| Updated On - Sep 16, 2025
California State University - Los Angeles (Cal State LA) is a public university with its main location in Los Angeles, California, in the San Gabriel Valley region. It's a large university with approximately 19,350 undergraduates (fall 2024) and an overall enrollment of ~ 22,740 students. Admissions is not extremely selective with an acceptance rate of around 91.9%. The most popular majors are Business, Health Professions, Social Sciences, Psychology, and Criminal Justice. The six-year graduation rate is approximately 53%. Median earnings 5 years after graduation for Cal State LA graduates are approximately US$45,500.
University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public research university located in Los Angeles, California, in the Westwood neighborhood. It is a big university with ~32,000 to ~33,000 undergraduate students (current data about 32,423 to ~33,040) and overall enrollment around 46,000. Admissions are very competitive, and acceptance rate in recent years about 8-10%. Most popular majors are Social Sciences, Biological & Biomedical Sciences, Psychology, Engineering, Film & Television. The graduation rate after six years is around 92-93%. UCLA alumni who were recipients of federal student aid report median salaries ten years after enrolling of approximately US$73,200.
| California State University | University of California | |
|---|---|---|
| Collegedunia Score | 4.1 Out of 10 | 7.8 Out of 10 |
| ranking (overall) | # 1401 QS World University 2025 # 1667 Center for World University Rankings 2025 # 872 US News 2024 | # 18 Times Higher Education 2026 # 46 QS World University 2026 # 17 Center for World University Rankings 2025 |
| Subject Strength | # 671 for Engineering by Round University Ranking 2020 | # 13 for Engineering by US News 2025 # 12 for Medicine by QS World University 2025 # 12 for Law by US News 2025 |
| Programs | UG Programs -73 PG Programs -69 | UG Programs -24 PG Programs -43 Doctorate Programs -7 |
| Acceptance Rate | 91.9 % | 9.0 % |
| Exam Score | IELTS-6 SAT-890 TOEFL-80 | GMAT-670 IELTS-7 SAT-1330 TOEFL-87 |
| Cost to Study | Average Tuition Fees 16862 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 18296 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 30822 Per Year | Average Tuition Fees 42993 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 26544 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 36045 Per Year |
| placement (average package) | Around 71% of the graduates get employement within six months of graduation. Some of the field of employment and starting salary of the graduates are as follows: Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services: $50,300 Health Professions and Related Programs: $49,600 Social Sciences: $45,900 Education: $54,600 Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services: $43,800 | Graduate Employability rank: QS-#3 University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is one of the top public universities in Los Angeles, United States. It is ranked #44 in QS World University Rankings 2023.
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| application requirements | Submit official transcripts Submit English proficiency test scores Check program specific requirements | 94% in 12th for UG and 83% in bachelors for graduate admission; Name and email of references; Statement of Purpose |
| Campuses and B-Schools | NA | Anderson School of Management |
| CollegeDunia Reviews | 7.8/10 Read 4 reviews | 8.0/10 Read 11 reviews |
Top Courses Comparison
| application | # 3705 Admissions # 47 % Acceptance Rate | #2865 Applicants # 360 Admissions # 12 % Acceptance Rate |
| exam scores | Duolingo - 105/160GMAT - 550/800IELTS - 6/9PTE - 53/90TOEFL - 80/120 | Duolingo - 130/160GMAT - 670/800IELTS - 7/9TOEFL - 87/120 |
| documents required | #Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose | #Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose |
| application dates | Feb 15, 2026 (Application Deadline For Fall 2026 Intake) | Dec 12, 2025 (Round 1 Decision Date for 2026 Intake) Jan 6, 2026 (Round 2 Application Deadline for 2026 Intake) Mar 27, 2026 (Round 2 Decision Date for 2026 Intake) Apr 7, 2026 (Round 3 Application Deadline for 2026 Intake) May 15, 2026 (Round 3 Decision Date for 2026 Intake) Oct 1, 2025 (Round 1 Application Deadline for 2026 Intake) |
Other Popular Comparisons
| General Facts | California State University | University of California |
|---|---|---|
| Type of University | University | University |
| Established | 1947 | 1919 |
| Student:Faculty Ratio | 24:1 | 19:1 |
| Male:Female | 43% Male, 57% Female | 47% Male, 53% Female |
| Location Facts | The university is a part of the California state university system and is located in Los Angeles. | Five mile from Pacific Ocean, Located in West-wood neighborhood of LA |
| Library | The Library provides access to over 230 subscription databases, approximately 60,000 journals, 300,000 eBooks, 700,000 print volumes, over 1 million digitized dissertations and theses, as well as special collections covering all subject disciplines to support teaching, learning, research, creative activities, community engagement, and career development. The Library has close to 600,000 print books for circulation. | 12 million print and electronic volumes |
| Campus Life | California State University, Los Angeles offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, a women's center, a job placement service, a day care, health services, and health insurance. Cal State LA also offers campus safety and police services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, and student patrols. Associated Students Incorporated (ASI) is the student government of California State University, Los Angeles. ASI represents the interests of the student body and acts as the officially recognized voice of the students. In addition, ASI sponsors a number of campus events and activities using mandatory student fees.Students can become a member in one of the university's 100 student clubs and organizations. | Over 100 Student organizations |
| Hostel | #On campus - $13356 #Off campus (not with family) - $14502 #Off campus (with family) - $2964 | #Room & Board - $17436 #Room and Board - $18609 |
| Famous Alumni | James A. Bell – CFO of the Boeing Company Suzanna Guzmán mezzo soprano, an original associate artists of Los Angeles Opera | 14 Nobel laureates, 15 Mac Authors |
| City Life | The cost of living in Los Angeles is 43% higher than the national average. Though expensive, living in Los Angeles is cheaper than living in New York City, which is a plus. To live comfortably in Los Angeles, an average annual salary of $75,000 for one person is recommended. As part of the California Mediterranean climate, residents enjoy mild to hot and dry weather all year round with virtually no humidity. One of the many reasons why people want to move to Los Angeles is for the weather alone. The job market in Los Angeles is very competitive. The most popular jobs in Los Angeles may be in the movie and entertainment industries, but that is tough to break into on their own. One of the hottest industries on the rise in the city is the technology industry. Some top tech companies in Los Angeles include Google, Hulu, Headspace, Postmates, and ChowNow. Surprisingly, Los Angeles is home to over 500 technology companies and start-ups and is making a name for itself as one of the top technology hubs in the world. | Los Angeles (LA) is the second most populous city of USA; Hollywood is located here; 841 Museums and art galleries, California Beaches, Disneyland park, Los Angeles offers various concert halls, regular festivals, and bustling nightlife; Ranked 7th on Global City Index and 9th on Global Economic Power Index; Unemployment rate in December 2019 was 4%; Industries employing maximum number of people are healthcare, retail, hospitality, and manufacturing |
| Weather |
California State University - Los Angeles vs University of California - Los Angeles
Subject Strength & Global Rankings (2025/2026)
Cal State LA and UCLA are both highly recognized public universities in the California state higher education system, but UCLA's global and national rankings are much higher. UCLA is always among the highest-ranked public universities in the U.S. and is placed high in world rankings (e.g. QS, Times Higher), whereas Cal State LA is more regionally known and does not feature in top world subject rankings. UCLA is strong in a wide range of fields such as Biomedical and Biological Sciences, Engineering, Social Sciences, Arts & Humanities, and Film & Television; Cal State LA is stronger in teaching, community service, applied disciplines (Health Professions, Education, Social Sciences), and service to the region.
General Information
UCLA's Westwood campus is greater in size and prestige, with a plethora of research facilities, a large number of graduate programs, a strong alumni network, and high research grants. Cal State LA's campus is smaller, more teaching-focused, more committed to affordability, access, and serving the local/regional student market. UCLA's student body is more selective, with greater academic criteria among entering students; Cal State LA has an open rate of admission and a greater access mission.
Acceptance Rate & Admissions
UCLA's acceptance rate is extremely low (single digits, ~ 8-10%), and admissions are highly competitive. Cal State LA's acceptance is very high (~ 91.9%), and it is consequently much less selective. UCLA has extremely high standardized test scores, GPAs, accomplishments; Cal State LA's entering academic measures are lower on average. Both universities now frequently employ test-optional or test-blind strategies, as per state or system policy, but UCLA's applicant pool is significantly more academically prepared.
Research Impact & Facilities
UCLA is an R1 university, a research giant with huge research spending, state-of-the-art labs, numerous graduate and professional schools, international collaborations, high citation rate. Cal State LA is instruction- and applied-work-oriented, with a few specialized institutes, but much lower research scale. UCLA resources, faculty, graduate research facilities are among the very best in the country; Cal State LA's are significantly lower by comparison.
Cost & Financial Aid
Cal State LA charges comparatively low tuition for Californians and reasonable net price after financial aid, so it is within reach for most area students. The net price (after grants/loans) is average and a high proportion of students accept financial aid. UCLA is more costly for non-residents and charges higher tuition overall, but also has more funding and scholarship access for high achievers.
Career Outcomes & Alumni Success
High graduation rates (~ 92-93%) and high long-term earnings are achieved by UCLA graduates; ten-year median earnings are in most instances in the low $70,000s for aided students, often greater for some majors. Cal State LA has lower graduation rates (~ 53%), less impressive earnings growth, particularly compared to UCLA, with median earlier earnings lower. But Cal State LA is good value for a lot of students, specifically local, first-gen, or lower-income ones, providing access and affordability.
