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California State University-Fresno Cal State Long Beach Cal State Fullerton Cal State East Bay San Diego State University-Imperial Valley Campus CSU Channel Islands CSUDH San Francisco State San Jose State Sacramento State CSU Bakersfield UC Merced| California State University Northridge | California State University San Marcos | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
California State University-Northridge | California State University-San Marcos | ||
| Location | Northridge, CA | San Marcos, CA | ||
| Setting | Large City | Rural Fringe | ||
| Enrollment | 37,760 | 15,431 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Public 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #892 | #833 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | csun.edu | csusm.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
California State University-Northridge | 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 | $12,648 | $14,152 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $8,222 | $10,500 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $12,000 | $10,247 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 82% | 72% |
Admission |
California State University-Northridge | California State University-San Marcos | ||
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| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 29,789 | 17,519 | ||
| Admitted | 27,748 | 16,765 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 93.1% | 95.7% | ||
| Enrolled % | 20% | 15.7% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.38 | 3.32 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | B+ | B+ | ||
| Admissions Standards | Extremely Easy | Extremely Easy | ||
| Applicant Competition | ||||
| ACT Range | 16/22 | 17/22 | ||
| SAT Range | 900/1110 | 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 University-Northridge | California State University-San Marcos | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 21:1 | 21:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
California State University-Northridge | California State University-San Marcos | ||
| Graduation Rate | 46% | 49% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $47,500 | $49,100 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 59% | 66% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $14,196 | $17,995 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $146 | $186 |
Diversity |
California State University-Northridge | California State University-San Marcos | ||
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| % Men | 5% | 2% | ||
| % Women | 9% | 6% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 23% | 30% | ||
| % Black | 5% | 3% | ||
| % Hispanic | 44% | 42% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 3% | 6% | ||
| % International | 9% | 2% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 4% | 5% |
Students |
California State University-Northridge | California State University-San Marcos | ||
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| % In-State | 95% | 97% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 2% | 2% | ||
Campus |
California State University-Northridge | 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 Northridge is larger than than California State University-San Marcos based on total student enrollment (37,760 students vs. 15,431 students)
California State University-Northridge vs. California State University-San Marcos Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, California State University-Northridge or California State University-San Marcos?
- California State University Northridge 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 University-Northridge 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 Northridge than California State University-San Marcos ($8,222 vs. $10,500)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Northridge are 11.9% lower than costs at California State University San Marcos ($12,648 vs. $14,152)
- More students receive financial grant aid at California State University Northridge than California State University San Marcos (82% vs. 72%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Northridge students is 17.1% larger than aid received California State University San Marcos ($12,000 vs. $10,247)
California State University-Northridge vs. California State University-San Marcos Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, California State University-Northridge 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 University-Northridge .
- The average SAT score at California State University San Marcos (955) is 53 points higher than at California State University-Northridge (902)
- Incoming California State University-San Marcos students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (21) than students at California State University-Northridge (19)
- Accepted freshman California State University-Northridge students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.38) 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 University-Northridge (93.1%)
California State University-Northridge vs. California State University-San Marcos Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, California State University-Northridge 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 University-Northridge.
- The graduation rate at California State University-San Marcos is higher than California State University Northridge (49% vs. 46%)
- Graduates from California State University San Marcos earn on average $1,600 more per year than California State University-Northridge graduates after ten years. ($49,100 vs. $47,500)
- California State University Northridge students graduate with a $3,799 lower median federal student loan debt than California State University-San Marcos graduates. ($14,196 vs. $17,995)
- California State University-Northridge graduates are paying $40 less per month on federal student loans than California State University-San Marcos graduates. ($146 vs. $186)
- More California State University-San Marcos graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California State University-Northridge students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 59%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/