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USD UCSD UC Riverside Cal State Fullerton Cal Poly Cal State Long Beach UCSC San Francisco State UCSB ASU San Jose State UCLA| San Diego State University | California State University San Marcos | College 3 | College 4 | |
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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 | 39,241 | 15,431 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Public 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #337 | #833 | ||
| 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 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $17,622 | $17,622 | ||
| Room & Board | $21,630 | $14,152 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $19,500 | $10,500 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $5,459 | $10,247 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 94% | 72% |
Admission |
San Diego State | California State University-San Marcos | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 82,800 | 17,519 | ||
| Admitted | 28,517 | 16,765 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 34.4% | 95.7% | ||
| Enrolled % | 21.6% | 15.7% | ||
| 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, 2025 | Nov 30, 2025 |
Academics |
San Diego State | California State University-San Marcos | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 22:1 | 21:1 | ||
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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 | 5% | 2% | ||
| % Women | 8% | 6% | ||
| 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 | 75% | 97% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 23% | 2% | ||
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 (39,241 students vs. 15,431 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 ($10,500 vs. $19,500)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Marcos are 52.8% lower than costs at San Diego State University ($14,152 vs. $21,630)
- More students receive financial grant aid at San Diego State University than California State University San Marcos (94% vs. 72%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by California State University San Marcos students is 87.7% larger than aid received San Diego State University ($10,247 vs. $5,459)
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 (95.7%) than San Diego State (34.4%)
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/