Media Contact: Carmen Ramos Chandler, carmen.chandler@csun.edu, (818) 677-2130
Philanthropist’s second major gift brings total support to more than $103 million, among the highest to any university nationwide
California State University, Northridge announced today that it has received a $63 million gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. This marks Scott’s second investment in CSUN, following her $40 million gift in 2021, bringing her total support to more than $103 million and placing her investment in CSUN among the largest provided to any university. It also represents the largest philanthropic investment in CSUN’s 67-year history.
Scott’s decision to significantly increase her investment in CSUN reflects growing confidence in the university’s sustained commitment to educational equity and student success. Her generosity comes as part of a historic round of giving to institutions nationwide, including transformational investments in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges, and universities focused on serving their communities.
“We are deeply honored by MacKenzie Scott’s continued and increased confidence in our work,” said CSUN President Erika D. Beck. “This extraordinary support enables us to strengthen the systems and resources that help our students thrive. Our outcomes demonstrate what’s possible when you combine rigorous academic programs with comprehensive support that ensures all students have the opportunity to succeed. This gift recognizes what our faculty, staff and students accomplish together every day — opening doors, building futures and proving that educational excellence and access are not competing values but complementary commitments.”
CSUN serves one of the most diverse student populations in the nation, with more than 70 percent of students identifying as first-generation college students. The university has earned national recognition for its impact on social mobility, ranking first among the nation’s master’s universities for contributions to the public good by Washington Monthly and eighth for social mobility in the nation, according to the Wall Street Journal/College Pulse 2026 rankings. The New York Times ranks CSUN first for economic diversity of students among public colleges nationwide.
“President Beck’s leadership has positioned CSUN as a national model for what public higher education can and should be,” said Robert Taylor, chair of the CSUN Foundation Board of Directors. “MacKenzie Scott’s increased investment reflects confidence in both our mission and in our demonstrated ability to deliver transformational outcomes for students. This is validation of our approach and a catalyst for an even stronger future.”
CSUN will steward these resources with intentionality and foresight, guided by the university’s strategic priorities. Strategic investments will balance immediate impact with endowments that ensure permanent support for students, creating infrastructure, seeding innovation and establishing support structures that will transform the campus for generations to come.
MacKenzie Scott is a philanthropist, author, and investor whose giving has transformed organizations across the country through her organization Yield Giving. Her philanthropic vision centers on recognizing organizations doing meaningful, effective work and empowering them with trust and resources to sustain, strengthen and expand their impact. Scott’s approach to giving has enabled hundreds of organizations to accelerate their missions and deepen their community impact.
About California State University, Northridge
One of the largest universities in the country, California State University, Northridge (CSUN) is an urban, comprehensive university that delivers award-winning undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 36,000 students annually and counts more than 435,000 alumni who fuel the region’s economy. Since its founding in 1958, CSUN has made a significant and long-term economic impact on California, generating nearly $1.8 billion in economic impact and nearly 13,500 jobs each year. CSUN is a Hispanic Serving Institution, ranking amongst the top twenty in the nation in graduating Latinx students. Approximately 70 percent of CSUN students are first-generation college students, and 60 percent come from historically underrepresented groups. Money magazine consistently ranks CSUN among the nation’s “most transformative” colleges for putting diverse students on the path to higher career earnings.
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