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California State University-Long Beach
California State University-Long Beach admits a bit under 50% of applicants; strong grades put you in the conversation at California State University-Long Beach, and the data below says what "strong" means.
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California State University-Long Beach sits in Long Beach proper — a public campus woven into the city rather than walled off from it.
Its highest-earning path is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, where graduates median $111,681 four years out. 50.2% of undergraduates carry Pell grants — a plain read on who the campus actually serves. Most of its 35,924 undergraduates commute — campus empties by evening — yet 86.8% of first-years return, which says something about what daytime here is worth.
California State University-Long Beach won't look at test scores — here the GPA calculator is the tool that matters. Bring your saved semester numbers and see what they average.
Admissions
In the Fall 2023 cycle, California State University-Long Beach received 79,680 applications and admitted 37,547 (47.1%), with 5,756 enrolling.
Leave the SAT prep out of this one — test scores are disregarded entirely. California State University-Long Beach's 46.3% admission rate turned on grades and application strength.
How California State University-Long Beach compares
| California State University-Long Beach | California median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 46.3% | 75.7% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $7,350 | $23,000 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $64,403 | $64,778 | $53,781 |
At $64,403, ten-year earnings trail the state median ($64,778). Look at California State University-Long Beach's major-level rows below before reading too much into the campus-wide number.
Cost, size & completion
In-state students pay $7,350 in tuition; crossing a state border raises that to $19,950. For non-residents, California State University-Long Beach's $19,950 is the number to weigh against private options before assuming public means cheaper.
California State University-Long Beach is a big school: 35,924 undergraduates at last count.
68.9% graduate within six years. Roughly 31% don't — ask a California State University-Long Beach tour guide what happens to them and watch the answer carefully.
Top majors by earnings at California State University-Long Beach
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $111,681 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | $106,540 |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | $103,125 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $103,075 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | $101,797 |
| Computer Science | $101,428 |
| Computer Engineering | $98,967 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $95,957 |
| Chemical Engineering | $92,523 |
| Civil Engineering | $89,457 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | $79,820 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $78,085 |
| Management Information Systems and Services | $76,664 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | $75,137 |
| Accounting and Related Services | $74,839 |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | $73,988 |
| Business/Managerial Economics | $73,980 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | $73,857 |
| Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians | $72,251 |
| Economics | $71,220 |
| Physics | $70,462 |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services | $68,578 |
| Social Work | $68,448 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $67,853 |
| Chemistry | $67,818 |
| Marketing | $67,396 |
| Design and Applied Arts | $66,435 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $64,633 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $63,040 |
| Mathematics | $61,754 |
| Biology, General | $61,492 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $60,019 |
| Political Science and Government | $59,787 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $58,513 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $58,137 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | $57,927 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $57,643 |
| Public Health | $57,296 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | $55,588 |
| Journalism | $55,192 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | $53,933 |
| International/Globalization Studies | $53,918 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $52,961 |
| History | $52,423 |
| Sociology | $51,982 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | $51,580 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | $50,453 |
| Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General | $50,361 |
| Area Studies | $50,071 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $49,804 |
| Philosophy | $49,062 |
| Psychology, General | $48,926 |
| Geography and Cartography | $48,715 |
| Music | $47,831 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | $47,444 |
| Anthropology | $47,166 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | $46,966 |
| Dance | $46,387 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $43,349 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | $41,123 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | $38,996 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $38,270 |
Median earnings for these 62 California State University-Long Beach programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $64,403 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 21 additional California State University-Long Beach programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for California State University-Long Beach?
California State University-Long Beach doesn't look at test scores; its 46.3% admission rate turned on transcripts, coursework rigor and the application itself.
What is California State University-Long Beach's acceptance rate?
47.1% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 37,547 admitted from 79,680 applicants.
How much does California State University-Long Beach cost?
In-state tuition is $7,350; out-of-state students pay $19,950. Fees, housing and aid move the real total in both directions.
What do California State University-Long Beach graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $64,403 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in California
- University of California-Davis — 41.8% admitted
- Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science — 38.7% admitted
- University of Silicon Valley — 51.2% admitted
- Loyola Marymount University — 45.1% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.