California State University-Long Beach

California State University-Long Beach is a public university located in Long Beach, California, with an enrollment of approximately 35,924 students. The university is selective to a moderate degree — its acceptance rate of 46.3% means roughly half of applicants are admitted. Once enrolled, students return at a high rate: 86.8% of first-year students continue into their second year, and 68.9% of students ultimately graduate.

In-state tuition is $7,350 per year, while out-of-state students pay $19,950 per year. These figures cover tuition only. The average annual net price — which represents total cost of attendance, including tuition, fees, and living expenses, after grant and scholarship aid is applied — is $10,440. This figure reflects what students actually pay on average across all aid recipients and can exceed published tuition depending on individual circumstances. Just over half of enrolled students (50.2%) receive Pell Grants, indicating that a substantial share of the student body qualifies for need-based federal aid.

Among students who completed a credential and borrowed federal loans, the median debt at graduation was $14,289. Notably, only 23.8% of all enrolled students took out federal student loans — meaning the majority of students did not borrow federally at all. Of those who did borrow, 70.7% were actively reducing their loan balance within three years of entering repayment, suggesting that most borrowers are managing their debt successfully after leaving the institution.

The median earnings figure for this school is $64,403, measured ten years after initial enrollment. This figure is calculated across all federally-aided students who enrolled — including those who left without completing a credential — so it reflects a broad population rather than graduates alone. For career-focused researchers, this number provides a general benchmark but may not reflect outcomes for students who complete specific programs.

Among the programs relevant to career-focused students, Cal State Long Beach offers a Biomedical Engineering program, a field that combines engineering principles with biological and medical sciences and is often associated with careers in healthcare technology and medical device development.