Cal State East Bay vs. Cal State Fullerton vs. Cal State LA

Compare California State University East Bay, California State University Fullerton, and California State University Los Angeles side by side. Review cost and aid, selectivity and test-score context, academics, campus setting, and post-graduation benchmarks to see which option lines up with your goals. Data comes from the same catalog CollegeSimply maintains across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities.

California State University East Bay
California State University Fullerton
California State University Los Angeles

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • Cal State East Bay Hayward, CA
  • Cal State Fullerton Fullerton, CA
  • Cal State LA Los Angeles, CA
  • Setting
  • Cal State East Bay Midsize City
  • Cal State Fullerton Midsize City
  • Cal State LA Large City
  • Total enrollment
  • Cal State East Bay 12,326
  • Cal State Fullerton 43,662
  • Cal State LA 23,163
  • Type
  • Cal State East Bay Public 4 Year
  • Cal State Fullerton Public 4 Year
  • Cal State LA Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Cal State East Bay
  • Cal State Fullerton #799
  • Cal State LA #934
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Cal State East Bay -
  • Cal State Fullerton -
  • Cal State LA -
  • Status
  • Cal State East Bay Non-profit
  • Cal State Fullerton Non-profit
  • Cal State LA Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Cal State East Bay
  • Cal State Fullerton
  • Cal State LA

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Cal State East Bay $7,583
  • Cal State Fullerton $7,470
  • Cal State LA $7,160
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Cal State East Bay $20,183
  • Cal State Fullerton $20,070
  • Cal State LA $19,760
  • Room & Board
  • Cal State East Bay $17,831
  • Cal State Fullerton $19,080
  • Cal State LA $19,696
  • Average Net Price
  • Cal State East Bay $9,850
  • Cal State Fullerton $7,064
  • Cal State LA $4,460
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Cal State East Bay $12,369
  • Cal State Fullerton $11,234
  • Cal State LA $13,824
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Cal State East Bay 79%
  • Cal State Fullerton 78%
  • Cal State LA 94%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • Cal State East Bay 11,867
  • Cal State Fullerton 53,559
  • Cal State LA 32,723
  • Admitted
  • Cal State East Bay 11,557
  • Cal State Fullerton 48,482
  • Cal State LA 29,860
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Cal State East Bay 97.4%
  • Cal State Fullerton 90.5%
  • Cal State LA 91.3%
  • Enrolled
  • Cal State East Bay 6.9%
  • Cal State Fullerton 14.2%
  • Cal State LA 9.4%
  • Typical SAT score
  • Cal State East Bay
  • Cal State Fullerton 1090
  • Cal State LA 970
  • Typical ACT score
  • Cal State East Bay
  • Cal State Fullerton 20
  • Cal State LA 17
  • Average High School GPA
  • Cal State East Bay 3.2
  • Cal State Fullerton 3.77
  • Cal State LA 3.31
  • Typical High School Grades
  • Cal State East Bay B+
  • Cal State Fullerton A-
  • Cal State LA B+
  • Admissions Standards
  • Cal State East Bay Unavailable
  • Cal State Fullerton Very Easy
  • Cal State LA Extremely Easy
  • Applicant Competition
  • Cal State East Bay
  • Cal State Fullerton
  • Cal State LA
  • ACT Range
  • Cal State East Bay
  • Cal State Fullerton 18/23
  • Cal State LA 15/20
  • SAT Range
  • Cal State East Bay
  • Cal State Fullerton 1000/1180
  • Cal State LA 870/1060
  • Submit Test Scores
  • Cal State East Bay Test-free
  • Cal State Fullerton Test-free
  • Cal State LA Test-free
  • Application Deadline
  • Cal State East Bay Oct 1, 2026
  • Cal State Fullerton Nov 30, 2026
  • Cal State LA Jan 19, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • Cal State East Bay 22:1
  • Cal State Fullerton 26:1
  • Cal State LA 21:1
  • Popular Majors
  • Cal State East Bay
    • Business (30%)
    • Health Professions (13%)
    • Social Sciences (10%)
    • Work and Family Studies (6%)
    • Psychology (5%)
  • Cal State Fullerton
    • Business (25%)
    • Communication (14%)
    • Social Sciences (8%)
    • Health Professions (7%)
    • Psychology (6%)
  • Cal State LA
    • Business (22%)
    • Health Professions (9%)
    • Social Sciences (9%)
    • Psychology (7%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (7%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • Cal State East Bay 43%
  • Cal State Fullerton 50%
  • Cal State LA 36%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • Cal State East Bay $55,300
  • Cal State Fullerton $49,000
  • Cal State LA $46,900
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • Cal State East Bay 61%
  • Cal State Fullerton 69%
  • Cal State LA 57%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • Cal State East Bay $16,332
  • Cal State Fullerton $15,000
  • Cal State LA $12,920
  • Median Loan Payment
  • Cal State East Bay $168
  • Cal State Fullerton $155
  • Cal State LA $133

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Cal State East Bay 41%
  • Cal State Fullerton 43%
  • Cal State LA 43%
  • % Women
  • Cal State East Bay 59%
  • Cal State Fullerton 57%
  • Cal State LA 57%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Cal State East Bay Very High
  • Cal State Fullerton Very High
  • Cal State LA Medium
  • HBCU
  • Cal State East Bay No
  • Cal State Fullerton No
  • Cal State LA No
  • % White
  • Cal State East Bay 16%
  • Cal State Fullerton 22%
  • Cal State LA 7%
  • % Asian
  • Cal State East Bay 24%
  • Cal State Fullerton 22%
  • Cal State LA 15%
  • % Black
  • Cal State East Bay 11%
  • Cal State Fullerton 2%
  • Cal State LA 4%
  • % Hispanic
  • Cal State East Bay 31%
  • Cal State Fullerton 40%
  • Cal State LA 63%
  • % Native American
  • Cal State East Bay 0%
  • Cal State Fullerton 0%
  • Cal State LA 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Cal State East Bay 1%
  • Cal State Fullerton 0%
  • Cal State LA 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Cal State East Bay 6%
  • Cal State Fullerton 4%
  • Cal State LA 2%
  • % International
  • Cal State East Bay 6%
  • Cal State Fullerton 6%
  • Cal State LA 6%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Cal State East Bay 5%
  • Cal State Fullerton 4%
  • Cal State LA 3%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Cal State East Bay 95%
  • Cal State Fullerton 99%
  • Cal State LA 99%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Cal State East Bay 1%
  • Cal State Fullerton 1%
  • Cal State LA 0%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • Cal State East Bay Yes
  • Cal State Fullerton Yes
  • Cal State LA Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • Cal State East Bay No
  • Cal State Fullerton No
  • Cal State LA No
  • Meal Plan
  • Cal State East Bay Yes
  • Cal State Fullerton Yes
  • Cal State LA Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • Cal State East Bay No
  • Cal State Fullerton No
  • Cal State LA No
  • Daycare Facility
  • Cal State East Bay Yes
  • Cal State Fullerton Yes
  • Cal State LA Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare California State University East Bay in Hayward, CA with California State University Fullerton in Fullerton, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

California State University Fullerton is larger than Cal State East Bay based on total student enrollment (43,662 students vs. 12,326 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • California State University East Bay is located in Hayward, CA (Midsize City setting); California State University Fullerton is in Fullerton, CA (Midsize City setting).
  • California State University East Bay is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. California State University Fullerton is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: California State University East Bay 22:1; California State University Fullerton 26:1.

Cal State East Bay vs. Cal State Fullerton Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cal State East Bay or Cal State Fullerton? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California State University Fullerton than Cal State East Bay ($7,064 vs. $9,850).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University East Bay are 6.5% lower than at California State University Fullerton ($17,831 vs. $19,080).
  • California State University East Bay is 1.5% more expensive for in-state tuition than Cal State Fullerton (about $113 more per year; $7,583.00 vs. $7,470.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 0.6% higher at Cal State East Bay than at California State University Fullerton (about $113 more per year; $20,183.00 vs. $20,070.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at California State University East Bay than at California State University Fullerton (79% vs. 78%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University East Bay students is 10.1% larger than aid received by California State University Fullerton students ($12,369 vs. $11,234).

Cal State East Bay vs. Cal State Fullerton Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Cal State East Bay or Cal State Fullerton? Typical SAT and ACT scores (midpoint estimates from the mid-50% ranges in the table above), enrolled-tester score ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Cal State Fullerton and Cal State East Bay.

  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) among enrolled freshmen who submitted scoresCalifornia State University Fullerton 1000/1180.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) among enrolled freshmen who submitted scoresCalifornia State University Fullerton 18/23.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Cal State East Bay - Test-free; Cal State Fullerton - Test-free.
  • Typical fall application deadline: Cal State East Bay Oct 1, 2026; Cal State Fullerton Nov 30, 2026.
  • Enrolled freshman Cal State Fullerton students have a 0.57 point higher average high school GPA (3.77) than students at Cal State East Bay (3.2).
  • Cal State East Bay has a higher acceptance rate (97.4%) than Cal State Fullerton (90.5%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 6.9% at Cal State East Bay vs. 14.2% at Cal State Fullerton.

Cal State East Bay vs. Cal State Fullerton Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Cal State East Bay and Cal State Fullerton? Where federal data is available for both schools, the bullets below compare graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt using the same College Scorecard / IPEDS fields as the comparison table. If a metric is missing for one school, that school is noted separately.

  • California State University Fullerton's six-year graduation rate (50%) is higher than California State University East Bay's (43%).
  • Graduates from California State University East Bay earn a median of about $6,300 more per year than Cal State Fullerton graduates about ten years after starting college ($55,300 vs. $49,000), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, California State University Fullerton graduates have a $1,332 lower median loan debt than Cal State East Bay graduates ($15,000 vs. $16,332).
  • Among borrowers, Cal State Fullerton graduates have an estimated $13 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Cal State East Bay graduates ($155 vs. $168).
  • More Cal State Fullerton graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Cal State East Bay students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 61%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.