California State University, Long Beach

Enrolled first-year students at Cal State Long Beach average about a 3.66 high school GPA on a 4.0 scale. There is no published hard cutoff, but because the campus is test-free, your academic GPA is the single most important factor in the decision — it and class rank are the only academic elements rated 'very important,' while course rigor, essays, and activities are not considered. High-demand (impacted) majors can require a noticeably higher GPA than the campus average.

No. Like every California State University campus, Cal State Long Beach is test-blind: it does not accept or consider SAT or ACT scores in admission, even if you send them. Standardized test scores are listed as 'not considered,' so your application is evaluated on your GPA and coursework instead.

Cal State Long Beach admitted about 45% of first-year applicants in the most recent cycle — roughly 40,100 admits from about 88,300 applications — and around 5,880 enrolled. The headline rate is moderately selective, but admission runs tougher for impacted majors and for the small share of out-of-state applicants.

Out-of-state applicants are admitted at a slightly higher rate than California residents, about 47.3% versus 45.5% for in-state students in the most recent cycle, so applying from out of state does not put you at a selectivity disadvantage. The catch is volume: only about 2,123 students applied from outside California compared to more than 84,000 in-state applicants, so the out-of-state pool is very small. International applicants face the most selective standard, admitted at roughly 42.8%. Even with the marginally favorable non-resident rate, the tiny enrolled out-of-state cohort (about 2% of undergraduates) reflects how few choose to attend a largely commuter, California-focused campus.

Annual tuition and required fees run about $8,748 for California residents and $20,994 for out-of-state and international students. On-campus housing and food add roughly $18,554, with about $1,806 for books, $1,386 for transportation, and $3,968 for personal expenses. Aid is widespread — about 87% of first-years receive need-based aid, the average package is near $15,994, and the university meets roughly 65% of demonstrated need.

Business is the largest field at about 17% of bachelor's degrees, followed closely by humanities and communication (16%), the social sciences (15%), and the health and natural sciences (15%). Engineering and computing (13%) and the visual and performing arts (9%) round out the biggest areas of study.

Cal State Long Beach evaluates applications almost entirely on academics. Academic GPA and class rank are the only factors it rates 'very important,' with geographical residence and state residency 'considered.' Application essays, recommendations, extracurriculars, interviews, and standardized tests are all 'not considered,' so the strongest lever an applicant has is a high college-prep GPA — especially for impacted majors.

Yes. Cal State Long Beach is a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution drawing largely from Southern California. Its undergraduate population is about 53% Hispanic, 19.3% Asian and Pacific Islander, 14.1% White, and 4.0% Black, with roughly 9% reporting another background. About 36,000 undergraduates enroll, and only about 2% come from out of state.