College Azimuth

Research brief & institution hub

California State University-Los Angeles

CALarge public institution · Overall rank #3 nationally

Data snapshot Updated

Azimuth ranks California State University-Los Angeles #3 nationally.

Who it’s a good fit for

California State University-Los Angeles is a public university in Los Angeles where Business, Social Sciences, and Health Professions lead the degree mix, and mobility is among the highest we track. Graduates out-earn what predicts for students like them.

The model attributes more of that to a remainder it does not explain than to the factors it measures — field of study, enrollment and the local labor market. Pell students complete at a rate above the entering cohort as a whole, and access is among the highest we track.

Families at the bottom of the income scale pay well below the published cost, while those at the top pay closer to it. The admission rate is above the median for comparable institutions, and most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than on to further study.

A student drawn to the largest programs should know that the best-paid ones — Nursing, the engineering fields — are much smaller.

Cal State LA at a glance

Admissions and outcomes

Admission rate[1]
91.2%
Six-year completion[2]
53.0%
Four-year earnings[3]
$59,756

Cost and family borrowing

Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[6]
$5,002
Median student debt[4]
$13,000
Median Parent PLUS debt[7]
$12,526

Cal State LA rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[5]

California State University-Los Angeles enrolls 19,562 undergraduates as a public university in Los Angeles, California. Its composite standing sits near the very top of the Azimuth ranking among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions (99th percentile).

The university admits 91.2% of applicants, against a peer median of 78.1%. Among students who start full time, 71.9% return for a second year, while the peer median is 83.1%.

The six-year graduation rate is 53.0%, against a peer median of 65.0%. An estimated 45.6% of undergraduates arrive as transfers or part-time students, and the six-year rate describes only the first-time full-time cohort.

At California State University-Los Angeles, the four are spread widely, with three clustered near the top and one in the middle. Mobility is the strongest, at the 99th percentile, and return is the weakest, at the 60th percentile.

Access and affordability both sit near the top, at the 98th and 99th percentiles, while return sits in the middle of the field.

Azimuth ranks California State University-Los Angeles #3 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. The university's strongest pillar is mobility, where it stands in the 99th percentile, and its weakest is return, in the 60th percentile.

The access pillar sits in the 98th percentile and affordability in the 99th percentile.

66.3% of undergraduates at California State University-Los Angeles receive Pell Grants. Azimuth ranks California State University-Los Angeles #32 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Pell recipients complete at a rate of 61.6%, which is 8.6 percentage points above the overall six-year graduation rate (53.0%). Azimuth ranks the university #7 for mobility. Graduates earn about $14,737 more than the model expects for similar students.

How value-added outcomes are assessed · How to interpret program rankings

Cal State LA rankings in context
GeographyRank
National#3
California#2
West#2

Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group.

National pillar percentiles

Economic mobility
National percentile: 99
Access & reach
National percentile: 98
Affordability
National percentile: 99
Return on investment
National percentile: 60

Top-ranked majors

  1. Social Work#11
  2. Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians#12
  3. Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions#12

This school’s three highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ.

Explore major rankings

01 / Cal State LA briefing

Cal State LA cost & financial aid[6][7]

The published cost of attendance at California State University-Los Angeles is $18,403. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported in-state tuition of $7,530 and required fees of $1,080 for the the 2026-27 academic year.

Out-of-state students face a published tuition of $20,850. After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients is $3,967, which is $11,667 below the $15,634 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Financial aid reduces the published cost by $14,436 on average. Azimuth ranks the university #22 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

California State University-Los Angeles publishes a cost of attendance of $18,403. For families earning under $30,000, the average net price is $2,877; for families earning $48,001–$75,000, it is $5,002; and for families earning over $110,000, it is $13,578.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $10,701. Azimuth ranks the university #22 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Aid covers about 78% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an offset of $14,436. The across all aid recipients is $3,967, which is below the median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $11,667.

The median federal student loan debt at completion is $13,000, with about 42.4% of federal aid recipients taking federal loans. That median is below the peer median of $20,076 by $7,076.

For parent borrowers, the median Parent PLUS borrowing is $12,526. If repaid over ten years, the estimated monthly payment for a graduate with the median federal debt is $148.

Your family income

Choose a household income range to see estimated net price.

Reported average annual net price · $48–75K$5,002

After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ.

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Borrowing and repayment at Cal State LA

Federal borrowing at California State University-Los Angeles is concentrated among a minority of undergraduates: about 42.4% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. For completers who do borrow, the median federal student debt is $13,000.

That median is below the $20,076 median for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $7,076. Parent PLUS borrowing, a separate population from student borrowers, carries a median of $12,526.

Graduates of California State University-Los Angeles earn about $14,737 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that sits in the 91st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Four years after completion, the median earnings for working, non-enrolled completers reach $59,756, which falls in the 50th percentile nationally.

Earnings scenarios tied to the university's program mix show a typical earnings level of $59,756, with a downside scenario of $44,151 and an upside scenario of $79,675. Completers who borrow federal loans carry a median debt of $13,000, which is below the $20,076 median for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $7,076. The estimated monthly payment if repaid over ten years is $148.

Parent borrowers at the university took on a median of $12,526 in Parent PLUS loans, a separate federal borrowing population. The estimated monthly payment on the median federal student debt if repaid over ten years is $148.

How Financial GPS measures payment burden · The four risk-and-reward zones

Financial GPS

What does repayment look like?

Institution median student debt
$13,000
Institution Parent PLUS debt
$12,526

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

Estimated student payment · monthly
$148/mo
Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
$159/mo

Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.

Payment assumptions

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.

Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS
Read the full cost & aid brief

02 / Cal State LA briefing

Cal State LA career outcomes & earnings[3][8][9]

California State University-Los Angeles reports median earnings of $59,756 four years after completion. That institution-wide figure is a starting point; results for particular fields can differ.

Read earnings alongside retention and completion. Earnings among completers do not include every student who entered the institution, while the lower and higher planning estimates describe modeled mixes of program outcomes rather than observed salary percentiles.

What explains value-added earnings?
Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.
+$3,419
Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.
+$11,318
Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.
+$14,737

These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

Read the full outcomes brief

03 / Cal State LA briefing

Cal State LA acceptance rate & admissions[1][10][11]

California State University-Los Angeles admits 91.2% of applicants, a rate that reflects broad access rather than narrow selectivity. That rate sits above the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size).

In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 35,898 applicants, 32,752 admitted, and 2,938 enrolled first-year students.

Admissions
Admission rate
91.2%
Read the full admissions brief

04 / Cal State LA briefing

What are the largest majors at Cal State LA?[12]

The largest program records at California State University-Los Angeles, by reported degrees awarded, are: Business Administration, Management and Operations (726 awards); Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (391 awards); Sociology (350 awards); Criminal Justice and Corrections (348 awards); Psychology, General (343 awards). These counts describe degree output in the source reporting period, not current enrollment or unique people.

Among those larger programs, reported median earnings four years after completion include Business Administration, Management and Operations at $62,716; Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods at $50,444; Sociology at $50,249. Program size and earnings answer different questions; the largest program need not have the highest earnings.

Keep individual program records separate from broader degree categories and from records for other reporting periods. Those views can describe different parts of the university’s academic mix.

Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields
Business Administration, Management and Operations 726 degrees awarded
$62,716
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods 391 degrees awarded
$50,444
Sociology 350 degrees awarded
$50,249
Criminal Justice and Corrections 348 degrees awarded
$54,695
Psychology, General 343 degrees awarded
Too few graduates to report
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness 242 degrees awarded
$44,930

Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings.

Read the full majors brief

05 / Cal State LA briefing

How does Cal State LA serve students from different backgrounds?

Azimuth ranks California State University-Los Angeles #7 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. That places the mobility pillar in the 99th percentile.

The six-year graduation rate for the first-time full-time cohort is 53.0%, while Pell recipients complete at 61.6% — a figure that sits above the overall rate by 8.6 percentage points. Graduates earn about $14,737 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that lands in the 91st percentile.

Azimuth places the access pillar for California State University-Los Angeles in the 98th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The public university admits 91.2% of applicants, and Pell Grant recipients make up 66.3% of its 19,562 undergraduates.

An estimated 45.6% of students enter as transfers or part-time students, broadening the pathways into the university.

06 / Cal State LA briefing

What colleges are similar to Cal State LA?[15]

The comparisons for California State University-Los Angeles cover similar admissions profiles, lower reported cost with similar earnings and options in the same state or region. The similar-schools brief keeps these questions in separate groups, with related institutional profiles shown as another comparison.

Each group has its own candidate list and ordering. A high position within one group is not a rank against all the schools in the other groups, and a school can appear more than once for different reasons. Check the source definition and earnings period for the comparison you choose.

A shortlist for different decisions

Choose a row to compare the figures with Cal State LA.

Admissions peerCalifornia State University-Northridge93.5% admitted
Comparison with Cal State LA
MeasureCal State LACalifornia State University-Northridge
Peer earnings · 4 years$59,756$59,664-$92 vs Cal State LA
Average annual net price$3,967$7,021+$3,054 vs Cal State LA · higher cost
Admission rate91.2%93.5%
Explore California State University-Northridge →
Nearby alternativeCalifornia State University-NorthridgeNearby option · CA
Comparison with Cal State LA
MeasureCal State LACalifornia State University-Northridge
Peer earnings · 4 years$59,756$59,664-$92 vs Cal State LA
Average annual net price$3,967$7,021+$3,054 vs Cal State LA · higher cost
Admission rate91.2%93.5%
Explore California State University-Northridge →
Lower-cost alternativeTrinity International University-Illinois$2,835 average net price
Comparison with Cal State LA
MeasureCal State LATrinity International University-Illinois
Peer earnings · 4 years$59,756$51,985-$7,771 vs Cal State LA
Average annual net price$3,967$2,835-$1,132 vs Cal State LA · lower cost
Admission rate91.2%100.0%
Similar profileCalifornia State University-FresnoMatched across several measures
Comparison with Cal State LA
MeasureCal State LACalifornia State University-Fresno
Peer earnings · 4 years$59,756$59,992+$236 vs Cal State LA
Average annual net price$3,967$7,000+$3,033 vs Cal State LA · higher cost
Admission rate91.2%95.3%
Explore California State University-Fresno →

Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable.

Read the full similar schools brief

Data scope & methodology

Structured payloads generated Governed hub narrative Governed spoke corpus

Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection.

Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them.

Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects.

Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.

Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations · About College Azimuth

Read the analysis behind value-added earnings and the change to four-year graduate earnings. These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com.

Data notes & source fields

Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation; notes with a different source link it below.

  1. Admission rate. Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability.

    Source fields: ADM_RATE

  2. Six-year completion. First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree.

    Source fields: C150_4

  3. Four-year institutional earnings. Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion.

    Source fields: MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

  4. Median federal student debt. Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students.

    Source fields: GRAD_DEBT_MDN

  5. National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks. Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ.

    Source fields: Azimuth rankings

    College Azimuth · Ranking methodology

  6. Annual net price by family income. Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers.

    Source fields: NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV

  7. Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration. Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance uses the frozen 2024 framework baseline. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations.

    Source fields: PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations

    College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology

  8. Downside and upside earnings; yellow band. The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median.

    Source fields: Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios

    College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology

  9. Value added and its components. Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

    Source fields: Azimuth statistical model

    College Azimuth · Value-added methodology

  10. SAT score range and reported midpoint. Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range.

    Source fields: SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG

  11. First-year retention. Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions.

    Source fields: RET_FT4

  12. Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots. Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity.

    Source fields: EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE

    College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation

  13. Pell recipients. Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year.

    Source fields: PCTPELL

  14. Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group. This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns.

    Source fields: 1 − PFTFTUG1_EF

  15. Peer earnings and signed differences. Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure.

    Source fields: Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

    College Azimuth · Comparison methodology

How to interpret program rankings