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Sacramento State California State University-Northridge Cal State Long Beach San Francisco State CSU Cal State East Bay Cal State Fullerton CSUDH California State University-San Bernardino CSU Stanislaus San Jose State UC Merced| California State University Fresno | California State University Los Angeles | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
California State University-Fresno | Cal State LA | ||
| Location | Fresno, CA | Los Angeles, CA | ||
| Setting | Large City | Large City | ||
| Enrollment | 23,986 | 25,080 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Public 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #881 | #941 | ||
| 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 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $17,622 | $17,622 | ||
| Room & Board | $11,634 | $18,658 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $7,303 | $4,551 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $11,412 | $12,478 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 86% | 93% |
Admission |
California State University-Fresno | Cal State LA | ||
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| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 20,201 | 32,748 | ||
| Admitted | 19,469 | 30,106 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 96.4% | 91.9% | ||
| Enrolled % | 18.8% | 12% | ||
| 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, 2025 | Jan 19, 2026 |
Academics |
California State University-Fresno | Cal State LA | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 18:1 | 19:1 | ||
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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 | ||
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| % Men | 4% | 5% | ||
| % Women | 7% | 9% | ||
| 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 | ||
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| % In-State | 95% | 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 (25,080 students vs. 23,986 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 ($4,551 vs. $7,303)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Fresno are 60.4% lower than costs at California State University Los Angeles ($11,634 vs. $18,658)
- More students receive financial grant aid at California State University Los Angeles than California State University Fresno (93% vs. 86%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Los Angeles students is 9.3% larger than aid received California State University Fresno ($12,478 vs. $11,412)
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 (96.4%) than Cal State LA (91.9%)
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/