Understanding Cal State Long Beach Acceptance Rate and Admission Requirements

California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), also known as Long Beach State University (LBSU) in athletics, is a public research university located in Long Beach, California. Founded in 1949, CSULB has grown into a major institution within the California State University system, enrolling around 35,843 undergraduate students and 5,346 graduate students as of fall 2024. Understanding the admission requirements and acceptance rate is crucial for prospective students.

CSULB: An Overview

Just off the shores of Long Beach, south of Los Angeles, California, you’ll find California State University Long Beach (CSULB). The 322-acre campus is home to nearly 36,000 undergraduate students and more than 5,000 graduate students, as of the fall of 2024. The campus is also the second largest in the California State University system.

CSULB has a rich history, starting as Los Angeles-Orange County State College and evolving into a comprehensive university. The campus is known for its International style architecture and beautiful integration of landscaping. It houses notable facilities like the Walter Pyramid and the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden.

Key Facts about CSULB

Location: Long Beach, California
Founded: 1949
Undergraduate Enrollment: 35,843 (Fall 2024)
Campus Size: 322 acres
Student-Faculty Ratio: 26:1
In-State Tuition and Fees: $8,312
Out-of-State Tuition and Fees: $19,856

Acceptance Rate at Cal State Long Beach

The acceptance rate is a critical factor for prospective students. The acceptance rate at Cal State Long Beach is 46.3%. This makes it moderately selective. In the Fall 2024 cohort, California State University, Long Beach saw over 83,000 applications from first-time freshmen, while more than 38,000 were granted admission.

GPA Requirements

GPA is a very important academic factor for officials at California State University, Long Beach. The GPA requirement that really matters is the GPA you need for a real chance of getting in. This requires you to be above average in your high school class. You'll need at least a mix of A's and B's, with more A's than B's. You can compensate for a lower GPA with harder classes, like AP or IB classes. If you're currently a junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change in time for college applications. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 3.67, you'll need a higher SAT or ACT score to compensate. Data from CSULB itself shows that the school does have a pretty competitive average high school GPA for its incoming admitted and enrolled students.

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GPA Distribution Among Admitted Students

3.75+: 47%
3.50-3.74: 23%
3.25-3.49: 16%
3.00-3.24: 9%
2.50-2.99: 5%
2.00-2.49: Less than 1%
Below 2.00: Not available

Standardized Testing Policies

Each school has different requirements for standardized testing. Cal State Long Beach hasn't explicitly named a policy on SAT/ACT requirements, but because it's published average SAT or ACT scores (we'll cover this next), it's likely test flexible. Typically, these schools say, "if you feel your SAT or ACT score represents you well as a student, submit them. Despite this policy, the truth is that most students still take the SAT or ACT, and most applicants to Cal State Long Beach will submit their scores. If you don't submit scores, you'll have one fewer dimension to show that you're worthy of being admitted, compared to other students.

SAT Scores

Many schools say they have no SAT score cutoff, but the truth is that there is a hidden SAT requirement. The 25th percentile SAT score is 1040, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1250. This is also known as "superscoring." This means that you can choose which SAT tests you want to send to the school. How does superscoring change your test strategy? Even though the highest total you scored on any one test date was 1000, Cal State Long Beach will take your highest section score from all your test dates, then combine them to form your Superscore. This is important for your testing strategy. Because you can choose which tests to send in, and Cal State Long Beach forms your Superscore, you can take the SAT as many times as you want, then submit only the tests that give you the highest Superscore. Therefore, if your SAT superscore is currently below a 1145, we strongly recommend that you consider prepping for the SAT and retaking it. Even better, because of the Superscore, you can focus all your energy on a single section at a time. If your Reading score is lower than your other sections, prep only for the Reading section, then take the SAT. Then focus on Math for the next test, and so on.

ACT Scores

The average ACT score at Cal State Long Beach is 23. The 25th percentile ACT score is 20, and the 75th percentile ACT score is 26. Even though Cal State Long Beach likely says they have no minimum ACT requirement, if you apply with a 20 or below, you'll have a very hard time getting in, unless you have something else very impressive in your application. Here it is: when you send ACT scores to colleges, you have absolute control over which tests you send. You could take 10 tests, and only send your highest one. This means that you have more chances than you think to improve your ACT score. To try to aim for the school's ACT requirement of 23 and above, you should try to take the ACT as many times as you can. By and large, most colleges do not superscore the ACT. (Superscore means that the school takes your best section scores from all the test dates you submit, and then combines them into the best possible composite score). We weren't able to find the school's exact ACT policy, which most likely means that it does not Superscore.

Additional Application Requirements

Every school requires an application with the bare essentials - high school transcript and GPA, application form, and other core information. Many schools, as explained above, also require SAT and ACT scores, as well as letters of recommendation, application essays, and interviews.

Essential Application Components

High School GPA: Required
High School Rank: Required
College Prep Courses: Required
Recommendations: Neither required nor recommended
Application Deadline: November 30

Financial Aid and Net Cost

A large majority of students at CSULB receive some kind of financial aid, and that financial aid helps to drastically assist with the average net cost of attendance. With all of that financial aid in consideration, the average net price for students has stayed between $9,000-10,000 in recent years. Seventy-nine percent of first-year students receive need-based financial aid, and the average net price for federal loan recipients is $8,721.

In-State vs. Out-of-State Students

The student population at CSULB leans very heavily in-state. For the fall of 2022, the student population was almost entirely in-state. Don’t let this dissuade you if you’re thinking about CSULB as an out-of-state or international student. Again, out-of-state students do face an uphill battle here. The California State University system prioritizes admitting in-state students. Out-of-state students are assessed based on the same factors, but, according to the CSU system itself, out-of-state students do need a higher grade point average to be admitted.

Notable Programs and Rankings

CSULB is known for its strong programs and commitment to social mobility. College Transitions ranked CSULB as #3 in the list of the top CSU schools because of the school’s impact on social mobility: it helps students climb the socio-economic ladder to put them in a better place than where they were when they came to school. CSULB’s nursing major has been ranked as the best in the state by RNcareers.org. In 2021, The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education ranked CSULB 8th in the nation for Campus Diversity. In the 2026 edition of Best Colleges, California State University, Long Beach is ranked No. #127 in National Universities. It's also ranked No. #3 in Top Performers on Social Mobility.

Campus Life and Culture

The campus spans 323 acres (131 ha) across 84 buildings, and is located 3 miles (5 km) from the Pacific Ocean. CSULB is located at 1250 Bellflower Boulevard. The architecture of the campus is mainly of the International style (designed primarily by architect Edward Killingsworth). It is minimalist. It has earned design awards and awards from gardening societies. The integration of landscaping and architecture is apparent at the school's theater complex, where a dense grove of ficus trees is planted in such a way that it forms a continuation of the pillar-supported canopy at the theater's entrance. The University Student Union (USU) building is located at the center of campus. The Rec and Wellness Center is an extensive all-purpose athletic center covering about 125,000 square feet (11,600 m2) on North Campus. It was completed in 2010. It includes facilities for fitness programs and aerobics classes, courts for volleyball, basketball, badminton, rock climbing walls, an indoor track, a student lounge, and much more. 49er basketball and volleyball games are currently played in the iconic, eighteen-story Walter Pyramid (formerly known as the Long Beach Pyramid) located on north campus. The Pyramid is a sporting complex that can accommodate over 5,000 fans, including temporary seating and standing room. The University Art Museum's permanent collection contains primarily abstract expressionist paintings, works on paper, and an outdoor sculpture garden that began in 1966.

Student Media and Athletics

The first issue of the campus newspaper was published on November 11, 1949 as "The Forty-Niner." The newspaper was renamed on September 3, 1975, as the Daily Forty-Niner, and then rebranded to Long Beach Current on August 19, 2024. Long Beach State competes in NCAA Division I in 18 sports teams and plays competitively in baseball, cross country, softball, track and field, women's tennis, and women's soccer, as well as both men's and women's basketball, volleyball, water polo and golf teams. In the realm of sports the school is branded as "Long Beach State". "Beach", which had long been unofficially used to refer to Long Beach State and its sports teams as it is the only university on the West Coast with the word "Beach" in its name, became the official athletic program brand name in the 2020-21 school year.

Notable Alumni

There are so many notable alumni who have attended or graduated CSULB. As you might imagine, with a world-renowned arts program and access to Los Angeles, a lot of those notable alumni are famous celebrities. There are a ton of famous football, baseball, and basketball players, as well as other sports. So many faculty members are world-renowned. As you research colleges, it is very much worth the work to research who is part of the faculty in your chosen field of study. Alumni have written, acted and directed screenplays that have attracted Oscar-caliber talent. Former students have won at least five Academy Awards. Alumni and former students have also participated in the world of sports.

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