About California State University-Los Angeles

Founded in 1947, California State University-Los Angeles. is a Public college. Located in California, which is a city setting in California, the campus itself is Urban. The campus is home to 24,074 full time undergraduate students, and 3,753 full time graduate students.

The California State University-Los Angeles Academic calendar runs on a Semester basis. In the school year the student to faculty ratio was 25:1. There are 670 full time instructional teachers. Degrees awarded at California State University-Los Angeles include: Bachelor's Degree, Masters Degree, Post-master's certificate, Doctor's degree.

Quick Facts

Acceptance Rate63%
Application Deadline
Application Fee55
SAT Range780-980
ACT Range15-20

Admissions at CSULA are considered Selective, with ,43% of all applicants being admitted.

In the school year, of the students who applied to the school, only 11 of those who were admitted eventually ended up enrolling.

100% of incoming freshmen are in the top half of their high school class. 3% were in the top quarter, and 0% were in the top tenth. You can apply online.

STUDENT LIFE Reviews

We asked, and students answered these important questions about student life at California State University-Los Angeles.

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  • How would you rate on-campus housing?

    104 Students rated on-campus housing 3.4 stars. 16 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate off-campus housing?

    98 Students rated off-campus housing 3.2 stars. 0 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate campus food?

    151 Students rated campus food 3.3 stars. 18 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate campus facilities?

    154 Students rated campus facilities 3.9 stars. 29 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate class size?

    153 Students rated class size 3.9 stars. 36 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate school activities?

    152 Students rated school activities 3.6 stars. 28 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate local services?

    154 Students rated local services 3.7 stars. 31 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate academics?

    154 Students rated academics 3.9 stars. 32 % gave the school a 5.0.

California State University-Los Angeles REVIEWS

What's your overall opinion of California State University-Los Angeles?

71 Students rated California State University-Los Angeles

Monse - 11/27/2024

So far I've been enrolled in Cal State La for a semester, and I can say it's been an overall good experience. Coming from a community college that was empty most of the time I'm glad to see changes when transferring. Some of the negative aspects of Cal State LA (and what many students can agree with) it's the poor service provided by Financial Services. Most of it it's done by call, they take forever to answer, and when they do usually you talk to different people, and each of them give you different and wrongful answers to whatever your question might be, even they don't know what's going on.

JDyn - 07/13/2024

When I first arrived at California State University Los Angeles, well my first impression was that I thought it was going to be the same as high school just bigger, professional and authoritarian serious like you had to be always like you're in an office all the time and act professional all the time and let loose only on the weekends but during my freshmen year at CalstateLA it was an phenomenal experience as it excited my expectations as the teachers were fairly lenient, helpful to break students out of their shells and resource to help with improving on work. CalstateLA has also opened me to many opportunities to further my knowledge in skills within my major and future career that I want to pursue, to seek communities that I identify with and meet people within them, and also present me with variety of clubs that align with extracurriculars that I want to learn about.

Armenia - 09/24/2023

Middle school has more academic rigor than this campus. They spend more on advertising drag shows and "Lets Talk About Sex" than student services. All the administrators have six figure salaries while adjuncts teach most classes. Forget about office hours and being treated with respect. Since there is no signficant on campus housing and no football, there is zero campus life. A Graveyard has ore life than this. Unless you want to come back here and work as an adjunct, then do not attend here. Cars are stolen on a regular basis. South Village has a horrible smell even though it was just built in 2021.....a clear sign that LAHD or the City of Los Angeles ignored many code violations. The dorm food, The Spot and any Cal State LA owned vendors do not follow basic food safety handling. The mac and cheese is poison so stay away from it. The new Panda Express is making people sick. I attend this place now and this is the truth. Stay at community college and transfer elsewhere or just apply to one of the lower-tier UC campuses. Even better, there are many not as competitive private universities where you might actually get an education. Cal State LA promotes gender theory over market value of a degree. Run away if you are smart.

Nikele - 01/14/2023

In my opinion, the school has been given a bad name which I don't completely understand. I can see that it isn't on the level of the UCs and probably not most Cal states, but I primarily see it as a funding issue. The buildings are old, and the campus is small compared to other schools. However, I don't see that being the school's fault. Every teacher I have met so far really seemed to want and help every student as much as possible, which I was surprised to see. There is this notion that professors don't care about students and are there just to teach the class but not here. They want you to succeed, and many of them like being here because this is one of the only schools where you can have an appropriate academic relationship with the students. Everyone is down to earth and knows about struggle, so we all have a lot of stories and diversity. It's a beautiful thing. I only gave it such a low score because it isn't funded well.

California State University-Los Angeles FAQS

  1. What is the Acceptance Rate at California State University-Los Angeles?

    The fall 2020 acceptance rate for California State University-Los Angeles is 63%. That means, out of _____ applications received in 2020 , _____ students were offered admission. The number of males who applied was _____ vs the number of females which was _____.

  2. What should every freshman at your school know before they start?

    I would say what I have said to my nieces and nephews. Make sure you have and retain good study habits. Also, unless there are circumstances beyond your control, do NOT wait as long as I did to begin your college experience. It is difficult to get back into the swing of things when you take too long of a break.

    Read all 149 answers

  3. What do you consider the worst thing about your school? Why?

    There is a poor school spirit and lack of communication between students and staff.

    Read all 31 answers

  4. Describe the students at your school.

    My classmates are diverse and a mixture of very driven and mediocre.

    Read all 30 answers

  5. What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about freshman year?

    I wish I hard learned about my financial aid status, that way I could have applied to more school scholarships, or grants.

    Read all 28 answers

  6. What's unique about your campus?

    it's quarter system

    Read all 26 answers

  7. What kind of person should not attend this school?

    those who want big name recognition from their schools

    Read all 25 answers

  8. Describe how your school looks to someone who's never seen it.

    CSULA is a very active and diverse school.

    Read all 23 answers

  9. Here's your chance: Say anything about your college!

    California State Univeristy, Los Angeles is a commuter school, meaning that students usually go home after a class is over. There are reliable public transportations which takes students directly to the school and the cost is very affordable. There are many clubs and organizations to join, some include speicific interests. Many clubs and organizations let all majors join, so there is no exluding anyone. Professors are willing to help students who reach out to them.

    Read all 21 answers

  10. What do you brag about most when you tell your friends about your school?

    The vast amount of resources available to students is countless. There are a variety of tools available for students to help aid them along their journey through college. Resources like the many leveled library, and the excellent writing center. There is also free tutoring and plenty of advisors to help guide you if you have any problems or questions. The staff and employees, as well as the members of CSULA are all very friendly, and they make it very easy to access resources that you may need in your current goal in attending college.

    Read all 20 answers

  11. What kind of person should attend this school?

    A person who is not afraid of diversity. Being in Southern California, it is one of the most diverse schools in the world.

    Read all 18 answers

  12. What's the most frustrating thing about your school?

    The most frustrating this is budget cuts, but that goes for a lot of cal state schools. It's unfortunate, because sometimes you can't get the classes you need or essential classes are cancelled for a quarter, which could make the process of getting through school a lot longer than you expected. Also, Administration is not too great, it's unbelievable how easy it is for them to lose your transcripts if your a transfer student.

    Read all 17 answers

  13. Describe your favorite campus traditions.

    CSULA is best known for being ethnically diverse and a commuting university.

    Read all 14 answers

  14. What are the academics like at your school?

    I am a freshman student at Cal State LA and that class I have enjoyed being in was my communication class. In my communication class I got to meet all lot of people. I was afraid of taking this class because it was a speak class and I'm afraid of talking in front of a class. My teacher was the greatest and nicest person that made me feel comfortable to talk in front of a class.

    Read all 4 answers

  15. What is your overall opinion of this school?

    Cal Sate LA is a very boring school if you don't talk to anyone. Everyone is usually on their phones or maybe just spacing out to the world or their might be lost. So far all the teachers I've gotten have been great. I hate english and since I've been attending this school I actually like it now. I hated doing essays and the teachers I got changed my mind about writing essays. I'm not great at writing essays but at less I'm getting better from the teachers I've gotten. This school is not all bad is your out going with your classmates and teachers.

    Read all 3 answers

  16. What is the stereotype of students at your school? Is this stereotype accurate?

    The stereotype people say is that Cal State LA has more women students on campus and I think this is true.

    Read all 3 answers

  17. What are the most popular student activities/groups?

    The popular student activities I've seen is studying. Everyone is always studying, doing homework, and just talking about school. One activities I've seen on campus was a group of students talking about how in coming students are coming into college confused and not knowing what to do. I stood there listening because I felt like that when I first got there, confused and lost. They also talked about how people look at peoples appearance and how they judge with out taking the time to know that person. This group of students made me think about a lot of things.

    Read all 2 answers

  18. Is the stereotype of students at your school accurate?

    Of course but that doesn't mean we don't have talented people at our school. Most of us are first generation college students.

    Read all 1 answers

  19. What is the stereotype of students at your school?

    We're "CSU" students.

    Read all 1 answers

Student Body

Students

58%

female

42%

male

24,074

Total Undergrad Enrollment

3,753

Total Grad Students

N/A

Out-Of-State

98%

In-State

2%

International

Organizations

97

Student Organizations

7

Fraternities

4

Sororities

Housing

Yes

On-Campus Housing

5%

of students living on campus

Student Diversity

% American Indian/Alaskan Native
N/A
% Asian/Pacific Islander
14%
% Black or African-American
4%
% Hispanic/Latino
64%
% White or Caucasian
7%

TUITION & AID

All students must apply yearly for financial aid. This process starts with the FAFSA. Though financial aid deadlines vary by school, it is a good idea to apply as soon as possible. For the upcoming school year, you can apply as early as October 1 for the FAFSA. Additional school aid will be dependent on the FAFSA results.

88% of students attending California State University-Los Angeles receive some sort of financial aid. 71% were awarded federal grants. While 25% received federal loans. Many students do also need to apply for additional private student loans.

Cost Out of State

$17,543

Tuition and fees(Out of state)

$1,898

Books and Supplies

$12,860

Room and Board

32,301

Total On Campus

Actual Cost By Income Level(W/Financial Aid)

Family Income
Cost
$0 - $30K
$1,672
$30 - $48K
$4,248
$48 - $75K
$7,170
$75 - $110K
$11,411
$110K & UP
$12,951

We use student reviews and the most current publicly available data on our school pages. As such, we don't typically remove or edit college information. Sources for school statistics and data include the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. Portions of college data include copyrighted material, which is reproduced on this website by permission of Wintergreen Orchard House, a division of Carnegie Communications. © 2009-2016 by Wintergreen Orchard House. All rights reserved.

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