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CalArts Cal State Fullerton San Diego State University-Imperial Valley Campus California State University-Northridge Sacramento State San Diego State Cal State LA Otis College of Art and Design California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Cal State Long Beach San Jose State CSUMB| California College of the Arts | California State University San Marcos | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
California College of the Arts | California State University-San Marcos | ||
| Location | Oakland, CA | San Marcos, CA | ||
| Setting | Large City | Rural Fringe | ||
| Enrollment | 1,333 | 15,431 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Public 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #833 | |||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | cca.edu | csusm.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
California College of the Arts | California State University-San Marcos | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $57,096 | $5,742 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $57,096 | $17,622 | ||
| Room & Board | $21,165 | $14,152 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $49,945 | $10,500 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $29,175 | $10,247 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 85% | 72% |
Admission |
California College of the Arts | California State University-San Marcos | ||
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| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 3,661 | 17,519 | ||
| Admitted | 2,687 | 16,765 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 73.4% | 95.7% | ||
| Enrolled % | 6.9% | 15.7% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.34 | 3.32 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | B+ | B+ | ||
| Admissions Standards | Unavailable | Extremely Easy | ||
| Applicant Competition | Low | |||
| ACT Range | 17/22 | |||
| SAT Range | 950/1130 | |||
| Submit Test Scores | Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) | Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) | ||
| Application Deadline | Nov 30, 2025 |
Academics |
California College of the Arts | California State University-San Marcos | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 7:1 | 21:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
California College of the Arts | California State University-San Marcos | ||
| Graduation Rate | 49% | 49% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $43,500 | $49,100 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 62% | 66% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $28,000 | $17,995 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $289 | $186 |
Diversity |
California College of the Arts | California State University-San Marcos | ||
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| % Men | 7% | 2% | ||
| % Women | 17% | 6% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 27% | 30% | ||
| % Black | 4% | 3% | ||
| % Hispanic | 14% | 42% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 1% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 0% | 6% | ||
| % International | 31% | 2% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 7% | 5% |
Students |
California College of the Arts | California State University-San Marcos | ||
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| % In-State | 42% | 97% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 20% | 2% | ||
Campus |
California College of the Arts | California State University-San Marcos | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | No | ||
| Meal Plan | No | No | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | No | Yes | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- California State University San Marcos is larger than than California College of the Arts based on total student enrollment (15,431 students vs. 1,333 students)
California College of the Arts vs. California State University-San Marcos Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, California College of the Arts or California State University-San Marcos?
- California College of the Arts is 894.4% more expensive to attend than California State University-San Marcos for in-state tuition ($57,096.00 vs. $5,742.00)
- Out of state tuition is 224% higher at California College of the Arts than California State University San Marcos ($57,096.00 vs. $17,622.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California State University San Marcos than California College of the Arts ($10,500 vs. $49,945)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Marcos are 49.6% lower than costs at California College of the Arts ($14,152 vs. $21,165)
- More students receive financial grant aid at California College of the Arts than California State University San Marcos (85% vs. 72%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by California College of the Arts students is 184.7% larger than aid received California State University San Marcos ($29,175 vs. $10,247)
California College of the Arts vs. California State University-San Marcos Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, California College of the Arts or California State University-San Marcos? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between California State University-San Marcos or California College of the Arts .
- Accepted freshman California College of the Arts students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.34) than students at California State University-San Marcos (3.32)
- California State University-San Marcos has a higher acceptance rate (95.7%) than California College of the Arts (73.4%)
California College of the Arts vs. California State University-San Marcos Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, California College of the Arts or California State University-San Marcos? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between California State University-San Marcos and California College of the Arts.
- The graduation rate at California College of the Arts is the same as at California State University San Marcos (49% vs. 49%)
- Graduates from California State University San Marcos earn on average $5,600 more per year than California College of the Arts graduates after ten years. ($49,100 vs. $43,500)
- California State University San Marcos students graduate with a $10,005 lower median federal student loan debt than California College of the Arts graduates. ($17,995 vs. $28,000)
- California State University-San Marcos graduates are paying $103 less per month on federal student loans than California College of the Arts graduates. ($186 vs. $289)
- More California State University-San Marcos graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California College of the Arts students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 62%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/