California State University, Long Beach (also known as Cal State Long Beach, Long Beach State, CSULB, LBSU, or The Beach) is the second largest campus of the California State University (CSU) system and the third largest university in the state of California by enrollment. The University is located at the southeastern coastal tip of Los Angeles County, less than one mile from the border with Orange County.

CSULB has been recognized repeatedly as one of "America's Best Value Colleges" by the Princeton Review. More than 30 factors are considered to rate the colleges in four categories: academics, tuition GPA (the sticker price minus average amount students receive in gift aid scholarships and grants), financial aid (how well colleges meet students' financial need) and student borrowing. The university attained its highest ranking in the 2007 edition: the No. 3 best value public college in the nation. Every year that CSULB has been included in the Review's "Best Value Colleges" rankings, it was the only university in the CSU system to receive such recognition.

Long Beach State has also been ranked as one of the top five public Master's Degree-granting institutions in the West by U.S. News and World Report's "America's Best Colleges Guide" in every year's edition from 2005 to 2011.

In addition, Long Beach State is one of the West Coast's top universities in student body racial diversity, being named the 5th most diverse university in the West by U.S. News & World Report. It is also home to the largest publicly funded art school west of the Mississippi. The university currently operates with one of the lowest student fees in the country at US $6,240 per year for full time students having California residence.