California State University, Long Beach campus
Long Beach, United States
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California State University, Long Beach

Long Beach·university

#1401

QS Rank

34%

Acceptance rate

$19,646

Tuition/yr

38,000

Enrollment

About California State University, Long Beach

Large public CSU in Long Beach, CA. Excellent engineering, business, and liberal arts programs with diverse student base.

California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) is a public comprehensive university founded in 1949 and part of the 23-campus California State University system. With over 42,000 students enrolled in fall 2025, a record high, it is one of the largest universities in the United States by headcount. The 322-acre campus is located in Long Beach, California, about 25 miles south of downtown Los Angeles.

CSULB is organized into eight colleges covering the arts, business, engineering, health and human services, education, liberal arts, natural sciences and mathematics, and professional studies. Its Hung Family College of Engineering is particularly well regarded among non-doctoral programs: aerospace engineering ranks No. 3 nationally, computer engineering No. 11, and the college overall No. 26 in U.S. News undergraduate engineering rankings for schools without doctoral programs. The College of Business Administration holds QS subject-area recognition and ranks among the top business programs in California.

U.S. News ranks CSULB No. 127 among national universities in its 2026 edition and third nationally for social mobility, reflecting strong graduation outcomes for first-generation and lower-income students. The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse ranked it No. 43 among all U.S. colleges in 2026, placing it in the top 50 for the first time. The QS World University Rankings 2026 place it at 1401+.

World University Rankings

QS World University Rankings (2026)#1401
US News Best Global Universities (2025)##127

Campus & Location

Province

CA

Campus setting

Suburban

Cost of living: Housing: USD 1,400–2,200/mo. Food: USD 420–650/mo. LA metro; port city with strong engineering and logistics job market.

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

All graduates from CRICOS-registered programs qualify for 12-month Optional Practical Training (OPT). STEM-designated programs (CS, Engineering, Data Science, Mathematics, Sciences) qualify for a 24-month STEM OPT extension — 36 months total of US work authorisation.

For Nepali students

  • CSULB's engineering and computer science programs carry STEM OPT designation, allowing eligible F-1 graduates to work in the United States for up to three years after graduation, a significant advantage for Nepali students who want to gain professional experience before returning home or pursuing permanent residency.
  • Annual international undergraduate tuition and fees for 2025-2026 are approximately $19,646, making CSULB substantially more affordable than most private U.S. universities and many flagship public universities, without sacrificing program quality in engineering or business.
  • CSULB enrolls over 1,600 international students from more than 100 countries, and its location in Greater Los Angeles gives Nepali students access to a large South Asian community, regional employers in aerospace and tech, and internship pipelines near major industry hubs.
  • The university offers merit-based scholarships through its Beach Scholarships platform, with awards of up to $10,000 open to international students; Nepali applicants should apply between January and March each academic year for the following fall.

Admission requirements — Nepali equivalents

A rough translation of the published minimums for Nepali applicants:

GPA 3.060%+ in NEB +2, B+ average in Cambridge A-levels, or Second Division in a TU bachelor's degree.
GPA 3.370%+ in NEB +2 or First Division in a TU bachelor's degree.
GPA 3.675%+ in NEB +2 or First Division with Distinction in a TU bachelor's degree.
IELTS 6.5The most common graduate minimum — achievable with 2–3 months of focused preparation. IELTS 7.0+ needed for the most competitive programs.

Use our GPA converter to translate your exact score to the 4.0 scale.

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Data last verified: 2026-06-19 · Source: https://www.csulb.edu. Information may change — verify with California State University, Long Beach’s official website before applying.