Huntington Beach, Calif. — California State University, Long Beach recently announced a decision to grant “local preference” to all students transferring from the Coast Community College District, including Golden West College. Previously, transfer students from GWC received local preference for admission based on their graduating high school, rather than the college they were transferring from.
“CSULB is a top transfer destination for GWC students, and for more than a decade [the local preference] policy has had a negative impact on a significant portion of our students. Approximately 3,000 students from 29 high schools enroll each fall semester who are considered non-local,” says Counselor and Transfer Center Coordinator Michael Tran. “Now that all our students are considered ‘local,’ they have gained an admissions advantage and have a clearer path to CSULB by attending GWC.”
The California State University (CSU) system gives local preference to applicants from certain areas when they apply to impacted campuses. This is because eligible applicants from these areas outnumber the available spaces at CSU campuses. Local applicants are admitted first, and applicants from outside the area must have higher grades and test scores to be considered.
Local preference for admission ensures that CSU-eligible applicants at Golden West College will be offered admission if they meet the major-specific minimum cumulative GPA and required lower-division preparation.
“We are delighted with Cal State Long Beach’s decision to grant local status to all of our students,” says GWC President Meridith Randall. “This decision not only strengthens existing ties between CSULB and GWC, but also removes barriers and reduces inequity for our students going forward, which is at the heart of our mission.”
The local preference change will take effect beginning with Fall 2025 admission. CSU’s application window for Fall 2025 opens Oct. 1.
