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CU Denver Cal State Fullerton San Diego State University-Imperial Valley Campus CSU-Pueblo California State University-Northridge Sacramento State San Diego State Colorado Mesa Cal State LA California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Cal State Long Beach San Jose State| Metropolitan State College of Denver | California State University San Marcos | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
Metropolitan State College of Denver | California State University-San Marcos | ||
| Location | Denver, CO | San Marcos, CA | ||
| Setting | Large City | Rural Fringe | ||
| Enrollment | 16,995 | 15,109 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Public 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #990 | #836 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | mscd.edu | csusm.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Metropolitan State College of Denver | California State University-San Marcos | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $8,445 | $5,742 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $26,277 | $17,622 | ||
| Room & Board | $12,411 | $13,972 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $14,805 | $10,463 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $5,930 | $8,922 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 100% | 67% |
Admission |
Metropolitan State College of Denver | California State University-San Marcos | ||
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| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 10,163 | 14,774 | ||
| Admitted | 9,951 | 14,064 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 97.9% | 95.2% | ||
| Enrolled % | 19.2% | 18.1% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.03 | 3.32 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | B | B+ | ||
| Admissions Standards | Extremely Easy | Extremely Easy | ||
| Applicant Competition | ||||
| ACT Range | 16/23 | 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 | Jul 1, 2025 | Nov 30, 2024 |
Academics |
Metropolitan State College of Denver | California State University-San Marcos | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 16:1 | 23:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
Metropolitan State College of Denver | California State University-San Marcos | ||
| Graduation Rate | 21% | 49% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $42,600 | $49,100 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 47% | 66% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $24,250 | $17,995 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $250 | $186 |
Diversity |
Metropolitan State College of Denver | California State University-San Marcos | ||
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| % Men | 43% | 39% | ||
| % Women | 57% | 61% | ||
| Racial Diversity | High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 58% | 30% | ||
| % Black | 6% | 3% | ||
| % Hispanic | 22% | 42% | ||
| % Native American | 1% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 4% | 6% | ||
| % International | 0% | 2% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 4% | 5% |
Students |
Metropolitan State College of Denver | California State University-San Marcos | ||
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| % In-State | 97% | 98% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 3% | 1% | ||
Campus |
Metropolitan State College of Denver | 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 | Yes | Yes | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- Metropolitan State College of Denver is larger than than California State University-San Marcos based on total student enrollment (16,995 students vs. 15,109 students)
Metropolitan State College of Denver vs. California State University-San Marcos Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Metropolitan State College of Denver or California State University-San Marcos?
- Metropolitan State College of Denver is 47.1% more expensive to attend than California State University-San Marcos for in-state tuition ($8,445.00 vs. $5,742.00)
- Out of state tuition is 49.1% higher at Metropolitan State College of Denver than California State University San Marcos ($26,277.00 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 Metropolitan State College of Denver ($10,463 vs. $14,805)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Metropolitan State College of Denver are 12.6% lower than costs at California State University San Marcos ($12,411 vs. $13,972)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Metropolitan State College of Denver than California State University San Marcos (100% vs. 67%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by California State University San Marcos students is 50.5% larger than aid received Metropolitan State College of Denver ($8,922 vs. $5,930)
Metropolitan State College of Denver vs. California State University-San Marcos Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Metropolitan State College of Denver 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 Metropolitan State College of Denver .
- The average SAT score at Metropolitan State College of Denver (971) is 16 points higher than at California State University-San Marcos (955)
- Incoming Metropolitan State College of Denver students have at the same average ACT score (21) as students at California State University-San Marcos (21)
- Accepted freshman California State University-San Marcos students have a 0.29 point higher average high school GPA (3.32) than students at Metropolitan State College of Denver (3.03)
- Metropolitan State College of Denver has a higher acceptance rate (97.9%) than California State University-San Marcos (95.2%)
Metropolitan State College of Denver vs. California State University-San Marcos Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Metropolitan State College of Denver 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 Metropolitan State College of Denver.
- The graduation rate at California State University-San Marcos is higher than Metropolitan State College of Denver (49% vs. 21%)
- Graduates from California State University San Marcos earn on average $6,500 more per year than Metropolitan State College of Denver graduates after ten years. ($49,100 vs. $42,600)
- California State University San Marcos students graduate with a $6,255 lower median federal student loan debt than Metropolitan State College of Denver graduates. ($17,995 vs. $24,250)
- California State University-San Marcos graduates are paying $64 less per month on federal student loans than Metropolitan State College of Denver graduates. ($186 vs. $250)
- More California State University-San Marcos graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Metropolitan State College of Denver students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 47%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/