Platt College-Los Angeles vs. California State University-San Marcos

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

Platt College-Los Angeles California State University-San Marcos
Location Alhambra, CA San Marcos, CA
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 598 15,431
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #833
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status For-profit Non-profit
Website plattcollege.edu csusm.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Platt College-Los Angeles California State University-San Marcos
Tuition (In State) $14,804 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $14,804 $17,622
Room & Board $15,736 $14,152
Avg Net Price $29,947 $10,500
Avg Grant Aid $4,484 $10,247
% Receiving Grant Aid 83% 72%

Admission

Platt College-Los Angeles California State University-San Marcos
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 17,519
Admitted - 16,765
Acceptance Rate Open 95.7%
Enrolled % Open 15.7%
Avg High School GPA - 3.32
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 17/22
SAT Range 950/1130
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2025

Academics

Platt College-Los Angeles California State University-San Marcos
Student to Faculty Ratio 21:1 21:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (33%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (32%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (19%)
  • Legal Professions (15%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)

Outcomes

Platt College-Los Angeles California State University-San Marcos
Graduation Rate 46% 49%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $34,700 $49,100
Making Student Loan Payments 28% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,000 $17,995
Median Loan Payment $217 $186

Diversity

Platt College-Los Angeles California State University-San Marcos
% Men 17% 2%
% Women 60% 6%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 15% 30%
% Black 3% 3%
% Hispanic 66% 42%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 6%
% International 0% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 5%

Students

Platt College-Los Angeles California State University-San Marcos
% In-State 99% 97%
% Out-of-State 0% 2%

Campus

Platt College-Los Angeles 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 No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • California State University San Marcos is larger than than Platt College-Los Angeles based on total student enrollment (15,431 students vs. 598 students)

Platt College-Los Angeles vs. California State University-San Marcos Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Platt College-Los Angeles or California State University-San Marcos?

  • Platt College Los Angeles is 157.8% more expensive to attend than California State University-San Marcos for in-state tuition ($14,804.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 19% higher at California State University-San Marcos than Platt College Los Angeles ($17,622.00 vs. $14,804.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California State University San Marcos than Platt College-Los Angeles ($10,500 vs. $29,947)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Marcos are 11.2% lower than costs at Platt College Los Angeles ($14,152 vs. $15,736)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Platt College Los Angeles than California State University San Marcos (83% vs. 72%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University San Marcos students is 128.5% larger than aid received Platt College Los Angeles ($10,247 vs. $4,484)

Which college is harder to get into, Platt College-Los Angeles 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 Platt College-Los Angeles .

Platt College-Los Angeles vs. California State University-San Marcos Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Platt College-Los Angeles 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 Platt College-Los Angeles.

  • The graduation rate at California State University-San Marcos is higher than Platt College Los Angeles (49% vs. 46%)
  • Graduates from California State University San Marcos earn on average $14,400 more per year than Platt College-Los Angeles graduates after ten years. ($49,100 vs. $34,700)
  • California State University San Marcos students graduate with a $3,005 lower median federal student loan debt than Platt College-Los Angeles graduates. ($17,995 vs. $21,000)
  • California State University-San Marcos graduates are paying $31 less per month on federal student loans than Platt College-Los Angeles graduates. ($186 vs. $217)
  • More California State University-San Marcos graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Platt College-Los Angeles students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 28%)

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