Cal State Fullerton vs. California State University-San Marcos

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

Cal State Fullerton California State University-San Marcos
Location Fullerton, CA San Marcos, CA
Setting Midsize City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 40,386 15,109
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #699 #836
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website fullerton.edu csusm.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Cal State Fullerton California State University-San Marcos
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $17,622
Room & Board $16,702 $13,972
Avg Net Price $7,925 $10,463
Avg Grant Aid $9,194 $8,922
% Receiving Grant Aid 74% 67%

Admission

Cal State Fullerton California State University-San Marcos
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 48,748 14,774
Admitted 32,527 14,064
Acceptance Rate 66.7% 95.2%
Enrolled % 16.2% 18.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.77 3.32
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Very Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 18/23 17/22
SAT Range 1000/1180 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

Cal State Fullerton California State University-San Marcos
Student to Faculty Ratio 24:1 23:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (25%)
  • Communication (14%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Health Professions (7%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)

Outcomes

Cal State Fullerton California State University-San Marcos
Graduation Rate 50% 49%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,000 $49,100
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $15,000 $17,995
Median Loan Payment $155 $186

Diversity

Cal State Fullerton California State University-San Marcos
% Men 42% 39%
% Women 58% 61%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 22% 30%
% Black 2% 3%
% Hispanic 40% 42%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 6%
% International 6% 2%
% Unknown Race 4% 5%

Students

Cal State Fullerton California State University-San Marcos
% In-State 99% 98%
% Out-of-State 1% 1%

Campus

Cal State Fullerton 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 Fullerton is larger than than California State University-San Marcos based on total student enrollment (40,386 students vs. 15,109 students)

Cal State Fullerton vs. California State University-San Marcos Cost Comparison

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

  • California State University Fullerton 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 Cal State Fullerton 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 Fullerton than California State University-San Marcos ($7,925 vs. $10,463)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Marcos are 19.5% lower than costs at California State University Fullerton ($13,972 vs. $16,702)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University Fullerton than California State University San Marcos (74% vs. 67%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Fullerton students is 3% larger than aid received California State University San Marcos ($9,194 vs. $8,922)

Cal State Fullerton vs. California State University-San Marcos Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Cal State Fullerton 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 Cal State Fullerton .

  • The average SAT score at California State University Fullerton (1024) is 69 points higher than at California State University-San Marcos (955)
  • Incoming Cal State Fullerton students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at California State University-San Marcos (21)
  • Accepted freshman Cal State Fullerton students have a 0.45 point higher average high school GPA (3.77) than students at California State University-San Marcos (3.32)
  • California State University-San Marcos has a higher acceptance rate (95.2%) than Cal State Fullerton (66.7%)

Cal State Fullerton vs. California State University-San Marcos Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Cal State Fullerton 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 Cal State Fullerton.

  • The graduation rate at Cal State Fullerton is higher than California State University San Marcos (50% vs. 49%)
  • Graduates from California State University San Marcos earn on average $100 more per year than Cal State Fullerton graduates after ten years. ($49,100 vs. $49,000)
  • California State University Fullerton students graduate with a $2,995 lower median federal student loan debt than California State University-San Marcos graduates. ($15,000 vs. $17,995)
  • Cal State Fullerton graduates are paying $31 less per month on federal student loans than California State University-San Marcos graduates. ($155 vs. $186)
  • More Cal State Fullerton graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California State University-San Marcos students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 66%)

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