Life Pacific College vs. California State University-San Marcos

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

Life Pacific College California State University-San Marcos
Location San Dimas, CA San Marcos, CA
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 504 15,431
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #833
Religious Affiliation Other Protestant - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website lifepacific.edu csusm.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Life Pacific College California State University-San Marcos
Tuition (In State) $19,512 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $19,512 $17,622
Room & Board $11,863 $14,152
Avg Net Price $23,311 $10,500
Avg Grant Aid $9,815 $10,247
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 72%

Admission

Life Pacific College California State University-San Marcos
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 281 17,519
Admitted 264 16,765
Acceptance Rate 94% 95.7%
Enrolled % 28% 15.7%
Avg High School GPA 2.91 3.32
Typical High School Grades B- B+
Admissions Standards Very Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 16/25 17/22
SAT Range 930/1085 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 May 1, 2026 Nov 30, 2025

Academics

Life Pacific College California State University-San Marcos
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 21:1
Popular Majors
  • Theology and Religious Vvocations (97%)
  • Education (3%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)

Outcomes

Life Pacific College California State University-San Marcos
Graduation Rate 33% 49%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $32,000 $49,100
Making Student Loan Payments 54% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,530 $17,995
Median Loan Payment $212 $186

Diversity

Life Pacific College California State University-San Marcos
% Men 11% 2%
% Women 11% 6%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 48% 30%
% Black 5% 3%
% Hispanic 31% 42%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 6%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 3% 5%

Students

Life Pacific College California State University-San Marcos
% In-State 78% 97%
% Out-of-State 20% 2%

Campus

Life Pacific College 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

  • California State University San Marcos is larger than than Life Pacific College based on total student enrollment (15,431 students vs. 504 students)

Life Pacific College vs. California State University-San Marcos Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Life Pacific College or California State University-San Marcos?

  • Life Pacific College is 239.8% more expensive to attend than California State University-San Marcos for in-state tuition ($19,512.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 10.7% higher at Life Pacific College than California State University San Marcos ($19,512.00 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 Life Pacific College ($10,500 vs. $23,311)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Life Pacific College are 19.3% lower than costs at California State University San Marcos ($11,863 vs. $14,152)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Life Pacific College than California State University San Marcos (99% vs. 72%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University San Marcos students is 4.4% larger than aid received Life Pacific College ($10,247 vs. $9,815)

Life Pacific College vs. California State University-San Marcos Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Life Pacific College 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 Life Pacific College .

  • The average SAT score at California State University San Marcos (955) is 54 points higher than at Life Pacific College (901)
  • Incoming California State University-San Marcos students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (21) than students at Life Pacific College (18)
  • Accepted freshman California State University-San Marcos students have a 0.41 point higher average high school GPA (3.32) than students at Life Pacific College (2.91)
  • California State University-San Marcos has a higher acceptance rate (95.7%) than Life Pacific College (94%)

Life Pacific College vs. California State University-San Marcos Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Life Pacific College 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 Life Pacific College.

  • The graduation rate at California State University-San Marcos is higher than Life Pacific College (49% vs. 33%)
  • Graduates from California State University San Marcos earn on average $17,100 more per year than Life Pacific College graduates after ten years. ($49,100 vs. $32,000)
  • California State University San Marcos students graduate with a $2,535 lower median federal student loan debt than Life Pacific College graduates. ($17,995 vs. $20,530)
  • California State University-San Marcos graduates are paying $26 less per month on federal student loans than Life Pacific College graduates. ($186 vs. $212)
  • More California State University-San Marcos graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Life Pacific College students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 54%)

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