CSU vs. California State University-San Marcos

Should I go to California State University Chico or California State University San Marcos? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if CSU 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 University Chico vs. California State University San Marcos comparison
California State University Chico California State University San Marcos College 3 College 4
California State University Chico California State University San Marcos
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Overview

CSU California State University-San Marcos
Location Chico, CA San Marcos, CA
Setting Small City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 14,183 15,109
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #659 #836
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website csuchico.edu csusm.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

CSU California State University-San Marcos
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $17,622
Room & Board $15,212 $13,972
Avg Net Price $15,517 $10,463
Avg Grant Aid $9,162 $8,922
% Receiving Grant Aid 62% 67%

Admission

CSU California State University-San Marcos
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 21,417 14,774
Admitted 20,347 14,064
Acceptance Rate 95% 95.2%
Enrolled % 9.9% 18.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.37 3.32
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/24 17/22
SAT Range 970/1170 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 Dec 15, 2024 Nov 30, 2024

Academics

CSU California State University-San Marcos
Student to Faculty Ratio 20:1 23:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (17%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)

Outcomes

CSU California State University-San Marcos
Graduation Rate 59% 49%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,400 $49,100
Making Student Loan Payments 70% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,000 $17,995
Median Loan Payment $175 $186

Diversity

CSU California State University-San Marcos
% Men 45% 39%
% Women 55% 61%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 46% 30%
% Black 2% 3%
% Hispanic 29% 42%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 6%
% International 3% 2%
% Unknown Race 7% 5%

Students

CSU California State University-San Marcos
% In-State 97% 98%
% Out-of-State 2% 1%

Campus

CSU 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 University San Marcos is larger than than CSU based on total student enrollment (15,109 students vs. 14,183 students)

CSU vs. California State University-San Marcos Cost Comparison

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

  • California State University Chico 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 CSU 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 CSU ($10,463 vs. $15,517)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Marcos are 8.9% lower than costs at California State University Chico ($13,972 vs. $15,212)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University San Marcos than California State University Chico (67% vs. 62%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Chico students is 2.7% larger than aid received California State University San Marcos ($9,162 vs. $8,922)

CSU vs. California State University-San Marcos Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, CSU 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 CSU .

  • The average SAT score at California State University Chico (1003) is 48 points higher than at California State University-San Marcos (955)
  • Incoming CSU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at California State University-San Marcos (21)
  • Accepted freshman CSU students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.37) than students at California State University-San Marcos (3.32)
  • California State University-San Marcos has a higher acceptance rate (95.2%) than CSU (95%)

CSU vs. California State University-San Marcos Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, CSU 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 CSU.

  • The graduation rate at CSU is higher than California State University San Marcos (59% vs. 49%)
  • Graduates from California State University Chico earn on average $3,300 more per year than California State University-San Marcos graduates after ten years. ($52,400 vs. $49,100)
  • California State University Chico students graduate with a $995 lower median federal student loan debt than California State University-San Marcos graduates. ($17,000 vs. $17,995)
  • CSU graduates are paying $11 less per month on federal student loans than California State University-San Marcos graduates. ($175 vs. $186)
  • More CSU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California State University-San Marcos students, three years after graduation. (70% vs. 66%)

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