California State University-Fresno vs. Cal State LA

Should I go to California State University Fresno or California State University Los Angeles? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if California State University-Fresno or Cal State LA 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 State University Fresno vs. California State University Los Angeles comparison
California State University Fresno California State University Los Angeles College 3 College 4
California State University Fresno California State University Los Angeles
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Overview

California State University-Fresno Cal State LA
Location Fresno, CA Los Angeles, CA
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 23,999 26,460
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #891 #947
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website csufresno.edu calstatela.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

California State University-Fresno Cal State LA
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $17,622
Room & Board $11,080 $17,998
Avg Net Price $7,507 $5,801
Avg Grant Aid $9,968 $10,907
% Receiving Grant Aid 85% 91%

Admission

California State University-Fresno Cal State LA
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 18,551 33,939
Admitted 17,703 29,507
Acceptance Rate 95.4% 86.9%
Enrolled % 19.5% 13.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.12 3.31
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 16/21 15/20
SAT Range 890/1100 870/1060
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Dec 15, 2024 Jan 19, 2025

Academics

California State University-Fresno Cal State LA
Student to Faculty Ratio 21:1 22:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (17%)
  • Health Professions (12%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (7%)

Outcomes

California State University-Fresno Cal State LA
Graduation Rate 49% 36%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $46,500 $46,900
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 57%
Median Student Loan Debt $15,000 $12,920
Median Loan Payment $155 $133

Diversity

California State University-Fresno Cal State LA
% Men 40% 41%
% Women 60% 59%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 21% 7%
% Black 3% 4%
% Hispanic 48% 63%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 5% 6%
% Unknown Race 4% 3%

Students

California State University-Fresno Cal State LA
% In-State 97% 99%
% Out-of-State 1% 0%

Campus

California State University-Fresno Cal State LA
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 Los Angeles is larger than than California State University-Fresno based on total student enrollment (26,460 students vs. 23,999 students)

California State University-Fresno vs. Cal State LA Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, California State University-Fresno or Cal State LA?

  • California State University Fresno and Cal State LA 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 California State University-Fresno as California State University Los Angeles ($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 Los Angeles than California State University-Fresno ($5,801 vs. $7,507)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Fresno are 62.4% lower than costs at California State University Los Angeles ($11,080 vs. $17,998)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University Los Angeles than California State University Fresno (91% vs. 85%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Los Angeles students is 9.4% larger than aid received California State University Fresno ($10,907 vs. $9,968)

California State University-Fresno vs. Cal State LA Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, California State University-Fresno or Cal State LA? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Cal State LA or California State University-Fresno .

  • The average SAT score at California State University Fresno (897) is 23 points higher than at Cal State LA (874)
  • Incoming California State University-Fresno students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (19) than students at Cal State LA (18)
  • Accepted freshman Cal State LA students have a 0.19 point higher average high school GPA (3.31) than students at California State University-Fresno (3.12)
  • California State University-Fresno has a higher acceptance rate (95.4%) than Cal State LA (86.9%)

California State University-Fresno vs. Cal State LA Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, California State University-Fresno or Cal State LA? 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 LA and California State University-Fresno.

  • The graduation rate at California State University-Fresno is higher than California State University Los Angeles (49% vs. 36%)
  • Graduates from California State University Los Angeles earn on average $400 more per year than California State University-Fresno graduates after ten years. ($46,900 vs. $46,500)
  • California State University Los Angeles students graduate with a $2,080 lower median federal student loan debt than California State University-Fresno graduates. ($12,920 vs. $15,000)
  • Cal State LA graduates are paying $22 less per month on federal student loans than California State University-Fresno graduates. ($133 vs. $155)
  • More California State University-Fresno graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Cal State LA students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 57%)

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