CDU vs. California State University-San Marcos

Should I go to Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science or California State University San Marcos? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if CDU 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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Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science vs. California State University San Marcos comparison
Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science California State University San Marcos College 3 College 4
California State University San Marcos
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Overview

CDU California State University-San Marcos
Location Los Angeles, CA San Marcos, CA
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 763 15,431
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #833
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cdrewu.edu csusm.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

CDU California State University-San Marcos
Tuition (In State) $18,933 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $18,933 $17,622
Room & Board $27,900 $14,152
Avg Net Price $27,789 $10,500
Avg Grant Aid $6,184 $10,247
% Receiving Grant Aid 43% 72%

Admission

CDU California State University-San Marcos
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 985 17,519
Admitted 382 16,765
Acceptance Rate 38.8%Open 95.7%
Enrolled % 1.8%Open 15.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.26 3.32
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition High
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 Jul 30, 2025 Nov 30, 2024

Academics

CDU California State University-San Marcos
Student to Faculty Ratio 4:1 21:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (100%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)

Outcomes

CDU California State University-San Marcos
Graduation Rate - 49%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $70,900 $49,100
Making Student Loan Payments 56% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,319 $17,995
Median Loan Payment $220 $186

Diversity

CDU California State University-San Marcos
% Men 22% 2%
% Women 48% 6%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 9% 30%
% Black 39% 3%
% Hispanic 13% 42%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 25% 6%
% International 0% 2%
% Unknown Race 4% 5%

Students

CDU California State University-San Marcos
% In-State 57% 97%
% Out-of-State 14% 2%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • California State University San Marcos is larger than than CDU based on total student enrollment (15,431 students vs. 763 students)

CDU vs. California State University-San Marcos Cost Comparison

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

  • Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science is 229.7% more expensive to attend than California State University-San Marcos for in-state tuition ($18,933.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 7.4% higher at CDU than California State University San Marcos ($18,933.00 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 CDU ($10,500 vs. $27,789)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Marcos are 97.1% lower than costs at Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science ($14,152 vs. $27,900)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University San Marcos than Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science (72% vs. 43%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University San Marcos students is 65.7% larger than aid received Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science ($10,247 vs. $6,184)

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

Which college is harder to get into, CDU 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 CDU .

  • Accepted freshman California State University-San Marcos students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.32) than students at CDU (3.26)
  • California State University-San Marcos has a higher acceptance rate (95.7%) than CDU (38.8%)

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

Which is better, CDU 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 CDU.

  • Graduates from Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science earn on average $21,800 more per year than California State University-San Marcos graduates after ten years. ($70,900 vs. $49,100)
  • California State University San Marcos students graduate with a $3,324 lower median federal student loan debt than CDU graduates. ($17,995 vs. $21,319)
  • California State University-San Marcos graduates are paying $34 less per month on federal student loans than CDU graduates. ($186 vs. $220)
  • More California State University-San Marcos graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former CDU students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 56%)

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