Last updated October 2026. Figures from CSULB’s Common Data Set 2025-2026 and official admissions pages.
Most pages ranking for this question still quote 46%, which was the Fall 2024 figure. CSULB has since published its Common Data Set for Fall 2025, and the number moved: 88,276 students applied as first-time freshmen, 40,105 were admitted, and the acceptance rate was 45.4%.
That headline number hides most of what matters, though. Whether you get in depends far less on the campus-wide rate than on three things the rate doesn’t show: your CSULB Index, your intended major, and whether you count as a local applicant. This guide covers all three, with the official formula and a converter so you can check where you stand.
Want to check your own chances first? Jump to the CSULB Index converter.
CSULB Acceptance Rate at a Glance (Fall 2025)
| Metric | Fall 2025 |
|---|---|
| First-year applicants | 88,276 |
| Admitted | 40,105 |
| Acceptance rate | 45.4% |
| Enrolled | 5,884 |
| Yield (admits who enrolled) | 14.7% |
| Average high school GPA of enrolled first-years | 3.66 |
| Transfer acceptance rate | 50.2% (13,204 of 26,319) |
| SAT or ACT | Not considered |
| Application fee | $70 |
Source: CSULB Common Data Set 2025-2026, sections C1, C11, C12, C13 and D2.
The yield figure is worth a second look. Fewer than 15 of every 100 admitted students actually enroll, because most applicants apply to several CSU and UC campuses at once. That is one reason CSULB can admit nearly half its applicants and still be a campus that turns away qualified students.
Acceptance Rate by Year
| Fall term | Applicants | Admitted | Acceptance rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 88,276 | 40,105 | 45.4% |
| 2024 | 83,951 | 38,854 | 46.3% |
| 2023 | 79,657 | 37,547 | 47.1% |
| 2022 | 74,694 | 29,851 | 40.0% |
| 2021 | 67,092 | 31,448 | 46.9% |
| 2020 | 67,402 | 28,400 | 42.1% |
| 2019 | 71,297 | 28,019 | 39.3% |
| 2018 | 69,578 | 21,725 | 31.2% |
Fall 2025 is from CSULB’s official CDS. Earlier years are as reported in public datasets built from past CSULB Common Data Sets.
Two things stand out. Applications have climbed by about 19,000 since 2018, and 2025 set a new high. At the same time, the acceptance rate has stayed in the 40% to 47% range since 2020, well above the 31% of 2018. CSULB has been admitting more students in absolute terms to keep pace with demand, but that doesn’t mean it is easier to get into a specific major.
Acceptance Rate by Residency
The Fall 2025 Common Data Set also breaks applications down by where students lived when they applied, which most acceptance-rate pages leave out:
| Applicant group | Applied | Admitted | Acceptance rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| California (in-state) | 84,462 | 38,399 | 45.5% |
| Out-of-state (US) | 2,123 | 1,005 | 47.3% |
| International | 1,639 | 701 | 42.8% |
Out-of-state applicants were admitted at a slightly higher rate, but don’t read too much into it. That group is small and self-selected, and non-California residents face a higher minimum GPA and index, covered below. International applicants were admitted at the lowest rate of the three groups.
What GPA Do You Need for CSULB?
CSULB doesn’t publish a “GPA needed” number, but its data shows clearly who gets in. Among first-year students who enrolled in Fall 2025:
| High school GPA | Share of enrolled first-years |
|---|---|
| 4.0 | 20.0% |
| 3.75 to 3.99 | 26.6% |
| 3.50 to 3.74 | 23.5% |
| 3.25 to 3.49 | 14.8% |
| 3.00 to 3.24 | 10.0% |
| 2.50 to 2.99 | 5.0% |
| Below 2.50 | under 0.1% |
So about 70% of the entering class had a 3.5 or higher, and only about 5% came in below 3.0. The official minimums are lower than that:
- California high school graduates and California residents: 2.5 GPA in college prep (A-G) courses and a CSULB Index of at least 3,200 for non-STEM majors.
- Applicants from outside California: 3.0 GPA and a CSULB Index of at least 3,500 for non-STEM majors.
- STEM majors, everyone: a STEM Index of at least 3,600.
Those minimums only make you eligible to be considered. CSULB states plainly that many eligible applicants won’t be admitted and recommends that everyone have a backup plan. If you want to compare these thresholds with other universities, our guide to minimum GPA requirements covers the US, UK, Canada and Australia.
How the CSULB Index Works
Since the CSU stopped using the SAT and ACT, CSULB ranks first-year applicants with its own index, built only from your grades. These are the formulas CSULB publishes:
CSULB Index = (College prep GPA × 200) + (Math GPA × 500) + (English GPA × 500)
STEM Index = (Math GPA × 600) + (Science GPA × 600)
The GPAs come from approved A-G courses taken in grades 10 to 12, and CSULB adds bonus points for up to eight honors, AP or IB grades of C or better. That’s why a strong student’s index can go above what straight 4.0 grades would give.
Look at the weights. In the main index, your math and English grades together count five times as much as your overall GPA. A student with a 3.6 overall but weak math can end up behind someone with a 3.4 overall and strong math and English. For STEM majors, only math and science count.
Here’s an example. A California applicant with a 3.6 college prep GPA, a 3.5 in math and a 3.8 in English:
(3.6 × 200) + (3.5 × 500) + (3.8 × 500) = 720 + 1,750 + 1,900 = 4,370
That clears the 3,200 minimum comfortably. Try your own numbers below.
The converter uses CSULB’s published formulas and minimums. It can’t add your honors bonus points or tell you the actual cutoff for a major in a given year, because CSULB sets those based on space and the applicant pool.
Local Preference: The Biggest Factor Most Pages Skip
CSULB gives “local preference” to applicants based on the high school they graduated from. The local area covers schools in districts such as Long Beach Unified, ABC Unified, Bellflower, Compton, Downey, Huntington Beach, Los Alamitos, Paramount and Norwalk-La Mirada, plus several private schools. Military veterans also get local preference wherever they went to school. The full list is on CSULB’s local preference page.
This matters a lot:
- Local applicants who meet the minimum index for their major are offered admission.
- Local applicants who miss their major’s cutoff but meet the general minimum are offered admission as undeclared students.
- Everyone else is ranked by index and admitted based on space in the major or college.
In practice, the 45% rate is an average of two very different groups. If you’re local and meet the minimums, your chances are far better than 45%. If you’re applying from another part of California or another state, the real bar for a popular major is usually well above the published minimum. CSULB’s Beach Pathways program offers some supplemental consideration to eligible non-local students based on leadership, resilience and community involvement.
Majors Are Not Equally Competitive
All applicants are admitted to a specific major or to undeclared status, and admission to many majors is to a “pre-major” status. You then have to meet course and GPA milestones at CSULB to continue. A few majors have their own rules:
- Nursing: applicants start as Pre-Nursing and must apply to the Nursing department to enter the major at the junior level.
- STEM majors: applicants are ranked by the STEM Index, with a 3,600 minimum.
- Music and Dance: admission depends on a mandatory audition.
Choosing undeclared or a less crowded major can improve your odds of getting in, but CSULB is clear that undeclared isn’t a back door into your original major. You’d still have to meet that major’s requirements later.
Is CSULB Test-Blind?
Yes. Like every CSU campus, CSULB does not use the SAT or ACT in admission decisions, even if you send scores. Its Common Data Set lists test scores as not considered. You can submit them after you are admitted, but only for course placement. That’s why the CSULB Index above is built entirely from grades.
Applying to CSULB as an International Student
International applicants were admitted at 42.8% for Fall 2025. CSULB’s international requirements for first-year students are:
- Minimum GPA: 3.0, or a “B” average, on CSULB’s grading scale. CSULB notes that your grades are evaluated against its own scale, so your school’s marks may not translate one to one.
- English proficiency: TOEFL iBT 61 (3.5 for tests taken after January 21, 2026), IELTS 6.0, Duolingo 105 or PTE 43 for undergraduate admission. Applicants from listed English-speaking countries and those with three years at a US high school can be exempt.
- Math: at least one year of high school math, and three years for STEM majors.
- Application window: October 1 to April 1 for fall, through Cal State Apply. That is later than the November 30 deadline for California applicants.
- CBSE students: from Fall 2025, CSULB accepts CBSE credits.
If your grades are in percentages or a 10-point CGPA, it helps to know roughly where you stand against that 3.0 minimum before you apply. Our Indian CGPA to US GPA guide explains how US evaluators convert Indian grades, and the percentage to GPA guide covers the 4.0 scale. Treat any conversion as an estimate, since CSULB evaluates your transcript itself.
Cost of Attendance (2026-2027)
From the same Common Data Set:
| Cost item | Per year |
|---|---|
| Tuition, California residents | $6,838 |
| Tuition, out-of-state and international | $19,084 |
| Required fees | $1,910 |
| On-campus housing and food | $18,554 |
So tuition plus fees comes to about $8,748 for California residents and about $20,994 for non-residents, before housing.
Key Dates
- California and US first-year applicants: Cal State Apply opens October 1 and closes November 30.
- International first-year applicants: October 1 to April 1 for fall.
- Decisions: released on a rolling basis.
- Reply deadline for admitted students: May 1.
Is CSULB Hard to Get Into?
It depends on who you are. CSULB admits a little under half its applicants, which sounds moderate, but it’s also one of the most-applied-to campuses in the CSU system, and nearly every major is competitive. For a local student with a 3.5 or better and solid math and English grades, CSULB is usually a realistic target. For a non-local student aiming at a popular major, it’s closer to a reach, and having a backup plan makes sense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Long Beach State acceptance rate?
For Fall 2025, Cal State Long Beach admitted 40,105 of 88,276 first-year applicants, an acceptance rate of 45.4%, according to its Common Data Set.
What GPA do you need to get into CSULB?
The minimum is 2.5 for California applicants and 3.0 for applicants from outside California, in A-G courses. In practice, about 70% of enrolled first-years in Fall 2025 had a 3.5 or higher, and the average was 3.66.
Does CSULB require the SAT or ACT?
No. CSULB is test-blind and does not consider SAT or ACT scores in admission.
What is a good CSULB Index?
The minimum is 3,200 for California applicants and 3,500 for out-of-state applicants in non-STEM majors, and 3,600 on the STEM Index for STEM majors. Non-local applicants to popular majors usually need well above the minimum, but CSULB doesn’t publish exact cutoffs.
What is the CSULB transfer acceptance rate?
For Fall 2025, CSULB admitted 13,204 of 26,319 transfer applicants, about 50.2%.
Does living near Long Beach help?
Yes. Applicants from CSULB’s local high schools and community colleges, and military veterans, receive local preference, which can guarantee admission if they meet the minimum requirements for their major.