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California State University-Los Angeles
California State University-Los Angeles admits nearly everyone — 91.3% of applicants. A feature, not a flaw: the page below asks whether California State University-Los Angeles is worth attending, not whether you'll get in.
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California State University-Los Angeles sits in Los Angeles 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 $116,182 four years out. Faculty pay averages $152,280 a year here — a rough proxy for what the school spends on the teaching itself. Most of its 19,562 undergraduates commute — campus empties by evening — yet 71.9% of first-years return, which says something about what daytime here is worth.
California State University-Los Angeles 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
California State University-Los Angeles does not use test scores in admissions at all: the 91.3% who got into California State University-Los Angeles did it on GPA, coursework and application alone. No score range exists to publish.
In the Fall 2023 cycle, California State University-Los Angeles received 32,748 applications and admitted 30,106 (91.9%), with 3,614 enrolling.
How California State University-Los Angeles compares
| California State University-Los Angeles | California median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 91.3% | 75.7% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $7,160 | $23,000 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $59,211 | $64,778 | $53,781 |
Ten years out, California State University-Los Angeles's median earnings are $59,211 — below the California benchmark of $64,778. Weigh that against the $7,160 price above; the by-major table shows majors drive much of this gap.
Cost, size & completion
As a public university, California State University-Los Angeles prices by residency: $7,160 in-state versus $19,760 out-of-state — a $12,600 gap that makes state lines part of the decision.
19,562 undergraduates make California State University-Los Angeles a large campus: broad course catalogs and big intro lectures come as a package.
53% graduate within six years. Roughly 47% don't — ask a California State University-Los Angeles tour guide what happens to them and watch the answer carefully.
Top majors by earnings at California State University-Los Angeles
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $116,182 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $96,014 |
| Civil Engineering | $94,760 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $93,028 |
| Computer Science | $87,525 |
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians | $86,970 |
| Mathematics | $70,677 |
| Air Transportation | $70,508 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $69,022 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | $67,441 |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | $65,366 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $62,716 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $59,904 |
| Social Work | $59,545 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | $57,695 |
| Public Health | $56,466 |
| Political Science and Government | $56,063 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | $55,970 |
| History | $55,413 |
| Economics | $54,998 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $54,695 |
| Biology, General | $53,908 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | $53,857 |
| Philosophy | $53,127 |
| Nutrition Sciences | $52,797 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $52,259 |
| Chemistry | $51,747 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | $51,414 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $50,444 |
| Sociology | $50,249 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | $46,060 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $44,930 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $40,783 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | $39,867 |
| Music | $39,120 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $35,591 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $35,097 |
Median earnings for these 37 California State University-Los Angeles programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $59,211 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 23 additional California State University-Los Angeles programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for California State University-Los Angeles?
California State University-Los Angeles doesn't look at test scores; its 91.3% admission rate turned on transcripts, coursework rigor and the application itself.
What is California State University-Los Angeles's acceptance rate?
91.9% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 30,106 admitted from 32,748 applicants.
How much does California State University-Los Angeles cost?
In-state tuition is $7,160; out-of-state students pay $19,760. Fees, housing and aid move the real total in both directions.
What do California State University-Los Angeles graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $59,211 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in California
- California State University-Northridge — 93.5% admitted
- California State University-East Bay — 97.4% admitted
- California State University-Sacramento — 94% admitted
- California State University-Fullerton — 90.5% 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.