Impaction
At California State University, Northridge (CSUN), impaction affects only domestic undergraduate studentsÌý(first-time freshmen and first-time transfer students) who attend high schools and/or colleges in the state of California.
What are CSUN's Impaction Requirements?
Impaction Overview 91´«Ã½
For Fall 2025-Spring 2026 Admissions:Ìý
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Only three majors are impacted.ÌýAll undergraduate applicants from California will need to achieve both the standard CSU criteria and the supplementary admission criteria th91´«Ã½ has established for each impacted major.
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There is no local/nonlocal-area impaction. All California applicants will need to meet the sameÌýstandard CSU admissions criteria.
For Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Admissions:
- Only twoÌýmajors are impacted.ÌýAll undergraduate applicants from California will need to achieve both the standard CSU admission criteria and the supplementary criteria th91´«Ã½ has established for each of the two impacted majors.
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There is no local/nonlocal-area impaction. All California applicants will need to meet the same minimum standard CSU criteria.
Frequently Asked Questions
Impaction means a California State University (CSU) campus anticipates more qualified applicants than available spots for which there is adequate state funding. Impaction can:
- Affect all undergraduate admissions for a CSU (campus impaction),
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Give preference admission consideration to freshman or transfer applicants from schools within a CSU’s local admissions area, and/or
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Set supplementary admission criteria for specific impacted majors (academic programs).
Learn more atÌý.
At CSUN, impaction affects domestic first-time freshmen and first-time transfer applicants who attend high schools and/or colleges in the state of California.
2025/2026 and 2026/2027 Admissions
Domestic first-time freshmen and first-time transfer students from California will be affected by impaction only if they are applying to an impacted major. Local/nonlocal-area impaction is no longer in effect.
You areÌýNOTÌýaffected by CSUNÌýimpaction if:
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You are aÌýgraduateÌýapplicant. Visit Graduate Admissions.
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You are aÌýnonresidentÌýof California.
- Out-of-state freshman applicant are already required to meet a higherÌýÌýthan freshman applicants in California, even without impaction.
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International applicants, please visit International Admissions.
- You are aÌýU.S. servicememberÌý(active duty or veteran)Ìýapplying to CSUN.ÌýVisitÌýVeterans Admissions.
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For fall 2025 and spring 2026 admission, the three following majors are impacted:
- B.S. in Accountancy
- Information Systems option
- Professional Accountancy option
- B.A. in Cinema and Television Arts
- Film Production option
- Television Production option
- B.A. in Music
For fall 2026 and spring 2027 admission, the twoÌýfollowing majors are impacted:
- B.A. in Cinema and Television Arts. Two of six options are impacted:
- Film Production option
- Television Production option
- B.A. in Music
Read more about the supplementary admission criteria for these impacted majors at:
No, not anymore. Local/nonlocal-area impaction is no longer in effect.*
For the current and coming academic years, you are affected by impaction only if:
- You are a first-time, domestic undergraduate applicant who has attended one or more high schools and/or colleges in California, and
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You are applying to one of CSUN's impacted majors. If so, you must meet the higher, supplementary criteria required for the impacted major you have chosen.
*Note:ÌýÌýIn the recent past, first-time freshman or first-time transfer applicants from California who attended California high schools and/or colleges outside of the CSUN-defined local admissions geographical area were required to meet a higher admissions standard than applicants attending schools within CSUN's local admissions area. CSUN has discontinued this kind of "local/nonlocal-area impaction."Ìý
2025/2026 and 2026/2027 Admission
Local/nonlocal-area (regional) impactionÌýis no longer in effect for admission in the academic years fall 2025-spring 2026 and fall 2026-spring 2027.
CSUN's supplementary admissions criteria for impacted majors are published well into the admission cycle for each semester of entry.
For details about CSUN’sÌýsupplementaryÌýadmission criteria forÌýimpacted majors, visit:
- Freshman ImpactionÌý- Admission is based on the applicant's eligibility index.
- Transfer ImpactionÌý- Admission is based on the applicant's GPA.
For the minimumÌýstandardÌýCSU admission requirements forÌýallÌýdomestic undergraduate applicants, visit:
Please note thatÌýallÌýapplicants, whether affected by impaction or not, must apply for admission during theÌýapplication filing period.