestic out-of-state applicants may also look up their required CSU eligibility index.

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Fall 2020 Admission Criteria for First-Time Freshmen

The following section describes admission criteria for Fall 2020 impaction.

The academic characteristics of the non-local applicant pool, as well as the academic characteristics of California first-time freshman applicants to impacted majors, will determine the supplementary criteria for both kinds of impaction. 

The two tables below describe the admission requirements for Fall 2020 first-time freshman applicants who have graduated from California high schools located within and outside of CSUN’s local admission area. Table 1 shows the admission criteria for CSUN’s non-impacted majors and Table 2 the criteria for impacted majors. Please note:

• Applicants who meet the minimum Eligibility Index for their group will be admitted.
• These impaction criteria are set for Fall 2020 admission only and may vary for future admission cycles.
• The minimum standard CSU admission requirements are published at freshman applicant.

California Residents Applying to Non-Impacted Majors

California Residents Applying to Impacted Majors

All graduates of California high schools, regardless of location, who are applying to an impacted major must meet the higher, supplementary requirements for that major. For Fall 2020, first-time freshmen in CSUN's local admission area who are applying to an impacted major will receive the following advantage:

• a 100-point bump up on their SAT Eligibility Index, or
• a 30-point bump up on their ACT Eligibility Index

See Table 2 below for ACT and SAT minimum Eligibility Index admission criteria for local and non-local area applicants to impacted majors.

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