About

About California State University-Long Beach

public doctoral universityarts and business focusselective public admissionlarge california campushealth sciences programs

California State University-Long Beach is a public research university in Long Beach, CA, known for its public doctoral university, arts and business focus, and selective public admission. With an acceptance rate of 40%, CSULB is selective, typically enrolling around 5,365 students each year. CSULB is test optional; submitting a strong score can strengthen an application, though it is not required for consideration. CSULB offers merit scholarships regardless of financial need, with awards averaging $10,262 per year; the sticker price of $36,868 may look very different from what your family actually pays.

Admissions

California State University-Long Beach acceptance rate and admitted student profile

selective

40%
Overall Accept Rate
3.50
Typical Admitted GPA
GPATypical admitted range: 3.25 – 3.75 unweighted

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Application Strategy

Strategy tips for applying to California State University-Long Beach

The first 2 tips apply to all applicants. Your personalized strategy requires your profile — build your free list to unlock it.

Application Strategy
CSULB uses a formula-based review that weighs your GPA and course rigor heavily, so make sure your transcript shows a strong upward trend and a solid load of A-G courses completed with high grades.
Test Score Strategy
Since CSULB is test optional and your score is below the 75th percentile, leave the test score off your application entirely so it does not work against your formula-based review.

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Financial Aid & Cost

What California State University-Long Beach actually costs your family

Average net prices by income bracket from College Scorecard data.

Family IncomeSticker PriceEst. Net Cost / yr
0-30k~$37k/yr$7.2k
30k-48k~$37k/yr$7.8k
48k-75k~$37k/yr$9.7k
75k-110k~$37k/yr$12.6k
110k+~$37k/yr$19.8k

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Outcomes & Campus

Student outcomes and campus profile

70%
6-Year Graduation Rate
$50k
Median Earnings (6 yrs)
24:1
Student-Faculty Ratio
29,890
Undergrad Enrollment
California State University-Long Beach Acceptance Rate & Admissions | SpearMatch