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Cal State Fullerton San Diego State University-Imperial Valley Campus Sonoma State University San Francisco State San Jose State Humboldt State University CSU California State University-Northridge Sacramento State UCSC UC Merced San Diego State| California State University San Marcos | California State University Monterey Bay | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
California State University-San Marcos | CSUMB | ||
| Location | San Marcos, CA | Seaside, CA | ||
| Setting | Rural Fringe | Rural Fringe | ||
| Enrollment | 15,431 | 6,742 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Public 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #833 | #835 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | csusm.edu | csumb.edu | ||
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Costs |
California State University-San Marcos | CSUMB | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $5,742 | $5,742 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $17,622 | $17,622 | ||
| Room & Board | $14,152 | $16,413 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $10,500 | $15,222 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $10,247 | $10,480 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 72% | 73% |
Admission |
California State University-San Marcos | CSUMB | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 17,519 | 11,769 | ||
| Admitted | 16,765 | 11,160 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 95.7% | 94.8% | ||
| Enrolled % | 15.7% | 8.4% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.32 | 3.45 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | B+ | B+ | ||
| Admissions Standards | Extremely Easy | Very Easy | ||
| Applicant Competition | ||||
| ACT Range | 17/22 | 17/23 | ||
| SAT Range | 950/1130 | 960/1160 | ||
| 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 | Jan 15, 2026 |
Academics |
California State University-San Marcos | CSUMB | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 21:1 | 16:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
California State University-San Marcos | CSUMB | ||
| Graduation Rate | 49% | 38% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $49,100 | $45,300 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 66% | 66% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $17,995 | $14,000 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $186 | $144 |
Diversity |
California State University-San Marcos | CSUMB | ||
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| % Men | 2% | 3% | ||
| % Women | 6% | 9% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 30% | 31% | ||
| % Black | 3% | 6% | ||
| % Hispanic | 42% | 43% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 6% | 7% | ||
| % International | 2% | 2% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 5% | 5% |
Students |
California State University-San Marcos | CSUMB | ||
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| % In-State | 97% | 93% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 2% | 5% | ||
Campus |
California State University-San Marcos | CSUMB | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | No | ||
| Meal Plan | No | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | Yes | Yes | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- California State University San Marcos is larger than than CSUMB based on total student enrollment (15,431 students vs. 6,742 students)
California State University-San Marcos vs. CSUMB Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, California State University-San Marcos or CSUMB?
- California State University San Marcos and CSUMB 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 Monterey Bay ($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 CSUMB ($10,500 vs. $15,222)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Marcos are 16% lower than costs at California State University Monterey Bay ($14,152 vs. $16,413)
- More students receive financial grant aid at California State University Monterey Bay than California State University San Marcos (73% vs. 72%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Monterey Bay students is 2.3% larger than aid received California State University San Marcos ($10,480 vs. $10,247)
California State University-San Marcos vs. CSUMB Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, California State University-San Marcos or CSUMB? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between CSUMB or California State University-San Marcos .
- Accepted freshman CSUMB students have a 0.13 point higher average high school GPA (3.45) than students at California State University-San Marcos (3.32)
- California State University-San Marcos has a higher acceptance rate (95.7%) than CSUMB (94.8%)
California State University-San Marcos vs. CSUMB Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, California State University-San Marcos or CSUMB? 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 CSUMB and California State University-San Marcos.
- The graduation rate at California State University-San Marcos is higher than California State University Monterey Bay (49% vs. 38%)
- Graduates from California State University San Marcos earn on average $3,800 more per year than CSUMB graduates after ten years. ($49,100 vs. $45,300)
- California State University Monterey Bay students graduate with a $3,995 lower median federal student loan debt than California State University-San Marcos graduates. ($14,000 vs. $17,995)
- CSUMB graduates are paying $42 less per month on federal student loans than California State University-San Marcos graduates. ($144 vs. $186)
- More California State University-San Marcos graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former CSUMB 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/