California State University-Long Beach

California State University--Long Beach is selective compared to its institutional peers, though its national standing has experienced some movement in recent years. In the 2027 U.S. News rankings, the university placed at rank 137, returning to its 2023 standing after reaching rank 105 in 2024. Gaining admission remains relatively competitive for a comprehensive public campus. For 2025, the undergraduate acceptance rate stood at 46.3%, which was higher than 10% of peer schools in a comparison group of 30 public comprehensive universities with similar rankings. This lower admit rate indicates that gaining admission requires stronger credentials than at most peer institutions. However, the university sees a limited draw among accepted applicants, recording an undergraduate yield rate of 16.7%. For prospective applicants, these patterns mean that securing an offer of admission requires standing out among tens of thousands of applicants, though accepted candidates often weigh multiple college options before enrolling.

California State University--Long Beach maintains an admission test policy where standardized test scores are not considered, meaning scores are not used even if submitted. As a result, freshman admissions decisions do not incorporate SAT or ACT results into the evaluation. Prior to this practice, score submissions were common among applicants; in 2021, 95% of students submitted SAT scores, while 19% submitted ACT scores. Because standardized examinations play no role in admissions, high school academic records and course rigor carry the primary academic weight. Prospective students are judged on their secondary school coursework, grades, and completion of required preparatory subjects. For families mapping out college options, this structure directs attention toward steady classroom achievement rather than test preparation, allowing applicants to build their qualifications entirely through high school grades and curricular depth.

Undergraduate degree conferrals at California State University--Long Beach are moderately concentrated, with professional programs driving the strongest early-career salaries. In 2025, the top three undergraduate programs accounted for 27.5% of all bachelor's degrees, led by Business Administration and Management, General with 1,336 graduates, followed by Psychology, General and Computer Science. The largest undergraduate majors do not overlap with the school's highest-ranked academic offerings. In U.S. News graduate rankings, the university's strongest programs include health care management at rank 53 in 2026 and fine arts at rank 54 in 2026. International students represent a small fraction of undergraduate completions but account for roughly a quarter of master's degrees, with heavy presence in graduate computing and engineering. In terms of compensation, 2023 earnings data show that technical and clinical fields deliver the highest returns, led by registered nursing with a median first-year salary of $104,884. For prospective students, these outcomes indicate that while broad popular majors attract the largest cohorts, specialized health and technical credentials yield the clearest career and financial payoff.

The student body at California State University--Long Beach is demographically diverse, with Hispanic students comprising the largest group across campus, followed by Asian students. In 2025, Asian students represented a substantial presence, including 1,184 first-time freshmen, or 18.3% of the entering class, alongside similar proportions among continuing undergraduates and transfer cohorts. Women constitute the majority of students across all academic levels. International students account for a small proportion of the undergraduate student body, making up only a tiny percentage of freshmen and continuing students. At the graduate level, however, global representation is much more pronounced, with 649 international graduate students representing 11% of the total graduate cohort. For prospective students, this profile creates a multicultural public university campus where domestic local students form the vast bulk of undergraduate classrooms, while international student enrollment is concentrated in advanced graduate degree programs.

The student population at California State University--Long Beach displays a traditional undergraduate age structure alongside an early-career graduate cohort. In 2025, undergraduate enrollment was heavily clustered among traditional college ages, with students aged 20 to 21 making up 30.9% of the undergraduate body, closely matched by students aged 18 to 19 at 30.7%. Graduate students are somewhat older, with the 25-to-29 age group forming the largest segment at 33.4% of graduate enrollment, closely followed by those aged 22 to 24. This distribution indicates that undergraduate campus life is centered on young adults pursuing immediate post-secondary credentials, while graduate programs serve individuals transitioning directly from undergraduate studies or entering early stages of professional employment.

International enrollment at California State University--Long Beach has contracted over the past decade, with significant divergence between degree levels. For 2025, international undergraduates represented 2.4% of the undergraduate student body, reflecting a downward trajectory from earlier years. Graduate international enrollment has remained higher despite a mild decline, standing at 11% in 2025. Among degree recipients, international students accounted for a negligible portion of bachelor's degrees but nearly a quarter of all master's degrees. At the undergraduate level, international graduates are primarily found in Computer Science and Business Administration and Management, General. At the master's level, international representation is heavily concentrated in technical and engineering fields. In 2025, international students made up 92.8% of master's graduates in Computer Science and 85.7% of master's graduates in Civil Engineering, General, along with more than a quarter of master's graduates in business administration. For international applicants, these patterns demonstrate that while general undergraduate classes have limited international enrollment, advanced STEM master's programs attract substantial global cohorts.

Applicants exploring California State University--Long Beach can evaluate several other institutions within 20 kilometers across the surrounding metropolitan area. Biola University is a private national university located 10.2 kilometers away, holding rank 288 in the 2027 U.S. News rankings. Another public option in the same system is California State University-Fullerton, situated 14.7 kilometers away and ranked 156 among national universities. Also nearby is Chapman University, a private national university 14.9 kilometers from campus, which holds the 100th spot in the 2027 rankings. For families interested in research institutions, University of California-Irvine is located 18.1 kilometers away and ranked 34th nationally. These diverse regional options provide nearby alternatives across both public systems and private institutions.

Campus safety at California State University--Long Beach has shown steady improvement over the past decade. The crime rate per 1,000 students decreased from earlier peaks to reach 1.8 in 2025, indicating a comparatively low overall incidence rate across the university. Over the three-year period from 2023 to 2025, property and vehicle offenses formed the primary security concerns on campus. Specifically, motor vehicle theft was the most frequently reported incident, with 74 occurrences recorded during that three-year span. During the same period, drug arrests and burglary each totaled 29 incidents, while alcohol and weapons offenses accounted for smaller numbers of disciplinary referrals and arrests. For prospective students and families evaluating campus environment, these records reflect a campus where serious personal violent offenses are uncommon, though vehicle security and property monitoring remain regular priorities for university safety personnel.