California State University - Long Beach?

Question

Listen up anyone who goes to California State Uni - Long Beach (especially peepz from outwith California). I am looking into applying to study here so want students opinions about the uni. Pros, cons, help and advice would be great. Thanks!x

Answer 1

Outside of California employers don't care, nor do they know the difference, if your diploma is from a University of California school or from a Cal State school.

The CSULB website is a good place to look and find out about entrance requirements.

CSULB is known as a commuter school. Meaning most of the students live off campus and drive or take a bus to the campus.

Answer 2

Never been to CSU and thus never studied there but yes, being from the U.K. changes everything when applying to to study there and of course when it comes to finding a place to live, driving, insurance and everything else.

Answer 3

Well, I had a friend who went to Cal State Long Beach. She liked the university, but had a real problem getting certain classes.  In fact, her major was so impacted that she changed it so she could graduate on time.   Actually, I have heard this from a lot of other people that attend there.  Not only are certain majors impacted, but the campus as a whole is considered impacted. On the plus side, the weather is really nice on campus since the beach is only about five miles away.  As far as Cal States go, Long Beach is considered one of the better campuses, but it still doesn't have the University of California reputation.  In my opinion, if you're coming from out of state, it would be wiser to attend a UC school instead.  The UC's are world class institutions that attract all kinds of people from different states and countries, whereas the Cal States seem to be mostly geared towards students coming directly from California.  If you want to be close to the beach, there is also Cal Poly San Luis Obispo which is probably the best Cal State or at least the most selective.  Cal Poly SLO actually competes with some of the UC's for students so it has a very good reputation.  You should really check out UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, UCLA, or UC Irvine.  All of these schools are fairly close to or right next to beaches and are more highly esteemed than any of the Cal States.

I'll have to disagree with Muppet.  The University of California schools are respected and known throughout the country; not so with the Cal States.  They are only well known locally.  If you were a resident of California, the Cal States would be a good deal, but it would be foolish to attend a Cal State if you're from another country.