Add a college to compare up to four schools
Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison.
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| Menlo College | California State University San Marcos | College 3 | College 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
||||
| Remove | Remove | +Add | +Add | |
Overview |
Menlo | California State University-San Marcos | ||
| Location | Atherton, CA | San Marcos, CA | ||
| Setting | Large Suburban | Rural Fringe | ||
| Enrollment | 800 | 15,109 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Public 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #836 | |||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | menlo.edu | csusm.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Menlo | California State University-San Marcos | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $48,260 | $5,742 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition (Out of State) | $48,260 | $17,622 | ||
| Room & Board | $16,250 | $13,972 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $29,151 | $10,463 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $34,632 | $8,922 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 100% | 67% |
Admission |
Menlo | California State University-San Marcos | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 3,357 | 14,774 | ||
| Admitted | 2,072 | 14,064 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 61.7% | 95.2% | ||
| Enrolled % | 9.8% | 18.1% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.3 | 3.32 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | B+ | B+ | ||
| Admissions Standards | Unavailable | Extremely Easy | ||
| Applicant Competition | Low | |||
| 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 | Apr 1, 2025 | Nov 30, 2024 |
Academics |
Menlo | California State University-San Marcos | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student to Faculty Ratio | 15:1 | 23:1 | ||
| Popular Majors |
|
|
||
Outcomes |
Menlo | California State University-San Marcos | ||
| Graduation Rate | 34% | 49% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $53,900 | $49,100 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 55% | 66% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $21,062 | $17,995 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $217 | $186 |
Diversity |
Menlo | California State University-San Marcos | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 56% | 39% | ||
| % Women | 44% | 61% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 29% | 30% | ||
| % Black | 6% | 3% | ||
| % Hispanic | 22% | 42% | ||
| % Native American | 1% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 2% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 8% | 6% | ||
| % International | 14% | 2% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 9% | 5% |
Students |
Menlo | California State University-San Marcos | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 49% | 98% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 22% | 1% | ||
Campus |
Menlo | 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 Menlo based on total student enrollment (15,109 students vs. 800 students)
Menlo vs. California State University-San Marcos Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Menlo or California State University-San Marcos?
- Menlo College is 740.5% more expensive to attend than California State University-San Marcos for in-state tuition ($48,260.00 vs. $5,742.00)
- Out of state tuition is 173.9% higher at Menlo than California State University San Marcos ($48,260.00 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 Menlo ($10,463 vs. $29,151)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Marcos are 16.3% lower than costs at Menlo College ($13,972 vs. $16,250)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Menlo College than California State University San Marcos (100% vs. 67%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Menlo College students is 288.2% larger than aid received California State University San Marcos ($34,632 vs. $8,922)
Menlo vs. California State University-San Marcos Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Menlo 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 Menlo .
- The average SAT score at Menlo College (1018) is 63 points higher than at California State University-San Marcos (955)
- Incoming Menlo students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at California State University-San Marcos (21)
- Accepted freshman California State University-San Marcos students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.32) than students at Menlo (3.3)
- California State University-San Marcos has a higher acceptance rate (95.2%) than Menlo (61.7%)
Menlo vs. California State University-San Marcos Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Menlo 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 Menlo.
- The graduation rate at California State University-San Marcos is higher than Menlo College (49% vs. 34%)
- Graduates from Menlo College earn on average $4,800 more per year than California State University-San Marcos graduates after ten years. ($53,900 vs. $49,100)
- California State University San Marcos students graduate with a $3,067 lower median federal student loan debt than Menlo graduates. ($17,995 vs. $21,062)
- California State University-San Marcos graduates are paying $31 less per month on federal student loans than Menlo graduates. ($186 vs. $217)
- More California State University-San Marcos graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Menlo students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 55%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/