Regional university
California State University-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA · Public · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid About $4,000 a year
Median debt at graduation: $13,000 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Campus tour
CSU Chancellor Virtual Tour of Cal State LA · From the college’s official YouTube channel. Plays from YouTube when you tap it.
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.53%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.72%
- 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.21 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$9,018
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 paid by families who received aid, by income. Families who get no aid pay the full cost of attendance: $18,403 a year.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
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) | 21,527 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 44% · Women 56% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 62% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 0% |
| Total students | 25,080 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | About $4,000 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $18,403 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $13,000 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 53% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 62% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 61% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 58% |
| First-year retention | 72% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $59,211 |
| Admission rate | 91% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $70 |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 66% |
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 | |
| Electrical engineering | |
| Civil engineering | |
| Mechanical engineering | |
| Computer science | |
| Industrial technology | |
| Mathematics | |
| Air Transportation | |
| Computing and information science | |
| Biochemistry | |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | |
| Business administration | |
| Liberal arts | |
| Social work | |
| Rehabilitation and therapy | |
| Public health | |
| Political science | |
| Ethnic and gender studies | |
| History | |
| Economics | |
| Criminal justice | |
| Biology | |
| Speech-language pathology | |
| Philosophy | |
| Nutrition Sciences | |
| English | |
| Chemistry | |
| Writing and rhetoric | |
| Teacher education | |
| Sociology | |
| Clinical and counseling psychology | |
| Kinesiology and exercise science | |
| Fine arts | |
| Broadcasting | |
| Music | |
| Romance languages | |
| Theatre |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Anthropology, Area studies, Clinical laboratory science, Communication studies, Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services, East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Engineering (general), Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, Fire science, Food Science and Technology, Geography, Geology and earth science, Graphic communications, Health sciences, Information science, Intercultural/Multicultural and Diversity Studies, Interdisciplinary studies, Journalism, Natural Sciences, Physics, Psychology, Secondary education, Social sciences.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Business | |
| Health professions | |
| Social sciences | |
| Criminal justice and security | |
| Psychology |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 18% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 23% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $19,696 |
| Sports | NCAA Division II · California Collegiate Athletic Association |
| ROTC | Army · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 21 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 5%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Disability services | Visit the office’s pageThe college’s own page |
| Faculty who are full-time | 42%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $2,633IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 12% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Hollywood Burbank/Bob Hope Airport (BUR)About 14 miles away · about 30 minutes by car |
| Town population | 3,857,263Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | Los AngelesAbout 14 miles away · about 25 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 58°F in January · 73°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Los Angeles Dwtn Usc Campus, CA, about 4 miles away |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Questions families ask
- What is California State University-Los Angeles’s Compass Score?
- Good (grade B). 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-Los Angeles cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is about $4,000 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-Los Angeles?
- California State University-Los Angeles admitted 91% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do California State University-Los Angeles’s graduates do?
- 53% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $59,211; the median federal debt at graduation is $13,000.
Ask the school
Something you want to know that isn’t on this page? Ask it here. We send it to the school, and their answer appears on this page. Your name is never shared.
Reviews
Personal experiences from signed-in readers. Reviews are moderated automatically and never change a school’s grades.
No reviews yet.
Sign in to write a review.
My rating and notes
Sign in or create a free account to rate this school privately, keep notes, and save it to your list.
About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 110592
- Carnegie classification: Master's university (larger programs)
- Accreditation: WASC Senior College and University Commission (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
- Report an error or a newer source
- Respond as this school
Colleges like this one
The same kind of school first, then the closest in selectivity, size and cost.
Compare side by side: California State University-Los Angeles vs California State University-Northridge · California State University-Los Angeles vs California State University-Sacramento · California State University-Los Angeles vs California State University-Dominguez Hills · California State University-Los Angeles vs College of Staten Island CUNY
More in California · California rankings