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Cal State Fullerton San Diego State University-Imperial Valley Campus California State University-Northridge Sacramento State San Diego State Cal State LA California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Cal State Long Beach San Jose State CSUMB California State University-Fresno CSU| California State University San Marcos | University of the West | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
California State University-San Marcos | UWest | ||
| Location | San Marcos, CA | Rosemead, CA | ||
| Setting | Rural Fringe | Large Suburban | ||
| Enrollment | 15,431 | 154 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #833 | |||
| 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 | $13,560 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $17,622 | $13,560 | ||
| Room & Board | $14,152 | $12,760 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $10,500 | $11,137 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $10,247 | $13,807 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 72% | 100% |
Admission |
California State University-San Marcos | UWest | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 17,519 | 7 | ||
| Admitted | 16,765 | 7 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 95.7% | 100%Open | ||
| Enrolled % | 15.7% | 57.1%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, 2025 | Jun 15, 2026 |
Academics |
California State University-San Marcos | UWest | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 21:1 | 5:1 | ||
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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 | 2% | 39% | ||
| % Women | 6% | 27% | ||
| 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 | 97% | 100% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 2% | 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 (15,431 students vs. 154 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 136.2% more expensive to attend than California State University-San Marcos for in-state tuition ($13,560.00 vs. $5,742.00)
- Out of state tuition is 30% higher at California State University-San Marcos than University of the West ($17,622.00 vs. $13,560.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California State University San Marcos than UWest ($10,500 vs. $11,137)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of the West are 10.9% lower than costs at California State University San Marcos ($12,760 vs. $14,152)
- More students receive financial grant aid at University of the West than California State University San Marcos (100% vs. 72%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by University of the West students is 34.7% larger than aid received California State University San Marcos ($13,807 vs. $10,247)
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)
- UWest has a higher acceptance rate (100%) than California State University-San Marcos (95.7%)
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/