Cal State Long Beach vs. Cal State LA

Should I go to California State University Long Beach or California State University Los Angeles? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Cal State Long Beach or Cal State LA 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

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

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona San Jose State Cal State Fullerton San Diego State San Francisco State California State University-Northridge UCLA California State University-Fresno UCSC UC Riverside UCI Cal Poly
California State University Long Beach vs. California State University Los Angeles comparison
California State University Long Beach California State University Los Angeles College 3 College 4
California State University Long Beach California State University Los Angeles
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 Cal State Long Beach Cal State LA
Location Long Beach, CA Los Angeles, CA
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 38,973 26,460
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #507 #947
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website csulb.edu calstatela.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Cal State Long Beach Cal State LA
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $17,622
Room & Board $14,932 $17,998
Avg Net Price $9,346 $5,801
Avg Grant Aid $9,478 $10,907
% Receiving Grant Aid 75% 91%

Admission

 Cal State Long Beach Cal State LA
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 74,718 33,939
Admitted 29,851 29,507
Acceptance Rate 40% 86.9%
Enrolled % 18% 13.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 3.31
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Average Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 20/26 15/20
SAT Range 1020/1240 870/1060
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2023 Jan 19, 2024

Academics

 Cal State Long Beach Cal State LA
Student to Faculty Ratio 22:1 22:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (7%)

Outcomes

 Cal State Long Beach Cal State LA
Graduation Rate 54% 36%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,100 $46,900
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 57%
Median Student Loan Debt $15,000 $12,920
Median Loan Payment $155 $133

Diversity

 Cal State Long Beach Cal State LA
% Men 41% 41%
% Women 59% 59%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 19% 7%
% Black 4% 4%
% Hispanic 39% 63%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 2%
% International 6% 6%
% Unknown Race 4% 3%

Students

 Cal State Long Beach Cal State LA
% In-State 97% 99%
% Out-of-State 2% 0%

Campus

 Cal State Long Beach Cal State LA
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 Cal State LA based on total student enrollment (38,973 students vs. 26,460 students)

Cal State Long Beach vs. Cal State LA Cost Comparison

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

  • California State University Long Beach and Cal State LA 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 Cal State Long Beach as California State University Los Angeles ($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 Los Angeles than Cal State Long Beach ($5,801 vs. $9,346)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Long Beach are 20.5% lower than costs at California State University Los Angeles ($14,932 vs. $17,998)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University Los Angeles than California State University Long Beach (91% vs. 75%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Los Angeles students is 15.1% larger than aid received California State University Long Beach ($10,907 vs. $9,478)

Cal State Long Beach vs. Cal State LA Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at California State University Long Beach (1056) is 182 points higher than at Cal State LA (874)
  • Incoming Cal State Long Beach students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Cal State LA (18)
  • Accepted freshman Cal State Long Beach students have a 0.39 point higher average high school GPA (3.7) than students at Cal State LA (3.31)
  • Cal State LA has a higher acceptance rate (86.9%) than Cal State Long Beach (40%)

Cal State Long Beach vs. Cal State LA Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Cal State Long Beach or Cal State LA? 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 LA and Cal State Long Beach.

  • The graduation rate at Cal State Long Beach is higher than California State University Los Angeles (54% vs. 36%)
  • Graduates from California State University Long Beach earn on average $4,200 more per year than Cal State LA graduates after ten years. ($51,100 vs. $46,900)
  • California State University Los Angeles students graduate with a $2,080 lower median federal student loan debt than Cal State Long Beach graduates. ($12,920 vs. $15,000)
  • Cal State LA graduates are paying $22 less per month on federal student loans than Cal State Long Beach graduates. ($133 vs. $155)
  • More Cal State Long Beach graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Cal State LA students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 57%)

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