CSU Long Beach Admission Requirements

Hi there! I'm a high school junior starting to look at colleges, and I'm particularly interested in California State University Long Beach. What are the general admission requirements for CSULB? Is it mainly about GPA and test scores, or are there other factors I should be aware of? Any insight would be super helpful!

Hello! California State University Long Beach (CSULB) is a great choice to consider for your college education. For the 2024-2025 application cycle, CSULB is test-blind, which means they do not consider SAT or ACT scores at all. They also do not have any application essays, and thus base their admissions decisions primarily on your high school GPA.

In terms of academic requirements, CSULB looks for applicants who have completed the A-G course pattern, which consists of specific courses you need to take throughout your high school years. The A-G course pattern includes:

- 2 years of history/social science

- 4 years of English

- 3 years of math (4 years recommended)

- 2 years of laboratory science (3 years recommended)

- 2 years of the same language other than English (3 years recommended)

- 1 year of visual and performing arts

- 1 year of college preparatory electives

To maximize your chances of admission, aim for a strong GPA - while the California State University system requires a minimum of 2.5 for in-state residents and 3.0 for non-residents, CSULB is a competitive school, so ideally you'll want to have a GPA that's well above the minimum requirement.

Additionally, CSULB considers geographic location. As a public institution designed to serve residents of a particular area, they give preference to local applicants. Living within their established local area can be advantageous in the admissions process.

Overall, CSULB is mainly focused on GPA. Since other factors aren't considered, make sure your strengths come across fully in your high school transcript. Good luck with your college search and application process!