Cal Poly vs. Cal State Long Beach

Should I go to California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo or California State University Long Beach? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Cal Poly or Cal State Long Beach is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo vs. California State University Long Beach comparison
California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo California State University Long Beach College 3 College 4
California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo California State University Long Beach
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Overview

Cal Poly Cal State Long Beach
Location San Luis Obispo, CA Long Beach, CA
Setting Small Suburban Large City
Enrollment 22,000 38,973
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #155 #507
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website calpoly.edu csulb.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Cal Poly Cal State Long Beach
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $17,622
Room & Board $16,449 $14,932
Avg Net Price $19,184 $9,346
Avg Grant Aid $10,065 $9,478
% Receiving Grant Aid 42% 75%

Admission

Cal Poly Cal State Long Beach
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 58,774 74,718
Admitted 17,885 29,851
Acceptance Rate 30.4% 40%
Enrolled % 28.6% 18%
Avg High School GPA 4.0 3.7
Typical High School Grades A/A+ A-
Admissions Standards Very High Average
Applicant Competition High Low
ACT Range 26/32 20/26
SAT Range 1220/1410 1020/1240
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2024 Nov 30, 2024

Academics

Cal Poly Cal State Long Beach
Student to Faculty Ratio 20:1 22:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (24%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Agriculture (15%)
  • Architecture (8%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (5%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

Cal Poly Cal State Long Beach
Graduation Rate 75% 54%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $69,400 $51,100
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $18,666 $15,000
Median Loan Payment $193 $155

Diversity

Cal Poly Cal State Long Beach
% Men 51% 41%
% Women 49% 59%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 57% 19%
% Black 1% 4%
% Hispanic 16% 39%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 5%
% International 2% 6%
% Unknown Race 5% 4%

Students

Cal Poly Cal State Long Beach
% In-State 83% 97%
% Out-of-State 16% 2%

Campus

Cal Poly Cal State Long Beach
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • California State University Long Beach is larger than than Cal Poly based on total student enrollment (38,973 students vs. 22,000 students)

Cal Poly vs. Cal State Long Beach Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cal Poly or Cal State Long Beach?

  • California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo and Cal State Long Beach cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($5,742.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is the same at Cal Poly as California State University Long Beach ($17,622.00 vs. $17,622.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California State University Long Beach than Cal Poly ($9,346 vs. $19,184)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Long Beach are 10.2% lower than costs at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo ($14,932 vs. $16,449)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University Long Beach than California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (75% vs. 42%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo students is 6.2% larger than aid received California State University Long Beach ($10,065 vs. $9,478)

Cal Poly vs. Cal State Long Beach Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Cal Poly or Cal State Long Beach? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Cal State Long Beach or Cal Poly .

  • The average SAT score at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (1259) is 203 points higher than at Cal State Long Beach (1056)
  • Incoming Cal Poly students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at Cal State Long Beach (23)
  • Accepted freshman Cal Poly students have a 0.3 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at Cal State Long Beach (3.7)
  • Cal State Long Beach has a higher acceptance rate (40%) than Cal Poly (30.4%)

Cal Poly vs. Cal State Long Beach Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Cal Poly or Cal State Long Beach? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Cal State Long Beach and Cal Poly.

  • The graduation rate at Cal Poly is higher than California State University Long Beach (75% vs. 54%)
  • Graduates from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo earn on average $18,300 more per year than Cal State Long Beach graduates after ten years. ($69,400 vs. $51,100)
  • California State University Long Beach students graduate with a $3,666 lower median federal student loan debt than Cal Poly graduates. ($15,000 vs. $18,666)
  • Cal State Long Beach graduates are paying $38 less per month on federal student loans than Cal Poly graduates. ($155 vs. $193)
  • More Cal Poly graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Cal State Long Beach students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 69%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/