Cal State LA vs Southern California Institute of Technology

California State University-Los Angeles (CSULA) and Southern California Institute of Technology (Caltech) are two distinct institutions of higher learning in California, each offering unique educational experiences. CSULA, a public university, boasts an acceptance rate of 68%, making it more accessible to a wider range of students. Caltech, a private research university, has a highly selective admissions process, with an acceptance rate of only 8%. CSULA offers a diverse range of undergraduate and graduate programs, with popular majors including Business Administration, Criminal Justice, and Psychology. Caltech, known for its strength in science and engineering, offers undergraduate and graduate programs in fields such as Physics, Engineering, and Computer Science. While CSULA has a larger student body, with over 27,000 students, Caltech has a smaller, more intimate community of around 2,300 students. Both universities offer excellent graduation rates, with CSULA's rate at 58% and Cal
California State University-Los Angeles logo

California State University-Los Angeles

Southern California Institute of Technology logo

Southern California Institute of Technology

Overview

Location Los Angeles, California Anaheim, California
Campus setting City: Large City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Private (For Profit)
Calendar system Semester Non Traditional
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate
Students retention rate 73.0% 81.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 90.5% 59.6%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $70
SAT range N/A N/A
ACT range N/A N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants 29,223 166
Total number of admissions given out 26,459 99
Admitted students who chose to enroll 4,095 90
Yield rate 15.5% 90.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A
High school GPA Required N/A
Recommendation letters Not required N/A
High school transcript Not required N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required N/A

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $32,619

Out of state: $44,499
$40,348
Average net price $2,695 $27,298
Tuition
In state: $5,742

Out of state: $17,622
$16,590
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $9,712

Meal plan: $4,500
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Guaranteed tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

91.0%
Average amount $10,909
94.0%
Average amount $7,413
Students receiving federal student loan 11.0%
Average amount $4,458
76.0%
Average amount $10,279
Students taking out private loans 0.0%
Average amount $8,862
4.0%
Average amount $10,397

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 23,536
Men 40.6% Women 59.4%
521
Men 95.8% Women 4.2%
Graduate students 3,977
Men 36.4% Women 63.6%
N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students 1.1% N/A
International students 5.9% N/A
Campus local/setting City: Large City: Large
Dormitory capacity 2,565 N/A
First year students are required to live on campus? No N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from California Illinois Minnesota Hawaii Maryland N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Psychology
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Construction Trades
  • Engineering
  • Engineering Technologies
  • Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio 25:1 30:1
Institutional accreditation Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 51.9% 78.5%
Dropout rate 39.4% 21.0%
Transferred out 3.1% 0.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $112,257
  • Year 2: $103,746
  • Year 3: $117,496
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $75,475
  • Year 2: $106,421
  • Year 3: $103,691
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $91,250
  • Year 2: $82,440
  • Year 3: $99,815
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $90,684
  • Year 2: $87,548
  • Year 3: $93,771
Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $70,852
  • Year 2: $58,673
  • Year 3: $83,310
Civil Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $70,456
  • Year 3: $82,904
Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $81,004
  • Year 2: $74,367
  • Year 3: $80,425
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,165
  • Year 2: $59,124
  • Year 3: $77,214
Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,370
  • Year 2: $61,516
  • Year 3: $72,371
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,775
  • Year 2: $57,318
  • Year 3: $71,643
Biomedical/Medical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $57,237
  • Year 2: $58,221
  • Year 3: $61,340
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,708
  • Year 2: $58,673
  • Year 3: $60,326
Electromechanical Instrumentation and Maintenance Technologies/Technicians (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: $45,872
  • Year 2: $43,426
  • Year 3: $49,297
Electrical and Power Transmission Installers (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: $35,873
  • Year 2: $35,345
  • Year 3: $41,355
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: $33,935
  • Year 2: $34,704
  • Year 3: $38,552
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $45,529
  • Year 3: N/A

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