California State University-Northridge vs. California State University-San Marcos

Comparable Facts

Compare California State University Northridge in Northridge, CA with California State University San Marcos in San Marcos, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

California State University Northridge is larger than California State University-San Marcos based on total student enrollment (38,313 students vs. 16,237 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• California State University Northridge is located in Northridge, CA (Large City setting); California State University San Marcos is in San Marcos, CA (Rural Fringe setting).
• California State University Northridge is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. California State University San Marcos is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: California State University Northridge 25:1; California State University San Marcos 24:1.

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? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

• 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 ($7,536 vs. $10,241).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Northridge are 2.5% lower than at California State University San Marcos ($13,804 vs. $14,152).
• California State University San Marcos is 8.4% more expensive for in-state tuition than California State University-Northridge (about $624 more per year; $8,082.00 vs. $7,458.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 3.1% higher at California State University-San Marcos than at California State University Northridge (about $624 more per year; $20,682.00 vs. $20,058.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at California State University Northridge than at California State University San Marcos (83% vs. 71%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Northridge students is 15.3% larger than aid received by California State University San Marcos students ($12,825 vs. $11,123).

California State University-Northridge vs. California State University-San Marcos Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, California State University-Northridge or California State University-San Marcos? Typical SAT and ACT scores (midpoint estimates from the mid-50% ranges in the table above), enrolled-tester score ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between California State University-San Marcos and California State University-Northridge.

• The typical SAT score (midpoint estimate) at California State University San Marcos (1040) is 30 points higher than at California State University-Northridge (1010).
• Incoming California State University-Northridge students have the same typical ACT composite (midpoint estimate; 19) as students at California State University-San Marcos (19).
• Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) among enrolled freshmen who submitted scores: California State University Northridge 900/1110; California State University San Marcos 950/1130.
• Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) among enrolled freshmen who submitted scores: California State University Northridge 16/22; California State University San Marcos 17/22.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: California State University-Northridge - Test-free; California State University-San Marcos - Test-free.
• Typical fall application deadline: California State University-Northridge Nov 30, 2026; California State University-San Marcos Nov 30, 2026.
• Enrolled 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 (95.1%) than California State University-Northridge (93.4%).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 18% at California State University-Northridge vs. 14% at California State University-San Marcos.

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

How do outcomes compare for California State University-Northridge and California State University-San Marcos? Where federal data is available for both schools, the bullets below compare graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt using the same College Scorecard / IPEDS fields as the comparison table. If a metric is missing for one school, that school is noted separately.

• California State University San Marcos's six-year graduation rate (49%) is higher than California State University Northridge's (46%).
• Graduates from California State University San Marcos earn a median of about $1,600 more per year than California State University-Northridge graduates about ten years after starting college ($49,100 vs. $47,500), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, California State University Northridge graduates have a $3,799 lower median loan debt than California State University-San Marcos graduates ($14,196 vs. $17,995).
• Among borrowers, California State University-Northridge graduates have an estimated $40 lower median monthly federal student loan payment 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/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.