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Admissions & selectivity

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# California State University-Los Angeles Acceptance Rate & Admissions

Updated October 1, 2026

[Overview](/school/california-state-university-los-angeles/)[Cost & aid](/school/california-state-university-los-angeles/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/california-state-university-los-angeles/outcomes/)Admissions[Majors](/school/california-state-university-los-angeles/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/california-state-university-los-angeles/similar/)

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## What is the acceptance rate at Cal State LA?

Cal State LA’s reported acceptance rate is 91.2%.

**Acceptance rate · Fall 2024**
91.2%

Source: College Scorecard · Fall 2024 admissions. Acceptance rates can change from year to year; this figure does not predict the current or next admission cycle.

First-year applicants and admitted students · CDS 2025-26

**Applicants**
35,898

**Admitted**
32,752

Source: California State University-Los Angeles Common Data Set 2025-26, C1 · first-time, first-year students.

How to interpret the acceptance rate

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.

## What SAT and ACT scores do Cal State LA students report?

SAT and ACT ranges are not available for Cal State LA in the data shown here. Missing scores do not establish whether tests are required, optional or excluded from review.

Figures cover fall 2024.

## Who enrolls at Cal State LA?

**Pell Grant recipients**
66.3%

**Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group**
45.6%

**First-year retention**
71.9%

Retention source: College Scorecard; full-time first-year retention.

About these student measures

The entering-student group includes part-time entrants as well as other attendance patterns.

California State University-Los Angeles enrolled 19,562 undergraduates in its most recent federal snapshot. Pell Grant recipients make up 66.3% of undergraduates, and an estimated 45.6% of students enter as transfers or part-time students.

In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 35,898 first-year applicants, 32,752 admitted, and 2,938 enrolled. For transfer students, 12,742 applied, 11,038 were admitted, and 2,139 enrolled.

The composition reflects a public university that serves a large share of students who qualify for federal need-based aid and a substantial transfer population. Applicants who are Pell-eligible or arriving from another institution should confirm how their credits and aid eligibility will transfer early in the process.

The first-year retention rate is 71.9%, below the peer median of 83.1% for comparable institutions. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the first-time full-time cohort is 53.0%, which sits below the peer median of 65.0%.

Pell recipients complete at a rate of 61.6%, above the overall rate. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported a retention rate of 74% for the first-time, full-time fall 2024 entering class.

For the first-time, full-time fall 2019 entering class, the six-year graduation rate was 54.0%, with Pell recipients completing at 54.0%. Enrolled students can expect an institution where Pell recipients graduate at a higher rate than the overall cohort, though overall retention and completion lag peer medians.

Connecting with academic support services early may help sustain momentum through the first year.

## Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth.

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

Admission rates describe past applicants, not an individual’s chance of admission; confirm requirements and deadlines with the institution.

Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).