California State University, Los Angeles
#1401+
QS Rank
56%
Acceptance rate
$20,891
Tuition/yr
27,000
Enrollment
About California State University, Los Angeles
Public CSU in Los Angeles, CA. Strong engineering, business, and STEM programs serving LA metropolitan area.
California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA) is a public university founded in 1947, part of the 23-campus California State University system. Located in the city of Los Angeles, it enrolls approximately 22,000 students across eight academic colleges and has produced more than 260,000 alumni. The university holds federal designations as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, Minority-Serving Institution, and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution.
Cal State LA's College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Technology ranks among the top five nationally among public, master's-degree-granting universities (excluding military academies), with individual programs in civil engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering all receiving national recognition. The College of Business and Economics MBA program ranked first in Southern California for the fifth consecutive year in 2025 according to Best Value Schools. The university is also the top supplier of Latino science and engineering Ph.D. recipients among U.S. undergraduate and master's-degree universities, per the National Science Foundation.
The campus sits at 5151 State University Drive in East Los Angeles, about five miles from downtown Los Angeles. Cal State LA is ranked #13 among Regional Universities West in the 2026 US News Best Colleges rankings and holds the #1 national ranking for upward social mobility among all U.S. universities, meaning graduates statistically advance economically at the highest rate in the country. The QS World University Ranking places it at 1401+ for 2025.
World University Rankings
Campus & Location
CA
Urban
Optional Practical Training (OPT)
All graduates qualify for 12-month OPT. STEM-designated programs (CS, Engineering, Data Science, Mathematics, Sciences) qualify for 24-month STEM OPT extension — 36 months total work authorisation.
For Nepali students
- Cal State LA's engineering, computer science, and business programs are among the strongest at the teaching-focused CSU level, and graduates of STEM programs qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension, giving F-1 visa holders up to three years of US work authorization after graduation, directly relevant for Nepali students seeking US career experience.
- Out-of-state tuition for international undergraduate students is approximately USD 20,000–21,000 per year (2025-2026 estimates), which sits at the lower end of US university costs for a campus located in one of the world's major job markets, Los Angeles.
- Cal State LA's institutional mission centers on serving first-generation and underrepresented students, and the university offers over 400 scholarship opportunities through its Academic Works portal, open to international students based on merit and financial need, a meaningful avenue for Nepali applicants who may not qualify for federal aid.
- The campus community includes students from South and Southeast Asia, and the university's designation as an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution reflects a structured commitment to supporting Asian-diaspora students, which can ease transition for Nepali students arriving without an established community network.
Admission requirements — Nepali equivalents
A rough translation of the published minimums for Nepali applicants:
Use our GPA converter to translate your exact score to the 4.0 scale.
Does my profile match California State University, Los Angeles?
Enter your GPA and IELTS score for an instant admission likelihood check.
Uses published minimum requirements. Final decisions are always at the university's discretion. Use our GPA converter to get your score on the 4.0 scale.
Guides for studying in United States
View allSimilar universities in United States
Want us to verify California State University, Los Angeles’s current requirements?
Our counselors can confirm the latest deadlines, tuition, and requirements directly with the admissions office — free, no signup required.