California State Polytechnic University-Pomona vs. California State University-San Marcos

Should I go to California State Polytechnic University Pomona or California State University San Marcos? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if California State Polytechnic University-Pomona or California State University-San Marcos is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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California State Polytechnic University Pomona vs. California State University San Marcos comparison
California State Polytechnic University Pomona California State University San Marcos College 3 College 4
California State Polytechnic University Pomona California State University San Marcos
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Overview

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona California State University-San Marcos
Location Pomona, CA San Marcos, CA
Setting Midsize City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 27,503 15,109
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #550 #836
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website csupomona.edu csusm.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona California State University-San Marcos
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $17,622
Room & Board $16,330 $13,972
Avg Net Price $12,480 $10,463
Avg Grant Aid $9,040 $8,922
% Receiving Grant Aid 71% 67%

Admission

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona California State University-San Marcos
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 49,079 14,774
Admitted 27,179 14,064
Acceptance Rate 55.4% 95.2%
Enrolled % 13.4% 18.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.69 3.32
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 19/27 17/22
SAT Range 1010/1250 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, 2024 Nov 30, 2024

Academics

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona California State University-San Marcos
Student to Faculty Ratio 25:1 23:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (15%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)
  • Architecture (5%)
  • Biology (5%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)

Outcomes

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona California State University-San Marcos
Graduation Rate 50% 49%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,400 $49,100
Making Student Loan Payments 72% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,000 $17,995
Median Loan Payment $196 $186

Diversity

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona California State University-San Marcos
% Men 54% 39%
% Women 46% 61%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 19% 30%
% Black 3% 3%
% Hispanic 40% 42%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 6%
% International 5% 2%
% Unknown Race 4% 5%

Students

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona California State University-San Marcos
% In-State 99% 98%
% Out-of-State 1% 1%

Campus

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona California State University-San Marcos
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes No
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • California State Polytechnic University Pomona is larger than than California State University-San Marcos based on total student enrollment (27,503 students vs. 15,109 students)

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona vs. California State University-San Marcos Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, California State Polytechnic University-Pomona or California State University-San Marcos?

  • California State Polytechnic University Pomona and California State University-San Marcos cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($5,742.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is the same at California State Polytechnic University-Pomona as California State University San Marcos ($17,622.00 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 State Polytechnic University-Pomona ($10,463 vs. $12,480)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Marcos are 16.9% lower than costs at California State Polytechnic University Pomona ($13,972 vs. $16,330)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State Polytechnic University Pomona than California State University San Marcos (71% vs. 67%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State Polytechnic University Pomona students is 1.3% larger than aid received California State University San Marcos ($9,040 vs. $8,922)

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona vs. California State University-San Marcos Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, California State Polytechnic University-Pomona 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 State Polytechnic University-Pomona .

  • The average SAT score at California State Polytechnic University Pomona (1066) is 111 points higher than at California State University-San Marcos (955)
  • Incoming California State Polytechnic University-Pomona students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at California State University-San Marcos (21)
  • Accepted freshman California State Polytechnic University-Pomona students have a 0.37 point higher average high school GPA (3.69) than students at California State University-San Marcos (3.32)
  • California State University-San Marcos has a higher acceptance rate (95.2%) than California State Polytechnic University-Pomona (55.4%)

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona vs. California State University-San Marcos Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, California State Polytechnic University-Pomona 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 State Polytechnic University-Pomona.

  • The graduation rate at California State Polytechnic University-Pomona is higher than California State University San Marcos (50% vs. 49%)
  • Graduates from California State Polytechnic University Pomona earn on average $6,300 more per year than California State University-San Marcos graduates after ten years. ($55,400 vs. $49,100)
  • California State University San Marcos students graduate with a $1,005 lower median federal student loan debt than California State Polytechnic University-Pomona graduates. ($17,995 vs. $19,000)
  • California State University-San Marcos graduates are paying $10 less per month on federal student loans than California State Polytechnic University-Pomona graduates. ($186 vs. $196)
  • More California State Polytechnic University-Pomona graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California State University-San Marcos students, three years after graduation. (72% vs. 66%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/