CSU vs. Cal State Long Beach

Should I go to California State University Chico or California State University Long Beach? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if CSU or Cal State Long Beach is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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California State University Chico vs. California State University Long Beach comparison
California State University Chico California State University Long Beach College 3 College 4
California State University Chico California State University Long Beach
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Overview

 CSU Cal State Long Beach
Location Chico, CA Long Beach, CA
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 14,183 38,973
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #659 #507
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website csuchico.edu csulb.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 CSU Cal State Long Beach
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $17,622
Room & Board $15,212 $14,932
Avg Net Price $15,517 $9,346
Avg Grant Aid $9,162 $9,478
% Receiving Grant Aid 62% 75%

Admission

 CSU Cal State Long Beach
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 21,417 74,718
Admitted 20,347 29,851
Acceptance Rate 95% 40%
Enrolled % 9.9% 18%
Avg High School GPA 3.37 3.7
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Very Easy Average
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 18/24 20/26
SAT Range 970/1170 1020/1240
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Dec 15, 2023 Nov 30, 2023

Academics

 CSU Cal State Long Beach
Student to Faculty Ratio 20:1 22:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (17%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 CSU Cal State Long Beach
Graduation Rate 59% 54%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,400 $51,100
Making Student Loan Payments 70% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,000 $15,000
Median Loan Payment $175 $155

Diversity

 CSU Cal State Long Beach
% Men 45% 41%
% Women 55% 59%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 46% 19%
% Black 2% 4%
% Hispanic 29% 39%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 5%
% International 3% 6%
% Unknown Race 7% 4%

Students

 CSU Cal State Long Beach
% In-State 97% 97%
% Out-of-State 2% 2%

Campus

 CSU Cal State Long Beach
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • California State University Long Beach is larger than than CSU based on total student enrollment (38,973 students vs. 14,183 students)

CSU vs. Cal State Long Beach Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, CSU or Cal State Long Beach?

  • California State University Chico and Cal State Long Beach cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($5,742.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is the same at CSU as California State University Long Beach ($17,622.00 vs. $17,622.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California State University Long Beach than CSU ($9,346 vs. $15,517)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Long Beach are 1.9% lower than costs at California State University Chico ($14,932 vs. $15,212)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University Long Beach than California State University Chico (75% vs. 62%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Long Beach students is 3.4% larger than aid received California State University Chico ($9,478 vs. $9,162)

CSU vs. Cal State Long Beach Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, CSU or Cal State Long Beach? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Cal State Long Beach or CSU .

  • The average SAT score at California State University Long Beach (1056) is 53 points higher than at CSU (1003)
  • Incoming Cal State Long Beach students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at CSU (22)
  • Accepted freshman Cal State Long Beach students have a 0.33 point higher average high school GPA (3.7) than students at CSU (3.37)
  • CSU has a higher acceptance rate (95%) than Cal State Long Beach (40%)

CSU vs. Cal State Long Beach Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, CSU or Cal State Long Beach? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Cal State Long Beach and CSU.

  • The graduation rate at CSU is higher than California State University Long Beach (59% vs. 54%)
  • Graduates from California State University Chico earn on average $1,300 more per year than Cal State Long Beach graduates after ten years. ($52,400 vs. $51,100)
  • California State University Long Beach students graduate with a $2,000 lower median federal student loan debt than CSU graduates. ($15,000 vs. $17,000)
  • Cal State Long Beach graduates are paying $20 less per month on federal student loans than CSU graduates. ($155 vs. $175)
  • More CSU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Cal State Long Beach students, three years after graduation. (70% vs. 69%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/