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Cal State Long Beach San Jose State Cal Poly Cal State Fullerton San Diego State University-Imperial Valley Campus UC Merced California State University-Northridge San Diego State Sacramento State ASU UC Riverside Cal State LA| California State Polytechnic University Pomona | California State University San Marcos | College 3 | College 4 | |
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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 | 26,848 | 15,431 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Public 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #590 | #833 | ||
| 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 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $17,622 | $17,622 | ||
| Room & Board | $16,330 | $14,152 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $11,898 | $10,500 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $10,441 | $10,247 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 72% | 72% |
Admission |
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | California State University-San Marcos | ||
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| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 45,775 | 17,519 | ||
| Admitted | 33,737 | 16,765 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 73.7% | 95.7% | ||
| Enrolled % | 12.8% | 15.7% | ||
| 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, 2025 | Nov 30, 2025 |
Academics |
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | California State University-San Marcos | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 23:1 | 21:1 | ||
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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 | ||
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| % Men | 4% | 2% | ||
| % Women | 5% | 6% | ||
| 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 | ||
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| % In-State | 98% | 97% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 1% | 2% | ||
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 (26,848 students vs. 15,431 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 ($10,500 vs. $11,898)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Marcos are 15.4% lower than costs at California State Polytechnic University Pomona ($14,152 vs. $16,330)
- The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at California State Polytechnic University Pomona as California State University San Marcos (72% vs. 72%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by California State Polytechnic University Pomona students is 1.9% larger than aid received California State University San Marcos ($10,441 vs. $10,247)
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 (95.7%) than California State Polytechnic University-Pomona (73.7%)
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/