National university
#19 Best value colleges in AmericaCalifornia State University-Long Beach
Long Beach, CA · Public · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $10,440 a year
Median debt at graduation: $14,289 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best value colleges in America#19 of 674
- Most affordable colleges with strong academics in America#24 of 690
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in America#28 of 681
- Best colleges for criminal justice in America#51 of 1,046
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in America#48 of 684
- Best colleges for social work in America#47 of 605
Show 27 more
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in America#75 of 950
- Best colleges for accounting in America#98 of 1,132
- Best value colleges in the West in America#9 of 103
- Best colleges for nursing in America#94 of 1,068
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in America#62 of 682
- Best colleges for marketing in America#79 of 834
- Best colleges for business in America#167 of 1,563
- Best colleges for education in America#150 of 1,318
- Best colleges for finance in America#85 of 744
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#143 of 1,238
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in America#74 of 598
- Best colleges in America#249 of 1,829
- Best colleges for psychology in America#194 of 1,418
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#196 of 1,358
- Best test-optional colleges in America#215 of 1,481
- Best colleges for English in America#187 of 1,283
- Best colleges for history in America#195 of 1,247
- Best colleges for art and design in America#187 of 1,187
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#199 of 1,215
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#198 of 1,162
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#194 of 1,116
- Best colleges for music in America#185 of 1,063
- Best colleges for computer science in America#140 of 750
- Best colleges for engineering in America#149 of 749
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#427 of 1,829
- Most selective colleges in America#161 of 683
- Best colleges for economics in America#190 of 788
In California
- Most affordable colleges with strong academics in California#2 of 63
- Best colleges for criminal justice in California#3 of 40
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in California#6 of 61
- Best value colleges in California#6 of 59
- Best value colleges in the West in California#6 of 59
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in California#7 of 62
Show 8 more
- Best colleges for social work in California#4 of 26
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in California#8 of 49
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in California#10 of 61
- Best colleges for nursing in California#9 of 53
- Best colleges for marketing in California#5 of 22
- Best colleges for education in California#13 of 56
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in California#14 of 54
- Best colleges for finance in California#6 of 22
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.69%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.87%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.Not reported
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.23 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$8,963
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $22,679 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 34,243 |
|---|---|
| Men and women Undergraduates, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) | Men 41% · Women 59% |
| First-generation students Share of students who are first-generation, by the College Scorecard’s definition | 49% |
| First-year students from another state Of first-time students whose home is a U.S. state, fall 2023 (IPEDS) | 1% |
| Total students | 40,278 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $10,440 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $22,679 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $14,289 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 69% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard) | 78% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard) | 77% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years Borrowers who repaid at least $1 of principal within 3 years (College Scorecard) | 71% |
| First-year retention | 87% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $64,403 |
| Admission rate | 46% |
| Application fee Undergraduate application fee, 2023–24 (IPEDS) | $70 |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 50% |
Value: Exceptional · Top 2% (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Nursing | |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | |
| Electrical engineering | |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | |
| Computer science | |
| Computer engineering | |
| Mechanical engineering | |
| Chemical Engineering | |
| Civil engineering | |
| Biochemistry | |
| Finance | |
| Management information systems | |
| Speech-language pathology | |
| Accounting | |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | |
| Managerial economics | |
| Human resources | |
| Electrical engineering technology | |
| Economics | |
| Physics | |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services | |
| Social work | |
| Business administration | |
| Chemistry | |
| Marketing | |
| Design | |
| Health administration | |
| Natural resources and conservation | |
| Mathematics | |
| Biology | |
| Liberal arts | |
| Political science | |
| Criminal justice | |
| Communication studies | |
| Hospitality management | |
| Kinesiology and exercise science | |
| Public health | |
| Ecology and evolutionary biology | |
| Journalism | |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | |
| Global studies | |
| Romance languages | |
| History | |
| Sociology | |
| Allied health | |
| Ethnic and gender studies | |
| Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences | |
| Area studies | |
| English | |
| Philosophy | |
| Psychology | |
| Geography | |
| Music | |
| Broadcasting | |
| Anthropology | |
| Family and human development | |
| Dance | |
| Fine arts | |
| Writing and rhetoric | |
| Linguistics | |
| Theatre |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Apparel and Textiles, Applied mathematics, Classics, Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians, East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Engineering (general), Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Film and video, Geology and earth science, German, Health sciences, Industrial technology, Interdisciplinary studies, International relations, Manufacturing Engineering, Nutrition Sciences, Other health professions and related clinical sciences, Public relations, Religious studies, Secondary education, Statistics.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Business | |
| Visual and performing arts | |
| Engineering | |
| Psychology | |
| Social sciences |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 15% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 16% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $15,612 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · Big West Conference |
| ROTC | Army · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 23 to 1 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 45%Of instructional faculty, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) |
| Endowment per student | $3,233Endowment at the end of fiscal year 2023, per full-time-equivalent student (IPEDS) |
| Dorm space | For about 9% of studentsCampus beds divided by undergraduate enrollment. Not how many students live on campus (IPEDS) |
| Nearest airport with scheduled flights | John Wayne Orange County International Airport (SNA)About 16 miles away in a straight line (OurAirports) |
| Town population | 455,5482020–2024 five-year estimate (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | Long BeachAbout 3 miles away in a straight line (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Average temperature in January | 57°F1991–2020 normal, from Long Beach Daugherty Field, CA, about 3 miles away (NOAA) |
| Average temperature in July | 73°F1991–2020 normal, from Long Beach Daugherty Field, CA, about 3 miles away (NOAA) |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.07 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.05 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.17 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.83 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is California State University-Long Beach’s Compass Score?
- Excellent (grade A-). It ranks in the top 14% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does California State University-Long Beach cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $10,440 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into California State University-Long Beach?
- California State University-Long Beach admitted 46% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do California State University-Long Beach’s graduates do?
- 69% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $64,403; the median federal debt at graduation is $14,289.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 110583
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (high research)
- Accreditation: WASC Senior College and University Commission (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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