California State University – Long Beach (Cal State Long Beach, Long Beach State, CSULB, LBSU, or “The Beach”) was founded in 1949 and has grown to be the third largest state university in California. At the moment it is one of the most diverse universities in the United States and has a student body of over 37,000. It has also repeatedly been named one of “America’s Best Value Colleges” by the Princeton Review. CSU Long Beach is one of the most popular universities in California, and so it is very selective compared to other state universities.
Mission/Vision
The mission of CSU Long Beach is stated as being a “diverse, student-centered, globally-engaged public university committed to providing highly-valued undergraduate and graduate educational opportunities through superior teaching, research, creative activity and service for the people of California and the world.” The university especially focuses on liberal arts and general education courses to provide a well rounded education for their graduates.
Campus Setting
CSU Long Beach is located only 3 miles from the Pacific Ocean. It has large, open areas filled with greenery and plants. The buildings have a uniform brick and glass building structure. The sports center – the Walter Pyramid – is one of the most distinctive landmarks on campus. The main student center is also a beautiful building, centered in the middle of the campus.
Academics
Being one of the largest universities in California, CSU Long Beach provides a very wide range of educational courses. There are eight individual colleges providing over 80 bachelor degree programs, nearly 70 master degree programs, 3 Ph.D programs, and 16 teaching credential courses. Despite the general focus on liberal arts throughout the university, CSU Long Beach has one of the top 50 undergraduate programs in the country.
Athletics
California State University Long Beach is a NCAA Division 1 university with several competitive teams. The competitive sports include softball, basketball, cross country, baseball, track and field, softball, tennis, volleyball, golf, and water polo. The teams are all called “The 49ers”.
Tuition & Financial Aid
Annual tuition for California residents is very affordable CSU Long Beach, and is even still affordable for non-residents. In addition to the tuition, additional costs may include textbooks and room and board. For qualifying students scholarships are available as well. Please refer to the school’s website for the most up-to-date tuition and financial aid information.
Accreditation
California State University Long Beach is accredited by Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Some individual programs are accredited by specific accreditation organizations.
Admissions
The application deadline to CSU Long Beach is November 30th. SATs or ACTs are due on December 31st. Long Beach is very selective with an acceptance rate of 28% in Fall 2017. Due to it’s selectivity, a GPA of 3.0 is generally recommended to enter Long Beach. An SAT score of 1400 and ACT score of 19 would be recommended to apply to Long Beach.
For more information about admissions to the California State University Long Beach contact:
Office of Enrollment Services
Brotman Hall, Room 101
1250 Bellflower Boulevard
Long Beach, CA 90840-0106
