Saint Marys College of California vs. California State University-San Marcos

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

Saint Marys College of California California State University-San Marcos
Location Moraga, CA San Marcos, CA
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 2,765 15,109
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #254 #836
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website stmarys-ca.edu csusm.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Saint Marys College of California California State University-San Marcos
Tuition (In State) $53,732 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $53,732 $17,622
Room & Board $16,404 $13,972
Avg Net Price $32,129 $10,463
Avg Grant Aid $39,139 $8,922
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 67%

Admission

Saint Marys College of California California State University-San Marcos
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,353 14,774
Admitted 2,947 14,064
Acceptance Rate 87.9% 95.2%
Enrolled % 15.1% 18.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.6 3.32
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28 17/22
SAT Range 1070/1253 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 Jan 15, 2025 Nov 30, 2024

Academics

Saint Marys College of California California State University-San Marcos
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 23:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (30%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Health Professions (7%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)

Outcomes

Saint Marys College of California California State University-San Marcos
Graduation Rate 61% 49%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $66,800 $49,100
Making Student Loan Payments 71% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $17,995
Median Loan Payment $258 $186

Diversity

Saint Marys College of California California State University-San Marcos
% Men 41% 39%
% Women 59% 61%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 46% 30%
% Black 4% 3%
% Hispanic 25% 42%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 6%
% International 2% 2%
% Unknown Race 4% 5%

Students

Saint Marys College of California California State University-San Marcos
% In-State 83% 98%
% Out-of-State 14% 1%

Campus

Saint Marys College of California California State University-San Marcos
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes No
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • California State University San Marcos is larger than than Saint Marys College of California based on total student enrollment (15,109 students vs. 2,765 students)

Saint Marys College of California vs. California State University-San Marcos Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Saint Marys College of California or California State University-San Marcos?

  • Saint Marys College of California is 835.8% more expensive to attend than California State University-San Marcos for in-state tuition ($53,732.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 204.9% higher at Saint Marys College of California than California State University San Marcos ($53,732.00 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 Saint Marys College of California ($10,463 vs. $32,129)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Marcos are 17.4% lower than costs at Saint Marys College of California ($13,972 vs. $16,404)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Saint Marys College of California than California State University San Marcos (100% vs. 67%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Saint Marys College of California students is 338.7% larger than aid received California State University San Marcos ($39,139 vs. $8,922)

Saint Marys College of California vs. California State University-San Marcos Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Saint Marys College of California 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 Saint Marys College of California .

  • The average SAT score at Saint Marys College of California (1124) is 169 points higher than at California State University-San Marcos (955)
  • Incoming Saint Marys College of California students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at California State University-San Marcos (21)
  • Accepted freshman Saint Marys College of California students have a 0.28 point higher average high school GPA (3.6) than students at California State University-San Marcos (3.32)
  • California State University-San Marcos has a higher acceptance rate (95.2%) than Saint Marys College of California (87.9%)

Saint Marys College of California vs. California State University-San Marcos Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Saint Marys College of California 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 Saint Marys College of California.

  • The graduation rate at Saint Marys College of California is higher than California State University San Marcos (61% vs. 49%)
  • Graduates from Saint Marys College of California earn on average $17,700 more per year than California State University-San Marcos graduates after ten years. ($66,800 vs. $49,100)
  • California State University San Marcos students graduate with a $7,005 lower median federal student loan debt than Saint Marys College of California graduates. ($17,995 vs. $25,000)
  • California State University-San Marcos graduates are paying $72 less per month on federal student loans than Saint Marys College of California graduates. ($186 vs. $258)
  • More Saint Marys College of California graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California State University-San Marcos students, three years after graduation. (71% vs. 66%)

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