Founded in 1947, California State University, Los Angeles is committed to academic excellence by providing students with unlimited learning opportunities. Cal State L.A. is organized into six colleges that incorporate 50 academic departments and divisions offering a variety of majors.

Academics
Six colleges offer nationally recognized science, arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education and humanities programs at Cal State LA.

CSULA hosts the critically-acclaimed Luckman Jazz Orchestra and a unique university center for gifted students from 10.

No other public institution in the state of California has awarded as many teaching credentials as the College of Education at CSULA. The latter includes as well an innovative program designed to train teachers for the specific demands of urban schools. Cal State L.A. also has the nation's largest early/pre-teen collegiate program, and the only graduate Criminalistics program west of the Mississippi River. The Television, Film, and Media Studies program is one of the foremost film schools in the CSU system, coordinating film and TV production experiences with the neighboring Hollywood film industry. The university is distinguished for accrediting more bachelor's degrees to Hispanics than any other California college or university. It is also among the highest of any college or university in the United States.

CSULA offers several programs and courses, which students can take completely online. There are two certificate online programs: the Post-baccalaureate Certificate in Business Management and the Certificate of Completion in Multimedia/Web. Moreover, students can enroll for such online courses as Notary Public, Introduction to Nursing Informatics, and Mathematics Examination Preparation.

Financial Aid
California State University, Los Angeles has a variety of financial aid opportunities available for students. The types of aid include grants, federal-work study, loans, scholarships, and financial assistance for graduate students.

Since the financial aid funds are limited, the preference may be given to students who have applied earlier than others. Therefore, students should pay attention to deadlines. Students pursuing their bachelor's and master's degree or their teaching credential can receive financial aid as long as they continue to be eligible and do not exceed the allowable maximum units earned or attempted.