California State University-Long Beach
- Graduation Rate
- 69% B-
- Solid completion rate — most students graduate
- Earnings (10yr)
- $64,403 A-
- Top 10% nationally — exceptional earning power
- Net Price
- $10,440 B
- 39% less than the typical college
- Acceptance Rate
- 46% A-
- Selective, but achievable with strong credentials
Bottom line: A B+ overall grade — strong outcomes across the board. 42.9× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $42.9 over 20 years.
Every $1 spent returns $42.9 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,751,609.
What The Data Says
-
A B+ overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.
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Graduates earn 58% more than the national college median.
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Every $1 invested returns $42.9 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Why California State University-Long Beach Matters
California State University-Long Beach is a public research university in Long Beach, CA and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a strong research base, a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network, and low net price paired with solid completion. The result: graduates whose earnings land in the top 10% of all U.S. colleges.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Public Research University
- Carnegie Class
- R2 · High Research
- Enrollment
- 35,924
- Setting
- Urban
- Designations
- HSI
- Primary Strengths
- Business & Marketing, Visual & Performing Arts, Engineering, Psychology
Why students choose California State University-Long Beach
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
Selective — admits about 46% of applicants. Run your numbers in the admissions predictor below.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $10,440 a year after grants and scholarships — 39% below the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $64,403 ten years after enrolling — 58% above the typical college, against $14,289 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Strong cross-class social capital — an economic-connectedness score of 1.68 (Opportunity Insights).
See mobility →Overview
California State University-Long Beach enrolls 35,924 students, making it one of the largest public universities in California. With a graduation rate of 69%, students can expect a solid chance of completing their degrees in a supportive environment.
Data from Opportunity Insights indicates that graduates from CSU-Long Beach can expect to earn about $64,403 within ten years of graduation. While the mobility rate and success rate for students from the bottom 20% are not available, the university's strong earnings potential suggests that many graduates find pathways to economic stability.
The net price for attending CSU-Long Beach is $10,440, with median student debt at $14,289. Half of the student body receives Pell Grants, indicating a significant portion of students come from low-income backgrounds. Students in fields like Business, Visual Arts, Engineering, Psychology, and Social Sciences tend to thrive here, leveraging the university's resources to build successful careers.
Rankings
- #12 Best Criminal Justice Colleges in California
- #21 Best Engineering Colleges in California
- #26 Best Communications Colleges in California
- #29 Best MBA Programs in California
- #32 Best Bachelor's Programs in California
- #32 Best Online Colleges in California
- #33 Best Master's Programs in California
- #34 Best Nursing Colleges in California
Can I Get In?
How selective California State University-Long Beach is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into California State University-Long Beach? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
As a public institution in Long Beach, California, California State University-Long Beach reviews applications selectively. The acceptance rate runs near 46%. The graduation rate is roughly 69%.
- Acceptance Rate
- 46%
- Retention Rate
- 87%
- Full-Time Faculty
- 45%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $12,276
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 22:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.66
- First-Gen Students
- 49%
- Applicants
- 74,718
- Admitted
- 29,851
Inside the Admissions Office
School-reported Common Data Set · 2024-25
The acceptance rate tells you how hard California State University-Long Beach is to get into. Its Common Data Set tells you what happens once you are admitted: how many students say yes, how many arrived without test scores, and whether applying early tilts the odds. 17% of admitted students go on to enroll here, making it a school most admitted students ultimately pass on.
- Yield Rate
- 17%
- of admits enroll
Can I Afford It?
What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.
Cost & Financial Aid
How Much Does It Cost to Attend California State University-Long Beach? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at California State University-Long Beach is $19,950, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $10,440. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $7,183 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $14,289 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $7,350
- Out-of-State
- $19,950
- Avg Net Price
- $10,440
- Median Debt
- $14,289
- Pell Grant Rate
- 50%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 24%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $7,183
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $7,831
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $9,705
- Family Income $110K+
- $19,750
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Students Like You
Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at California State University-Long Beach — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.
Graduate Outcomes
Is California State University-Long Beach Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of California State University-Long Beach earn a median of $64,403, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $50,062
- 8 Years
- $56,802
- 10 Years
- $64,403
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.22x
- Earning > $25K
- 66%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (1,208)
- 29%
- 100% (1,208)
- 29%
- 100% (1,208)
- 29%
- 100% (1,208)
- 29%
How California Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
College ROI Calculator
Is California State University-Long Beach Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, California State University-Long Beach delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $10,440/year ($41,760 total). Graduates earn $64,403 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,793,369 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,751,609 (42.9× your investment). The median debt is $14,289, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 69% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $41,760
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $1,793,369
- Net Return
- $1,751,609
- ROI Multiple
- 42.9×
- Cost Per Year
- $10,440
- Median Debt
- $14,289
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 69%
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Federal Grants
- $1,156,295
- Investment Income
- $-15,496,023
Top Programs
The fields California State University-Long Beach awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.
- Business & Marketing 16% $59,931 early-career
- Visual & Performing Arts 9% $51,709 early-career
- Engineering 8% $87,866 early-career
- Psychology 8% $34,204 early-career
- Communications 8% $41,658 early-career
- Health Professions 7% $101,941 early-career
- Social Sciences 7% $47,740 early-career
- Biology & Biomedical 5% $52,040 early-career
Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for California State University-Long Beach's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- CChief Executive Officer$189,520 · 3% growthAdaptable 64
- C+IT Manager$169,510 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- C+Marketing Manager$156,580 · 8% growthAdaptable 64
- CAdvertising Manager$138,730 · 6% growthAdaptable 64
- CHR Manager$136,350 · 5% growthAdaptable 64
- CPharmacist$136,030 · 3% growthResilient 82
- CPetroleum Engineer$135,690 · 2% growthResilient 72
- CSales Manager$135,160 · 4% growthAdaptable 64
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into California State University-Long Beach? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
As a public institution in Long Beach, California, California State University-Long Beach reviews applications selectively. The acceptance rate runs near 46%. The graduation rate is roughly 69%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend California State University-Long Beach? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at California State University-Long Beach is $19,950, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $10,440. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $7,183 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $14,289 in federal student loans.
Is California State University-Long Beach Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of California State University-Long Beach earn a median of $64,403, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
How Connected Is California State University-Long Beach? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at California State University-Long Beach. Its economic connectedness score is 1.68, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 7% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Does California State University-Long Beach offer Early Decision?
No. California State University-Long Beach does not report a binding Early Decision plan (2024-25 Common Data Set).
What percentage of admitted students enroll at California State University-Long Beach?
About 17% of admitted students choose to enroll at California State University-Long Beach — its yield rate (2024-25 Common Data Set). Yield reflects how often a school wins when applicants weigh competing offers.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to California State University-Long Beach.
- San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, CA · Close peer77% grad $64,909 earn 36% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- University of South FloridaTampa, FL · Close peer76% grad $57,743 earn 43% acceptWhy: similar selectivity · similar grad rate · similar size
- Florida International UniversityMiami, FL · Close peer74% grad $60,249 earn 55% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- University of Central FloridaOrlando, FL · Close peer77% grad $58,308 earn 40% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- University of GeorgiaAthens, GA · Close peer89% grad $68,726 earn 38% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar size
- Florida State UniversityTallahassee, FL · Close peer84% grad $61,675 earn 24% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar size · similar net price
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is California State University-Long Beach? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at California State University-Long Beach. Its economic connectedness score is 1.68, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 7% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note