The university is home to one of the largest publicly funded art schools in the United States. Peter Victor Peterson was its first president. Student enrollment subsequently grew rapidly. Carl W. McIntosh was named the college's second president in In , the California state legislature revamped the state college system. As part of these changes, the university was renamed California State College, Long Beach in and became closely integrated into the California State College system.
Six international and two American sculptors many of the on-campus installations. The California State University Board of Trustees elevated the school to university status in , along with 12 other state college campuses, based on total enrollment, size of graduate programs, complexity and diversity of majors and number of doctorates held by faculty at each college.
Later that year, the campus opened the largest library facility in the then campus CSU system: a modern six-story building with a seating capacity of nearly 4, students. In , President Robert Maxson initiated the privately funded President's Scholars Program, providing selected qualified California high school valedictorians and National Merit finalists and semi-finalists with a full four-year scholarship package, including tuition, a book stipend, and housing.
As of May [update] , over students have accepted the scholarship. While Elbee is a shark, the university's Division I intercollegiate athletics program remains "Beach Athletics". As of , the university was classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities β High research activity" in recognition of the university's evolution from a master's-level comprehensive institution to one that awards doctorates and conducts a significant amount of research.
The campus spans acres ha across 84 buildings, and is located 3 miles 5 km from the Pacific Ocean. The architecture of the campus is mainly of the International style designed primarily by architect Edward Killingsworth. It is minimalist. It has earned design awards and awards from gardening societies.
