Cal Poly vs. Cal State Long Beach 2024 (2024)

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo vs. California State University-Long Beach (CSULB) Overview

You’re wrestling with a tough question: “Should I go toCal PolyorCal State Long Beach?“

Differences between California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo and California State University-Long Beach (CSULB)

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s go through a general overview of the high-level differences between California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo and California State University-Long Beach (CSULB). The table below summarizes some of the most important statistics around competitiveness, costs, etc.

WARNINGS: Based on net price alone, California State University-Long Beach (CSULB) is the cheaper option. However, this sticker price may not adequately represent the difference in living costs between San Luis Obispo and Long Beach.Cal Polyis in a Mountain andCal State Long Beachis in a Mountain - sometimes off campus meals and housing costs can dramatically vary between schools

Is California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo or California State University-Long Beach (CSULB) Harder to get into? Which school is easier to get into?

If you’re looking at acceptance rate alone, then California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is more difficult to get into. However, each college is looking to fill its incoming class with a variety of students with different strengths, backgrounds, etc.

Therefore, the acceptance rate alone is not a good indicator that California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is a better school or will be more difficult for you specifically to get into. On the flipside, California State University-Long Beach (CSULB) is easier to get into based on acceptance rate alone.

You can use the below college admissions predictor to determine your likelihood of acceptance at either school.

Cal PolyandCal State Long Beachstudent body differences

The table below helps demonstrate the student body differences as well.

How different is the California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo campus compared to California State University-Long Beach (CSULB) campus?

TheCal Polycampus is located in San Luis Obispo, CA and is characterized as Suburb: Small (outside principal city, in urbanized area with population less than 100,000). TheCal State Long Beachcampus is located in Long Beach, CA and is characterized as City: Large (population of 250,000 or more).

Which school gives more financial aid?

Cal Poly provides $4,384 whereas Cal State Long Beach provides an average of $5,507.

How does Cal Poly academics compare to Cal State Long Beach?

When analyzing academics between California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo and California State University-Long Beach (CSULB) we’ll look at both what current students are studying and also where they end up after graduation. After all, college should prepare you for a career! Analyzing each school’s outcomes is super valuable to understand the value of the degree.

Which is better: California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo or California State University-Long Beach (CSULB)?

We’ve compared dorm life, costs, outcomes and more to provide the most complete comparison between Cal Poly and Cal State Long Beach. But, you’re smart enough to know that numbers paint a terrible picture for truly understanding what each college and community is like. And, the real answer to which school is better is: the school that’s right for you. No matter who you ask, if they know what they’re talking about, the answer is the same: the “better” school is whatever is the best fit for you personally. That’s why it’s extremely important to check out all the videos on CampusReel for each school.

For more comparisons of California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo check these out:

For more comparison of California State University-Long Beach (CSULB) check these out: