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SHSU Cal State Fullerton San Diego State University-Imperial Valley Campus TAMUK University of Houston-Downtown California State University-Northridge Sacramento State Texas State San Diego State PVAMU UNT Tarleton| Lamar University | California State University San Marcos | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
Lamar University | California State University-San Marcos | ||
| Location | Beaumont, TX | San Marcos, CA | ||
| Setting | Midsize City | Rural Fringe | ||
| Enrollment | 17,473 | 15,431 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Public 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #938 | #833 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | lamar.edu | csusm.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Lamar University | California State University-San Marcos | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $6,228 | $5,742 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $16,020 | $17,622 | ||
| Room & Board | $10,272 | $14,152 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $10,999 | $10,500 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $10,544 | $10,247 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 88% | 72% |
Admission |
Lamar University | California State University-San Marcos | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 7,246 | 17,519 | ||
| Admitted | 6,212 | 16,765 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 85.7% | 95.7% | ||
| Enrolled % | 25% | 15.7% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.4 | 3.32 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | B+ | B+ | ||
| Admissions Standards | Very Easy | Extremely Easy | ||
| Applicant Competition | ||||
| ACT Range | 18/24 | 17/22 | ||
| SAT Range | 910/1130 | 950/1130 | ||
| Submit Test Scores | Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) | Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) | ||
| Application Deadline | Nov 30, 2025 |
Academics |
Lamar University | California State University-San Marcos | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 18:1 | 21:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
Lamar University | California State University-San Marcos | ||
| Graduation Rate | 31% | 49% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $45,500 | $49,100 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 42% | 66% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $22,000 | $17,995 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $227 | $186 |
Diversity |
Lamar University | California State University-San Marcos | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 16% | 2% | ||
| % Women | 38% | 6% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 48% | 30% | ||
| % Black | 27% | 3% | ||
| % Hispanic | 15% | 42% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 2% | 6% | ||
| % International | 2% | 2% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 2% | 5% |
Students |
Lamar University | California State University-San Marcos | ||
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| % In-State | 97% | 97% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 2% | 2% | ||
Campus |
Lamar University | California State University-San Marcos | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | No | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | No | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | Yes | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | No | Yes | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- Lamar University is larger than than California State University-San Marcos based on total student enrollment (17,473 students vs. 15,431 students)
Lamar University vs. California State University-San Marcos Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Lamar University or California State University-San Marcos?
- Lamar University is 8.5% more expensive to attend than California State University-San Marcos for in-state tuition ($6,228.00 vs. $5,742.00)
- Out of state tuition is 10% higher at California State University-San Marcos than Lamar University ($17,622.00 vs. $16,020.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California State University San Marcos than Lamar University ($10,500 vs. $10,999)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Lamar University are 37.8% lower than costs at California State University San Marcos ($10,272 vs. $14,152)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Lamar University than California State University San Marcos (88% vs. 72%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Lamar University students is 2.9% larger than aid received California State University San Marcos ($10,544 vs. $10,247)
Lamar University vs. California State University-San Marcos Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Lamar University 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 Lamar University .
- The average SAT score at Lamar University (974) is 19 points higher than at California State University-San Marcos (955)
- Incoming Lamar University students have at the same average ACT score (21) as students at California State University-San Marcos (21)
- Accepted freshman Lamar University students have a 0.08 point higher average high school GPA (3.4) than students at California State University-San Marcos (3.32)
- California State University-San Marcos has a higher acceptance rate (95.7%) than Lamar University (85.7%)
Lamar University vs. California State University-San Marcos Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Lamar University 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 Lamar University.
- The graduation rate at California State University-San Marcos is higher than Lamar University (49% vs. 31%)
- Graduates from California State University San Marcos earn on average $3,600 more per year than Lamar University graduates after ten years. ($49,100 vs. $45,500)
- California State University San Marcos students graduate with a $4,005 lower median federal student loan debt than Lamar University graduates. ($17,995 vs. $22,000)
- California State University-San Marcos graduates are paying $41 less per month on federal student loans than Lamar University graduates. ($186 vs. $227)
- More California State University-San Marcos graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Lamar University students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 42%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/