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San Francisco State Cal State Fullerton San Diego State University-Imperial Valley Campus Cal State Long Beach Sacramento State CSUDH California State University-Fresno California State University-Northridge California State University-San Bernardino CSU Cal State East Bay San Diego State| California State University Los Angeles | California State University San Marcos | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
Cal State LA | California State University-San Marcos | ||
| Location | Los Angeles, CA | San Marcos, CA | ||
| Setting | Large City | Rural Fringe | ||
| Enrollment | 25,080 | 15,431 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Public 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #941 | #833 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | calstatela.edu | csusm.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Cal State LA | 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 | $18,658 | $14,152 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $4,551 | $10,500 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $12,478 | $10,247 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 93% | 72% |
Admission |
Cal State LA | California State University-San Marcos | ||
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| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 32,748 | 17,519 | ||
| Admitted | 30,106 | 16,765 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 91.9% | 95.7% | ||
| Enrolled % | 12% | 15.7% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.31 | 3.32 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | B+ | B+ | ||
| Admissions Standards | Extremely Easy | Extremely Easy | ||
| Applicant Competition | ||||
| ACT Range | 15/20 | 17/22 | ||
| SAT Range | 870/1060 | 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 | Jan 19, 2026 | Nov 30, 2025 |
Academics |
Cal State LA | California State University-San Marcos | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 19:1 | 21:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
Cal State LA | California State University-San Marcos | ||
| Graduation Rate | 36% | 49% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $46,900 | $49,100 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 57% | 66% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $12,920 | $17,995 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $133 | $186 |
Diversity |
Cal State LA | California State University-San Marcos | ||
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| % Men | 5% | 2% | ||
| % Women | 9% | 6% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Medium | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 7% | 30% | ||
| % Black | 4% | 3% | ||
| % Hispanic | 63% | 42% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 2% | 6% | ||
| % International | 6% | 2% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 3% | 5% |
Students |
Cal State LA | California State University-San Marcos | ||
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| % In-State | 99% | 97% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 0% | 2% | ||
Campus |
Cal State LA | 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 Los Angeles is larger than than California State University-San Marcos based on total student enrollment (25,080 students vs. 15,431 students)
Cal State LA vs. California State University-San Marcos Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Cal State LA or California State University-San Marcos?
- California State University Los Angeles 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 LA 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 Los Angeles than California State University-San Marcos ($4,551 vs. $10,500)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Marcos are 31.8% lower than costs at California State University Los Angeles ($14,152 vs. $18,658)
- More students receive financial grant aid at California State University Los Angeles than California State University San Marcos (93% vs. 72%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Los Angeles students is 21.8% larger than aid received California State University San Marcos ($12,478 vs. $10,247)
Cal State LA vs. California State University-San Marcos Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Cal State LA 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 LA .
- The average SAT score at California State University San Marcos (955) is 81 points higher than at Cal State LA (874)
- Incoming California State University-San Marcos students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (21) than students at Cal State LA (18)
- Accepted freshman California State University-San Marcos students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.32) than students at Cal State LA (3.31)
- California State University-San Marcos has a higher acceptance rate (95.7%) than Cal State LA (91.9%)
Cal State LA vs. California State University-San Marcos Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Cal State LA 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 LA.
- The graduation rate at California State University-San Marcos is higher than California State University Los Angeles (49% vs. 36%)
- Graduates from California State University San Marcos earn on average $2,200 more per year than Cal State LA graduates after ten years. ($49,100 vs. $46,900)
- California State University Los Angeles students graduate with a $5,075 lower median federal student loan debt than California State University-San Marcos graduates. ($12,920 vs. $17,995)
- Cal State LA graduates are paying $53 less per month on federal student loans than California State University-San Marcos graduates. ($133 vs. $186)
- More California State University-San Marcos graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Cal State LA students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 57%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/