Part of the California State University system, California State University, Northridge was founded in 1958 as San Fernando Valley State College and adopted its current name in 1972. Today California State University, Northridge is a vibrant, diverse university community of nearly 36,000 students and more than 4,000 faculty and staff, sited on a 356-acre campus in the heart of Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley.

Academics
Instruction at CSUN is offered through nine colleges:
•    Mike Curb College of Arts, Media & Communication
•    College of Business & Economics
•    Michael D. Eisner College of Education
•    College of Engineering & Computer Science
•    College of Health & Human Development
•    College of Humanities
•    College of Science & Mathematics
•    College of Social & Behavioral Sciences
•    Roland Tseng College of Extended Learning

The nine colleges offer 64 baccalaureate degrees, 52 master's degrees, 55 teaching credential programs in the field of education, and various opportunities in extended learning and other special programs, which offers something for everyone.

The College of Extended Learning offers online degree programs for working professionals, which include such programs as Master’s degrees in Communication Disorders and Sciences, and in Knowledge Management, Master of Science in Engineering Management, Master of Arts in Educational Leadership and a Certificate program in Instructional Design.

At Cal State Northridge students can join more than 250 clubs and organizations of all kinds: pre-professional college based (such as CSUN National Student Speech, Hearing, Language Association, Multicultural Psychology Association, and Construction Management Association of America), cultural (MEChA and the Armenian Student Association), religious (such as Chabad Jewish Student Center and the Get Real, Sikh Awareness Association), special interest (such as Deaf CSUNians, CSUN Cat People and CSUN Co-Op Network, CSUN Anime, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Alliance), honorary (such as National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Tau Beta Pi [National Engineering Honorary]), recreational (Water-ski and Wake Board, Matadancer Hip Hop Team); and university programs (such as CSUN Helpline, Women's Resource Center). Students also may join fraternities and sororities.

There are four types of financial aid offered at the CSUN: grants and scholarships (that do not have to be repaid), and loans and work-study (self-help aid).

CSU Northridge is accredited by the Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council on Higher Education and Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education.