California State University Long Beach (CSULB): Fees 2026, Admissions, Rankings, Scholarships & Programs

Popular Courses and Fees at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) 2027

CSULB charges international students the CSU non-resident supplemental tuition of USD 420 per unit on top of the state university fee, which produces annual programme costs of roughly USD 17,505 to 22,860. Master’s programmes typically run 2 years (60 units total: 30 units per year across Fall and Spring semesters). Undergraduate programmes run 4 years at 30 units per year.

The 10 CSULB PG programmes most chosen by Indian applicants sit below, with full-programme tuition in USD and INR lakh.

Undergraduate options draw far fewer Indian applicants because visa-linked funding proof for a 4-year bill is steep. The five programmes most reviewed are below.

Insider note: Indian PG applicants cluster in MS Computer Science, MS Electrical Engineering, and MS Information Systems, since these three carry 24-month STEM OPT eligibility and align with H-1B demand at Southern California tech and defence employers.

Read More: CSULB Courses and Fees Guide

California State University, Long Beach Admission 2027

CSULB runs two intakes each academic year; Fall is the larger, though Spring accepts international students across most departments. Full application detail sits in the Admissions silo below.

Planning note: Several majors including Nursing, Social Work, Athletic Training, Music, and Dance close earlier than the university-wide deadline. Confirm the departmental cut-off on the programme page before booking WES or IELTS slots.

Read More: CSULB Admissions Guide for Indian Students

California State University, Long Beach Admission Requirements for Indian Applicants 2027

Requirements below reflect the international admission standards for Indian applicants entering CSULB for the 2027 cycles.

• PG academic: Bachelor’s degree with minimum CGPA 2.5 on 4.0 scale (75% Indian equivalent); 3.0 GPA (85%) preferred
• PG English: TOEFL iBT 80 (0-120 legacy scale) or 4.0 (1-6 scale); IELTS 6.5; PTE 58; Duolingo 115
• UG academic: Class 12 with 3.0 GPA on 4.0 scale (85% equivalent)
• UG English: TOEFL iBT 61 (0-120 legacy scale) or 3.5 (1-6 scale); IELTS 6.0; PTE 43; Duolingo 105
• Credential verification: WES course-by-course evaluation; official transcripts issued in sealed envelopes accepted for some departments

Key insight: CSULB accepts seven distinct English tests including the American Language Institute’s own Level 4 or 6 completion, so Indian applicants with borderline TOEFL or IELTS can enrol in a pre-sessional pathway on campus rather than retake a proficiency test from India.

California State University, Long Beach Acceptance Rate 2027

CSULB’s acceptance rate sits at 47% (estimated) based on the university’s Common Data Set and public admissions reporting. The figure has held steady in the mid-40s across recent cycles, keeping CSULB moderately selective within the CSU system.

Rates vary sharply by major: Nursing, Film, Dance, and Kinesiology run well below 20%, while general Business and Liberal Studies sit above the campus average. Indian PG applicants applying to Computer Science and Engineering face impaction pressure driven by domestic demand.

Reality check: The campus-wide rate misleads for competitive majors. Indian applicants targeting MS Computer Science or MS Electrical Engineering should treat the effective admit rate as sub-30% and lead with GRE (waived at CSULB but strengthens the file) and a technical statement of purpose.

Read More: CSULB Acceptance Rate

California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) Fees and Cost of Living for Indian Students 2027

Total annual outlay for an Indian PG student at CSULB runs USD 45,000 to 55,000 (INR 42.9 to 52.4 lakh), combining non-resident tuition with off-campus living in Long Beach. UG students spend closer to USD 48,000 to 58,000 per year (INR 45.8 to 55.3 lakh).

California State University, Long Beach Tuition Fees for Indian Students 2027

CSULB non-resident tuition is billed at USD 420 per unit on top of the state university fee. A typical full-time master’s student takes 9 units per semester; undergraduate students take 12 to 15.

Monthly Cost of Living in Long Beach for Indian Students

Long Beach sits in the Los Angeles metro; housing is the single biggest line and drives most of the variance between low and high estimates below.

[Source: CSULB International Admissions cost estimate (estimated)]

Insider note: Long Beach rents run 30 to 40% below nearby West LA or Santa Monica. Indian PG students commonly share 2-bedroom apartments in the Belmont Shore and Downtown Long Beach areas for USD 900 to 1,100 per head, and CSULB’s Beach Shuttle removes daily commute cost.

Read More: Cost of Living in USA for Indian Students

California State University, Long Beach Campus, Facilities and Student Life

CSULB occupies a single 323-acre campus in eastern Long Beach, 5 kilometres from the Pacific coast and 40 kilometres south of downtown Los Angeles.

• Location and transit: Campus is served by the Long Beach Transit 91, 92, 93, and 94 lines; nearest Metro A Line station (Willow Street) is 20 minutes by bus
• Housing: On-campus residence halls house 2,900 students; international students are not guaranteed placement and most PG applicants live off-campus at USD 900 to 1,800 per head monthly
• Notable facility: The Walter Pyramid, a 5,000-seat blue tetrahedron, hosts intercollegiate athletics and is a campus landmark
• Indian community: The Indian Students Association and Sangam cultural group host Diwali, Holi, and Republic Day events; 331 Indian students made India the top-sending nation in Fall 2025

What Indian students say: Off-campus housing near Bellflower Boulevard fills fast for August intake, so lock a lease by June. The Beach Shuttle covers most student-heavy zip codes at no cost. Grocery runs to the 99 Ranch Market and Patel Brothers in Artesia are the weekly ritual.

California State University, Long Beach Scholarships 2027

CSULB routes international scholarship discovery through its BeachScholarships portal (csulb.academicworks.com); federal and state aid is not open to F-1 visa holders, but a small pool of merit and departmental awards is.

[Source: CSULB Financial Aid and Scholarships; CSULB International Admissions]

Planning note: Assistantships are the most reliable route to funding for Indian PG applicants at CSULB. Approach the department chair by email in November for the following Fall; waiting until after admission narrows options to leftover slots.

Read More: CSULB Scholarships Guide

California State University, Long Beach Rankings 2027

CSULB’s strongest global position is US News Best Colleges, which places it #109 nationally among US universities and #3 in social mobility. The QS World University Rankings 2027 place it in the #1401+ band, reflecting CSULB’s teaching-first mission rather than research-intensive metrics.

[Source: QS, THE, US News, Wall Street Journal, Collegedunia Study Abroad]

Key insight: For Indian applicants, US News National Rank #109 matters more than the QS position when pitching offers to employers or Indian banks for education loans. CSULB is well inside the top 200 US universities, which meets most Indian public-sector lender thresholds.

Read More: CSULB Rankings Analysis

California State University, Long Beach Placements and Career Outcomes 2027

CSULB posts strong long-term salary outcomes despite its teaching-first positioning, with mid-career alumni earnings placing it above many California private universities.

• Mid-career median salary: USD 121,700 (INR 116.0 lakh) as per PayScale, one of the highest among CSU campuses
• Post-study work visa: 12 months OPT for all majors; 24-month STEM OPT extension for CIP-listed STEM programmes (MS Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems)
• Top hiring sectors: Aerospace and defence (Southern California cluster), technology, consumer goods, and healthcare
• Representative employers: Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Disney, Kaiser Permanente, and Deloitte; official recruiter list not disclosed by CSULB Career Development Center
• Career support: The Career Development Center runs semester employer fairs; the Beach Career Ready programme offers international students OPT and CPT advising

Insider note: Indian MS Engineering graduates at CSULB feed into the Southern California aerospace corridor, where H-1B sponsorship rates run higher than in the general tech market. Cluster interviews at Boeing El Segundo and Northrop Redondo Beach frequently follow the on-campus Engineering Career Fair.

California State University, Long Beach vs Peer Universities

The peer set below groups CSULB with three CSU siblings and two cross-country US publics at similar tuition and ranking tiers, using PG non-resident tuition as the comparison base.

[Source: QS World University Rankings 2027, Collegedunia Study Abroad, university tuition schedules]

CSULB stands out on cost-adjusted value: at INR 33 to 34 lakh full-programme MS tuition, it undercuts most US STEM masters by 30 to 50%, while its Southern California location keeps H-1B sponsorship access strong.

California State University, Long Beach fits Indian applicants who want a US STEM master’s degree on a controlled budget, with total 2-year investment near INR 80 lakh including tuition and living, against a mid-career payoff around INR 116 lakh annual. The strongest advantage is Southern California’s aerospace and tech corridor, where CSULB’s Career Center connects OPT and STEM OPT holders directly to on-campus recruiters and the F-1 visa post-study path stretches to 36 months for STEM.

CSULB is not the fit for applicants chasing top-100 QS rankings, elite research labs, or Ivy-adjacent branding, and it is not a research doctorate destination outside its 3 doctoral programmes. Applicants prioritising research prestige should look at San Diego State University or a UC campus instead of the CSU system.