Students seeking an intimate, small-college experience may want to steer clear of CSULB, or "The Beach." One of the largest schools in California, it has an enrollment of about 34,000 undergrads. Still, Money's analysis finds its six-year graduation rate (83%) is well above the average of all the schools we rated this year, so students who do enroll clearly find it a good fit.
Popular majors at The Beach include diverse options such as business management, music, engineering, psychology and communications. And with tens of thousands of students, the university feels almost like a small city, boasting its own art museum, gardens, convenience stores and restaurants. There’s even an on-campus educational kitchen that offers culturally inclusive pantry stables and programming on preparing healthy meals.
The campus environment is quintessentially California, with scenic, landscaped grounds just three miles from the beach. Students can spend plenty of time keeping in shape, courtesy of the school's 126,500-square-foot fitness center. And the Walter Pyramid, which hosts basketball and volleyball games, has become a Long Beach landmark in its own righ
