California State University-San Marcos vs. CSU Channel Islands

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

California State University-San Marcos CSU Channel Islands
Location San Marcos, CA Camarillo, CA
Setting Rural Fringe Rural Fringe
Enrollment 15,109 6,128
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #836
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website csusm.edu csuci.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

California State University-San Marcos CSU Channel Islands
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $17,622
Room & Board $13,972 $16,300
Avg Net Price $10,463 $13,540
Avg Grant Aid $8,922 $9,412
% Receiving Grant Aid 67% 72%

Admission

California State University-San Marcos CSU Channel Islands
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 14,774 10,420
Admitted 14,064 9,342
Acceptance Rate 95.2% 89.7%
Enrolled % 18.1% 6.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.32 3.22
Typical High School Grades B+ B
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 17/22
SAT Range 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 Jul 30, 2025

Academics

California State University-San Marcos CSU Channel Islands
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Psychology (16%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (11%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Communication (9%)

Outcomes

California State University-San Marcos CSU Channel Islands
Graduation Rate 49% 54%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,100 $46,100
Making Student Loan Payments 66% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,995 $15,183
Median Loan Payment $186 $156

Diversity

California State University-San Marcos CSU Channel Islands
% Men 39% 34%
% Women 61% 66%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 30% 32%
% Black 3% 2%
% Hispanic 42% 49%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 5%
% International 2% 0%
% Unknown Race 5% 6%

Students

California State University-San Marcos CSU Channel Islands
% In-State 98% 99%
% Out-of-State 1% 1%

Campus

California State University-San Marcos CSU Channel Islands
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • California State University San Marcos is larger than than CSU Channel Islands based on total student enrollment (15,109 students vs. 6,128 students)

California State University-San Marcos vs. CSU Channel Islands Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, California State University-San Marcos or CSU Channel Islands?

  • California State University San Marcos and CSU Channel Islands 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-San Marcos as California State University Channel Islands ($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 CSU Channel Islands ($10,463 vs. $13,540)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Marcos are 16.7% lower than costs at California State University Channel Islands ($13,972 vs. $16,300)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University Channel Islands than California State University San Marcos (72% vs. 67%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Channel Islands students is 5.5% larger than aid received California State University San Marcos ($9,412 vs. $8,922)

California State University-San Marcos vs. CSU Channel Islands Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, California State University-San Marcos or CSU Channel Islands? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between CSU Channel Islands or California State University-San Marcos .

  • Accepted freshman California State University-San Marcos students have a 0.1 point higher average high school GPA (3.32) than students at CSU Channel Islands (3.22)
  • California State University-San Marcos has a higher acceptance rate (95.2%) than CSU Channel Islands (89.7%)

California State University-San Marcos vs. CSU Channel Islands Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, California State University-San Marcos or CSU Channel Islands? 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 CSU Channel Islands and California State University-San Marcos.

  • The graduation rate at CSU Channel Islands is higher than California State University San Marcos (54% vs. 49%)
  • Graduates from California State University San Marcos earn on average $3,000 more per year than CSU Channel Islands graduates after ten years. ($49,100 vs. $46,100)
  • California State University Channel Islands students graduate with a $2,812 lower median federal student loan debt than California State University-San Marcos graduates. ($15,183 vs. $17,995)
  • CSU Channel Islands graduates are paying $30 less per month on federal student loans than California State University-San Marcos graduates. ($156 vs. $186)
  • More California State University-San Marcos graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former CSU Channel Islands students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 66%)

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