San Diego State vs. California State University-San Marcos

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

San Diego State California State University-San Marcos
Location San Diego, CA San Marcos, CA
Setting Large City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 37,402 15,109
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #337 #836
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website sdsu.edu csusm.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

San Diego State California State University-San Marcos
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $17,622
Room & Board $19,714 $13,972
Avg Net Price $13,017 $10,463
Avg Grant Aid $9,934 $8,922
% Receiving Grant Aid 43% 67%

Admission

San Diego State California State University-San Marcos
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 77,250 14,774
Admitted 30,331 14,064
Acceptance Rate 39.3% 95.2%
Enrolled % 21.7% 18.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.82 3.32
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition High
ACT Range 22/29 17/22
SAT Range 1090/1300 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 Nov 30, 2024 Nov 30, 2024

Academics

San Diego State California State University-San Marcos
Student to Faculty Ratio 25:1 23:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (23%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • English and Literature (7%)
  • Health Professions (7%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)

Outcomes

San Diego State California State University-San Marcos
Graduation Rate 66% 49%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,400 $49,100
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $15,349 $17,995
Median Loan Payment $158 $186

Diversity

San Diego State California State University-San Marcos
% Men 42% 39%
% Women 58% 61%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 34% 30%
% Black 4% 3%
% Hispanic 31% 42%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 6%
% International 6% 2%
% Unknown Race 4% 5%

Students

San Diego State California State University-San Marcos
% In-State 77% 98%
% Out-of-State 21% 1%

Campus

San Diego State 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 Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • San Diego State University is larger than than California State University-San Marcos based on total student enrollment (37,402 students vs. 15,109 students)

San Diego State vs. California State University-San Marcos Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, San Diego State or California State University-San Marcos?

  • San Diego State University and California State University-San Marcos cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($5,742.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is the same at San Diego State as California State University San Marcos ($17,622.00 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 San Diego State ($10,463 vs. $13,017)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Marcos are 41.1% lower than costs at San Diego State University ($13,972 vs. $19,714)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University San Marcos than San Diego State University (67% vs. 43%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by San Diego State University students is 11.3% larger than aid received California State University San Marcos ($9,934 vs. $8,922)

San Diego State vs. California State University-San Marcos Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, San Diego State 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 San Diego State .

  • The average SAT score at San Diego State University (1130) is 175 points higher than at California State University-San Marcos (955)
  • Incoming San Diego State students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at California State University-San Marcos (21)
  • Accepted freshman San Diego State students have a 0.5 point higher average high school GPA (3.82) than students at California State University-San Marcos (3.32)
  • California State University-San Marcos has a higher acceptance rate (95.2%) than San Diego State (39.3%)

San Diego State vs. California State University-San Marcos Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, San Diego State 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 San Diego State.

  • The graduation rate at San Diego State is higher than California State University San Marcos (66% vs. 49%)
  • Graduates from San Diego State University earn on average $4,300 more per year than California State University-San Marcos graduates after ten years. ($53,400 vs. $49,100)
  • San Diego State University students graduate with a $2,646 lower median federal student loan debt than California State University-San Marcos graduates. ($15,349 vs. $17,995)
  • San Diego State graduates are paying $28 less per month on federal student loans than California State University-San Marcos graduates. ($158 vs. $186)
  • More California State University-San Marcos graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former San Diego State students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 65%)

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