California State University-Long Beach is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Long Beach, California. It enrolls 35,924 students (a very large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorWestern Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Excellent
90/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes77
Value95
Affordability87
Selectivity85
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
California State University-Long Beach admits 46.3% of applicants, which makes it genuinely competitive, so your application needs to be strong.
Acceptance Rate
46.3%
Selective
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test PolicyTest OptionalApplicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether California State University-Long Beach is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
7.9 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $10,440 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$7,350
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$19,950
Room & Board (on-campus)
$15,612
Room & Board (off-campus)
$22,086
Books & Supplies
$1,562
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$4,446
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$6,930
Total Cost of Attendance
$22,679
Application fee: $70 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$7,183
$30,001 – $48,000
$7,831
$48,001 – $75,000
$9,705
$75,001 – $110,000
$12,630
Over $110,000
$19,750
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$3,50010%percentile
$5,50025%percentile
$14,289Medianpercentile
$23,50075%percentile
$31,00090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $12,000
↓ $2,289
No Pell $12,894
↓ $1,395
Dependent students $11,500
↓ $2,789
Independent students $13,313
↓ $976
Female students $12,000
↓ $2,289
Male students $12,500
↓ $1,789
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,250, less than completers ($14,289), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
78% of students who start here finish within six years, and 86% come back after first year. Most people who start here leave with the degree they came for. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
78%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
86%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Strong completion signals. Most students who start, finish.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $64,403 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$64,403
Earning > $25K
81%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$48,600
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$60,100
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$51,600
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$54,400
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$54,300
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $11,500, about 19% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
13.9 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 87% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 35,924 students, a sprawling student community. Worth knowing: 49% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
35,924
Part-Time
15%
First-Generation
49%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
Hispanic 52.5%18,846
Asian 19.9%7,145
White 14.4%5,177
Other 5.2%1,864
Black 4.0%1,419
International 2.2%783
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at California State University-Long Beach. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
California State University-Long Beach offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
138 distinct programs across
25 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 19 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.
Student : Faculty
19:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$8,378
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$115M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$100,191
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
1,117 instructional faculty across 5 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
371
33%
$122,178
Associate Professors
226
20%
$105,422
Assistant Professors
210
19%
$90,690
Lecturers
308
28%
$76,048
No Rank
2
0%
$146,300
Pros & Cons of California State University-Long Beach
No college is right for everyone. Here is where California State University-Long Beach is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Best for:
Based on the data, California State University-Long Beach is a fit for
students who want a large campus with breadth and variety.
Frequently Asked Questions about California State University-Long Beach
The questions families ask most about California State University-Long Beach, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is California State University-Long Beach hard to get into?
California State University-Long Beach is selective but not extremely competitive. Its acceptance rate is 46.3%. Strong academic credentials and a thoughtful application materially improve your odds.
What is the acceptance rate at California State University-Long Beach?
46.3% of applicants are admitted. Around half get in, so a solid application has a real chance. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does California State University-Long Beach cost?
Budget around $10,440 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is California State University-Long Beach worth it?
On the numbers, yes: strong return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $64,403 a year against a net price of $10,440, about 6.2 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is California State University-Long Beach known for?
Mostly Business Administration, Psychology, Fine Arts. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do California State University-Long Beach graduates earn?
About $64,403 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is California State University-Long Beach accredited?
Yes. California State University-Long Beach is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission.
How many students attend California State University-Long Beach?
35,924 students. Large, so expect big lectures and more independence in finding your own footing. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at California State University-Long Beach?
78% finish within six years. Most people who start here graduate, which is the signal you want. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is California State University-Long Beach a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is California State University-Long Beach located?
California State University-Long Beach is located in Long Beach, California.
What programs does California State University-Long Beach offer?
138 different programs, most commonly Business Administration, Psychology, Fine Arts. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at California State University-Long Beach?
19 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in California
Other colleges in California share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
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