Freshman Impaction

CSUN is Easing Impaction!

CSUN is easing impaction for the current and coming academic years — fall 2025 and spring 2026 as well as fall 2026 and spring 2027 — as follows: 

• Local/nonlocal-area (regional) impaction is no longer in effect. All California first-time freshman applicants will need to meet the same standard CSU admissions criteria. Visit first-time freshman requirements for details.

• Applicants will also need to meet the supplementary criteria for an impacted major if they choose one of those majors. Supplementary criteria for impacted majors are published on this page as they become available.

Three majors are impacted for 2025-2026; only two majors are impacted for 2026-2027.

Impacted Majors Overview

The academic department for each impacted major may set supplementary admission criteria for its applicants.

• If you are choosing an impacted major and you are a student from California, you will need to meet that major’s supplementary admission criteria.

• In all impacted 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.

The list of impacted majors may change annually in future academic years.

Fall 2025 and Fall 2026 Freshman Admissions

Currently, applications from first-time freshmen are accepted for admission to fall semesters only.

No matter when you apply for admission to CSUN, be sure to apply during CSUN's application filing period.

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

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

   • Choose your major carefully. Ask your high school counselor for tools to explore careers or contact a CSUN preadmissions counselor to talk through options.

   • You can take the free O*Net Career Exploration Assessment to identify your interests and matching job zones.

   • Explore your options with CSUN's Majors & Programs search tool.

2. You are NOT affected by impaction if you are a nonresident of California or a U.S. servicemember (active duty or veteran). You'll find application instructions at:

   • Out-of-State Applicants. A higher eligibility index must be achieved even without impaction.

   • International Admissions. A higher admission standard is already required.

   • Veterans Admissions. While active-duty servicemembers and veterans are not subject to impaction, their dependents are.

Majors Impacted for Fall 2025

For fall 2025 admission, only one business major with two options is impacted. Students apply to the pre-major program. Then, after successfully completing the pre-major, students may file for a change of major:

• Accountancy — two options:
  • Information Systems option
  • Professional Accountancy option

Applicants to the following impacted major are required to pass an audition:

• Music - Refer to Audition & Placement.

Cinema and Television Arts (CTVA) will set supplementary criteria (a higher eligibility index) and admit applicants directly to the major program based on their CSU eligibility index.

• Two of six CTVA options are impacted for fall 2025:
  • Film Production
  • Television Production

Majors Impacted for Fall 2026

For fall 2026 admission, only two majors are impacted:

• Cinema and Television Arts (CTVA): Two of six CTVA options are impacted:

  • Film Production
  • Television Production

  CTVA will set supplementary criteria (a higher CSU eligibility index) and admit applicants directly to the major program based on their  eligibility index.

• Music: An audition is required. Learn more at Audition & Placement.

If you apply to one of CSUN's impacted majors, you may need to achieve a higher, supplementary eligibility index than the minimum CSU standard to be considered for admission to the program.

The CSU statewide eligibility index for California applicants is based on your high school GPA (HSGPA) and the multifactor admission criteria published at First-Time Freshman Requirements. Your HSGPA is based on grades earned in college preparatory courses (A to G subject requirements) taken during the final three years of high school.

Check with your high school counselor about possible extra GPA points for Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and/or honors courses you may have taken. These points are explained at Cal State Apply's GPA calculator.

The following section describes admission criteria for fall 2025 impacted majors. Note that first-time freshman applications are currently not considered for spring admission to CSUN.

The two tables below describe the admission requirements for fall 2025 first-time freshman applicants who have graduated from high schools located in California. 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 were set for fall 2025 admission only and may vary for future admission cycles.
• The minimum standard CSU admission requirements are published at First-Time Freshman Requirements.

California Students Applying to Non-Impacted Majors

California Students 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. 

Out-of-state students must attain a minimum eligibility index of 3000, but they are not subject to impaction.

Refer to Table 2 below for the minimum Eligibility Index admission criteria for California freshman applicants to impacted majors.

The admission criteria for fall 2026 impacted majors will be published here at a later date.

Please note, first-time freshman applications are currently not considered for spring admission to CSUN.