California State University-San Marcos vs. UWest

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

California State University-San Marcos UWest
Location San Marcos, CA Rosemead, CA
Setting Rural Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 15,109 164
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #836
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website csusm.edu uwest.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

California State University-San Marcos UWest
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $12,912
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $12,912
Room & Board $13,972 $9,656
Avg Net Price $10,463 $19,028
Avg Grant Aid $8,922 $8,190
% Receiving Grant Aid 67% 80%

Admission

California State University-San Marcos UWest
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 14,774 23
Admitted 14,064 18
Acceptance Rate 95.2% 78.3%Open
Enrolled % 18.1% 27.8%Open
Avg High School GPA 3.32 2.43
Typical High School Grades B+ C+
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 Jun 15, 2025

Academics

California State University-San Marcos UWest
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 5:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)
  • Business (56%)
  • English and Literature (33%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (11%)

Outcomes

California State University-San Marcos UWest
Graduation Rate 49% -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,100 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 66% -
Median Student Loan Debt $17,995 N/A
Median Loan Payment $186 N/A

Diversity

California State University-San Marcos UWest
% Men 39% 47%
% Women 61% 53%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 30% 9%
% Black 3% 2%
% Hispanic 42% 41%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 3%
% International 2% 34%
% Unknown Race 5% 0%

Students

California State University-San Marcos UWest
% In-State 98% 100%
% Out-of-State 1% 0%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • California State University San Marcos is larger than than UWest based on total student enrollment (15,109 students vs. 164 students)

California State University-San Marcos vs. UWest Cost Comparison

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

  • University of the West is 124.9% more expensive to attend than California State University-San Marcos for in-state tuition ($12,912.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 36.5% higher at California State University-San Marcos than University of the West ($17,622.00 vs. $12,912.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California State University San Marcos than UWest ($10,463 vs. $19,028)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of the West are 44.7% lower than costs at California State University San Marcos ($9,656 vs. $13,972)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of the West than California State University San Marcos (80% vs. 67%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University San Marcos students is 8.9% larger than aid received University of the West ($8,922 vs. $8,190)

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

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

  • Accepted freshman California State University-San Marcos students have a 0.89 point higher average high school GPA (3.32) than students at UWest (2.43)
  • California State University-San Marcos has a higher acceptance rate (95.2%) than UWest (78.3%)

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

Which is better, California State University-San Marcos or UWest? 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 UWest and California State University-San Marcos.

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