Musicians Institute vs. California State University-San Marcos

Comparable Facts

Compare Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA with California State University San Marcos in San Marcos, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

California State University San Marcos is larger than Musicians Institute based on total student enrollment (16,237 students vs. 824 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Musicians Institute is located in Hollywood, CA (Large City setting); California State University San Marcos is in San Marcos, CA (Rural Fringe setting).
• Musicians Institute is a private, for-profit 4-year institution. California State University San Marcos is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Musicians Institute 6:1; California State University San Marcos 24:1.

Musicians Institute vs. California State University-San Marcos Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Musicians Institute or California State University-San Marcos? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California State University San Marcos than Musicians Institute ($10,241 vs. $49,657).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Marcos are 35.9% lower than at Musicians Institute ($14,152 vs. $22,086).
• Musicians Institute is 324.7% more expensive for in-state tuition than California State University-San Marcos (about $26,240 more per year; $34,322.00 vs. $8,082.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 66% higher at Musicians Institute than at California State University San Marcos (about $13,640 more per year; $34,322.00 vs. $20,682.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at California State University San Marcos than at Musicians Institute (71% vs. 48%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by California State University San Marcos students is 155.5% larger than aid received by Musicians Institute students ($11,123 vs. $4,353).

Musicians Institute vs. California State University-San Marcos Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Musicians Institute or California State University-San Marcos? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between California State University-San Marcos and Musicians Institute.

• Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted studentsCalifornia State University San Marcos 950/1130.
• Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted studentsCalifornia State University San Marcos 17/22.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Musicians Institute - Test-free; California State University-San Marcos - Test-free.
• Typical fall application deadline: California State University-San Marcos Nov 30, 2026.
• California State University-San Marcos has a higher acceptance rate (95.1%) than Musicians Institute (77.9%).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 40.6% at Musicians Institute vs. 14% at California State University-San Marcos.

Musicians Institute vs. California State University-San Marcos Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Musicians Institute and California State University-San Marcos? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

• Musicians Institute's six-year graduation rate (67%) is higher than California State University San Marcos's (49%).
• Graduates from California State University San Marcos earn a median of about $14,200 more per year than Musicians Institute graduates about ten years after starting college ($49,100 vs. $34,900), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• More California State University-San Marcos graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Musicians Institute students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 53%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.