Sacramento State vs. California State University-San Marcos

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

Sacramento State California State University-San Marcos
Location Sacramento, CA San Marcos, CA
Setting Large City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 31,818 15,109
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #850 #836
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website csus.edu csusm.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Sacramento State California State University-San Marcos
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $17,622
Room & Board $16,278 $13,972
Avg Net Price $11,596 $10,463
Avg Grant Aid $9,590 $8,922
% Receiving Grant Aid 78% 67%

Admission

Sacramento State California State University-San Marcos
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 25,276 14,774
Admitted 23,559 14,064
Acceptance Rate 93.2% 95.2%
Enrolled % 16.6% 18.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.32
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 17/23 17/22
SAT Range 930/1130 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

Sacramento State California State University-San Marcos
Student to Faculty Ratio 24:1 23:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (24%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Health Professions (7%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)

Outcomes

Sacramento State California State University-San Marcos
Graduation Rate 42% 49%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,000 $49,100
Making Student Loan Payments 64% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $15,750 $17,995
Median Loan Payment $162 $186

Diversity

Sacramento State California State University-San Marcos
% Men 43% 39%
% Women 57% 61%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 29% 30%
% Black 6% 3%
% Hispanic 29% 42%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 6%
% International 2% 2%
% Unknown Race 6% 5%

Students

Sacramento State California State University-San Marcos
% In-State 98% 98%
% Out-of-State 1% 1%

Campus

Sacramento State 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 Sacramento is larger than than California State University-San Marcos based on total student enrollment (31,818 students vs. 15,109 students)

Sacramento State vs. California State University-San Marcos Cost Comparison

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

  • California State University Sacramento 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 Sacramento State 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 San Marcos than Sacramento State ($10,463 vs. $11,596)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Marcos are 16.5% lower than costs at California State University Sacramento ($13,972 vs. $16,278)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University Sacramento than California State University San Marcos (78% vs. 67%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Sacramento students is 7.5% larger than aid received California State University San Marcos ($9,590 vs. $8,922)

Sacramento State vs. California State University-San Marcos Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Sacramento State 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 Sacramento State .

  • The average SAT score at California State University San Marcos (955) is 7 points higher than at Sacramento State (948)
  • Incoming California State University-San Marcos students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (21) than students at Sacramento State (20)
  • Accepted freshman Sacramento State students have a 0.1 point higher average high school GPA (3.42) than students at California State University-San Marcos (3.32)
  • California State University-San Marcos has a higher acceptance rate (95.2%) than Sacramento State (93.2%)

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

Which is better, Sacramento State 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 Sacramento State.

  • The graduation rate at California State University-San Marcos is higher than California State University Sacramento (49% vs. 42%)
  • Graduates from California State University Sacramento earn on average $1,900 more per year than California State University-San Marcos graduates after ten years. ($51,000 vs. $49,100)
  • California State University Sacramento students graduate with a $2,245 lower median federal student loan debt than California State University-San Marcos graduates. ($15,750 vs. $17,995)
  • Sacramento State graduates are paying $24 less per month on federal student loans than California State University-San Marcos graduates. ($162 vs. $186)
  • More California State University-San Marcos graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Sacramento State students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 64%)

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