by our College Data Analytics TeamThis guide covers the real cost of attending California State University-Los Angeles, from the published cost of attendance and projected degree cost through to net price, median student debt at graduation, default outcomes, and how aid varies by family income.
Use the section links below to navigate this overview:
Cost of attendance at California State University-Los Angeles came in between $17,153.00 and up to $29,753.00 based on in-state versus out-of-state status.
The lower figure reflects the in-state rate and the higher figure the out-of-state rate: close to $17,153.00 in-state, rising to $29,753.00 for those paying out-of-state rates.
Here the cost is broken out three ways: no aid, average aid, and the aid a low-income student typically receives.
| Tuition and fees | $7,160.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $9,993.00 |
| Total cost | $17,153.00 |
| That is 11% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $17,153.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$14,436.00 |
| Net price | $2,717.00 |
| That is 86% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $17,153.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$15,526.00 |
| Net price | $1,627.00 |
| That is 92% below the national average net price. |
| Tuition and fees | $19,760.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $9,993.00 |
| Total cost | $29,753.00 |
| That is 55% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $29,753.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$14,436.00 |
| Net price | $15,317.00 |
| That is 20% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $29,753.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$15,526.00 |
| Net price | $14,227.00 |
| That is 26% below the national average net price. | |
| Want the line-by-line detail? Dig into the tuition & fees page and living costs. |
Cost of attendance here has been rising by around 2.0% annually, so the projections below total more than one year of attendance. The projections below run a full degree for a low-income aided student, an average-aid student, and the full sticker price. Loan totals assume a ten-year repayment at 6.8%.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.0% | 2.0% | 2.0% |
| Freshman year | $1,659.00 | $2,770.00 | $17,488.00 |
| Senior year | $1,758.00 | $2,935.00 | $18,532.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $6,832.00 | $11,409.00 | $72,027.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $2,603.00 | $4,346.00 | $27,440.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $79.00 | $131.00 | $829.00 |
| Total amount paid | $9,435.00 | $15,755.00 | $99,466.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.0% | 2.0% | 2.0% |
| Freshman year | $1,659.00 | $2,770.00 | $17,488.00 |
| Senior year | $1,691.00 | $2,824.00 | $17,829.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $3,350.00 | $5,594.00 | $35,317.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $1,276.00 | $2,131.00 | $13,455.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $39.00 | $64.00 | $406.00 |
| Total amount paid | $4,626.00 | $7,725.00 | $48,772.00 |
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.0% | 2.0% | 2.0% |
| Freshman year | $14,505.00 | $15,616.00 | $30,334.00 |
| Senior year | $15,371.00 | $16,549.00 | $32,145.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $59,740.00 | $64,317.00 | $124,935.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $22,759.00 | $24,502.00 | $47,596.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $687.00 | $740.00 | $1,438.00 |
| Total amount paid | $82,499.00 | $88,820.00 | $172,530.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.0% | 2.0% | 2.0% |
| Freshman year | $14,505.00 | $15,616.00 | $30,334.00 |
| Senior year | $14,788.00 | $15,921.00 | $30,926.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $29,293.00 | $31,537.00 | $61,260.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $11,159.00 | $12,014.00 | $23,338.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $337.00 | $363.00 | $705.00 |
| Total amount paid | $40,452.00 | $43,551.00 | $84,598.00 |
Read more in the net price section below.
Net price reflects the true cost to attend after grant and scholarship aid is deducted. For most prospective students, net price gives a more realistic estimate than sticker tuition.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $3,967.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $4,113.00 |
Net price is far from uniform: lower-income families typically pay much less after aid. Below, average net price is broken out by family income:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $2,855.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $3,231.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $5,373.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $8,813.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $14,599.00 |
Run your own numbers with the California State University-Los Angeles Net Price Calculator, or reach out to the financial aid office.
Curious how grants and scholarships are distributed? Explore the grants & scholarships detail.
Typical debt at graduation from California State University-Los Angeles comes to $11,966.00, placing the school in the Low ($10-20k) debt-load classification.
The percentile spread of debt at graduation is shown below:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $2,940.00 |
| 25th | $5,500.00 |
| Median (50th) | $11,966.00 |
| 75th | $19,812.00 |
| 90th | $28,892.00 |
The distance from the 10th to the 90th percentile shows how widely debt outcomes vary.
Read the complete debt breakdown on the student loan debt page.
Median debt at graduation differs meaningfully across income brackets. Below the data splits borrowers across three income groups:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $11,500.00 |
| Middle income | $11,157.00 |
| High income | $13,368.00 |
First-generation students frequently graduate with different debt than continuing-generation students.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $11,387.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $13,617.00 |
The Pell Grant is the main federal need-based award for undergraduates. The Pell vs non-Pell debt gap reveals how borrowing differs by need.
The median debt difference between Pell-eligible and non-Pell graduates of California State University-Los Angeles stands at $-2,304.00.
The federal default-rate classification for California State University-Los Angeles is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 5.4% |
For scale, federal Stafford loan disbursements at California State University-Los Angeles reach $960,298,879.00 distributed across 50,791 recipients.
Veterans and active-duty service members may qualify for substantial federal education benefits including the GI Bill and Department of Defense tuition support.
| GI Bill recipients | 140 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $4,574.00 |
| DoD Tuition Assistance recipients | 2 |
| Avg DoD Tuition Assistance | $2,048.00 |
Read more about military and veteran aid on the veterans benefits detail.
Use the figures above as a launch point, then think through California State University-Los Angeles, the questions below are worth your time:
For a closer look at any of these topics, follow the links below:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.