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

Should I go to California State University Northridge or California State University San Marcos? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if California State University-Northridge 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 Northridge vs. California State University San Marcos comparison
California State University Northridge California State University San Marcos College 3 College 4
California State University Northridge California State University San Marcos
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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 37,579 15,109
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #900 #836
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
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $17,622
Room & Board $11,848 $13,972
Avg Net Price $8,936 $10,463
Avg Grant Aid $10,511 $8,922
% Receiving Grant Aid 82% 67%

Admission

California State University-Northridge California State University-San Marcos
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 25,965 14,774
Admitted 23,687 14,064
Acceptance Rate 91.2% 95.2%
Enrolled % 21% 18.1%
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, 2024 Nov 30, 2024

Academics

California State University-Northridge California State University-San Marcos
Student to Faculty Ratio 24:1 23:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (21%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)

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
% Men 44% 39%
% Women 56% 61%
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
% In-State 96% 98%
% Out-of-State 1% 1%

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 (37,579 students vs. 15,109 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 ($8,936 vs. $10,463)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Northridge are 17.9% lower than costs at California State University San Marcos ($11,848 vs. $13,972)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University Northridge than California State University San Marcos (82% vs. 67%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Northridge students is 17.8% larger than aid received California State University San Marcos ($10,511 vs. $8,922)

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 (95.2%) than California State University-Northridge (91.2%)

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/