California State University, Long Beach’s stature as a respected major regional university is evidenced by the more than 52,000 applications it received for the fall 2004 term. With an annual student population of approximately 35,000, CSULB has the largest enrollment among the CSU system’s 23 campuses and is the second largest university in California. It is ranked among the top three public master’s universities in the west by U.S. News and World Report’s 2005 Best College Guide and is listed among Princeton Review’s Best in the West.
Overall Economic ImpactCalifornia State University, Long Beach generates significant economic activity in the Southern California region. Its direct impacts are measured by its expenditures on goods, services, salaries and benefits. The presence of the university also leads to indirect expenditures in the region, as suppliers to the university spend on payroll and materials, and employees and pensioners spend their incomes in the local economy. Furthermore, the regional economic impact of student expenditures and the subsequent “multiplier” effects of all these factors are considerable.
When all of these effects are measured, California State University, Long Beach generated an annual economic impact of $1.034 billion in the Southern California region in the 2003-2004 fiscal year.
Stated differently, CSULB’s economic activities generate $2.8 million daily in the region’s economy. State appropriations account for only 43 percent of the university’s revenue. For every dollar of appropriations income invested in California State University, Long Beach, the university generates another $4.33 in economic activity.