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California State University-Los Angeles

California State University-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA · City · 19,562 students
WebsiteForbes rankingScorecard
Application deadlines: Check the admissions site
$3,967
Average net priceYour net price
In-state · 2023-24
<30
30–48
48–75
75–110
110+
By household income — tap a bar
53%
Graduation rate
Entered fall 2017 & 2018
54% typical
$59,211
Earnings 10 years on
Measured 2020 & 2021
$55,177 typical
91%
Acceptance rate
Applied for fall 2024
82% typical · not scored
Accredited by Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
About

California State University, Los Angeles is a top-ranked public institution best known for driving exceptional upward social mobility among its diverse, career-focused student body. The university boasts highly regarded academic programs in nursing, business, criminal justice, and engineering, leveraging its location to provide students with robust internship and employment pipelines throughout the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Campus culture is vibrant and commuter-friendly, defined by strong community engagement, active student organizations, and a focus on hands-on professional preparation. Distinctively, Cal State LA houses the Los Angeles Regional Crime Lab right on campus and features a nationally recognized Early Entrance Program that allows gifted middle- and high-school-aged students to enroll directly in full-time college study.

Wikipedia:California State University, Los Angeles is a public research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. It is part of the California State University system. Cal State LA offers 142 bachelor's degree programs, 122 master's degree programs, and 4 doctoral degrees: the Doctor of Philosophy in special education, Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership, Doctor of Nursing Practice, and Doctor of Audiology. It also offers 22 teaching credentials.

Location
Los Angeles, CA, 90032-8506 · City campus
✈
Nearest airport from college
LAX · Los Angeles
16 mi away
Open in Google Maps
Cost & aid
Cost of attendance
These figures are federal data and may be out of date.
In-stateOut-of-state
Tuition & fees$7,160$19,760
Housing & food (on campus)$19,696$19,696
Books & supplies$1,054$1,054
Cost of attendance$38,500$31,003 est.
Average net price$3,967Not published
Out-of-state prices
Tuition & fees$19,760
In-state: $7,160
Housing & food (on campus)$19,696
Books & supplies$1,054
Cost of attendance$31,003 est.
In-state: $38,500
Average net priceNot published
In-state: $3,967
est. = the in-state cost of attendance with out-of-state tuition swapped in; no out-of-state figure is published.
Source: U.S. College Scorecard · published total: www.calstatela.edu
How it’s made up · in-state, 2026-27
California State University-Los Angeles’s own figures for 2026-2027, newer than the 2024-25 federal figures above, so the amounts differ.
Tuition$7,938
Housing$13,682
Food$7,972
Books & supplies$1,128
Personal expenses$4,726
Transportation$3,002
Total published by the school$38,500
Net price by family income · in-state students, 2023-24
$0–30k
$2,877
$30–48k
$2,974
$48–75k
$5,002
$75–110k
$7,355
$110k+
$13,578
Merit aid · 2024-25
Awarded without financial need. Students with financial need can get merit awards too; they're counted as need-based aid.
Average award$6,655
First-years who got one100
Source: California State University-Los Angeles's Common Data Set — the school's own yearly report of its admissions and aid figures.
Outcomes
Completion
Within 6 yrs
53%
Entered 2017–18
Within 4 yrs
25%
Back for yr 2
72%
Transferred
2%
8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students
56% graduated · 21% transferred · 2% still enrolled · 21% left or unknown
Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021
6 yrs after entry$45,702
10 yrs after entry$59,211
Debt
Median at graduation$13,000
Monthly payment$138
Middle 50% owe$5.5k–$19.8k
90th percentile$28,892
Green marks a figure above the typical Master's (larger programs): $55,177 earned 10 yrs after entry.
Admissions
Getting in · applied for fall 2024
Admit rate
91%
Test policy
Not required
Per College Scorecard

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Essay prompts
How much essays count at California State University-Los Angeles: Not considered (one of four levels: very important · important · considered · not considered)
Source: California State University-Los Angeles's Common Data Set for 2024-25 — the school's own yearly report of its admissions and aid figures.

If California State University-Los Angeles asks for supplemental essays, the prompts are in the school's application.

Student Body
Gender
Men 44%Women 56%
Who enrolls
Faculty ratio
21 : 1
Pell grant
66%
First-gen
62%
Family income
$22,032
Independent
32%
Veterans
0%
Age at entry
23.0
Part-time
18%
Race & ethnicity
White
4%
Hispanic
78%
Black
4%
Asian
10%
Two or more
2%
Non-resident
1%
Unknown
2%
Varsity sports
NCAA Division II without football · EADA 2024-25
  • Baseball
    Men's
  • Basketball
    Men's · Women's
  • Beach Volleyball
    Women's
  • Cross Country
    Men's · Women's
  • Golf
    Women's
  • Soccer
    Men's · Women's
  • Tennis
    Women's
  • Track and Field (Indoor)
    Men's · Women's
  • Track and Field (Outdoor)
    Men's · Women's
  • Volleyball
    Women's
Programs & Earnings
Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings
Median earnings, all programs · measured 2020 & 2021
After 6 yrs
$45,702
After 10 yrs
$59,211
Business Administration, Management and Operations896
Psychology, General412
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods402
Sociology394
Criminal Justice and Corrections367
Social Work279
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness274
Communication and Media Studies188
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication171
Computer Science170
Public Health162
Fine and Studio Arts158
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing147
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities139
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services132
Mechanical Engineering126
Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.
Institutional
Resources
Endowment
$63M
Full-time faculty
42%
Faculty salary
$12,690/mo
Teaching spend
$9,018
per student
Federal loans
18%
Classification
Carnegie type
Master's (larger programs)
Research activity
Research college or university
$11M research spending · 16 research doctorates a year
Undergraduate profile
Four-year, inclusive admissions

Wondering if California State University-Los Angeles is the right fit for you?

SchoolScout builds a personalized college list — reach, match, and safety schools — tailored to your profile, grades, and goals. Get financial aid estimates, scholarship guidance, and deep dives on every school.

Personalized reach / match / safety list
Financial aid & net cost estimates
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Scholarship search