SFBU vs. California State University-San Marcos

Comparable Facts

Compare San Francisco Bay University in Fremont, California 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 SFBU based on total student enrollment (16,237 students vs. 389 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• San Francisco Bay University is located in Fremont, California (Large Suburban setting); California State University San Marcos is in San Marcos, CA (Rural Fringe setting).
• San Francisco Bay University is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. California State University San Marcos is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: San Francisco Bay University 10:1; California State University San Marcos 24:1.

SFBU vs. California State University-San Marcos Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SFBU 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 SFBU ($10,241 vs. $10,294).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at San Francisco Bay University are 24.4% lower than at California State University San Marcos ($10,700 vs. $14,152).
• San Francisco Bay University is 9.3% more expensive for in-state tuition than California State University-San Marcos (about $748 more per year; $8,830.00 vs. $8,082.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 134.2% higher at California State University-San Marcos than at San Francisco Bay University (about $11,852 more per year; $20,682.00 vs. $8,830.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at San Francisco Bay University than at California State University San Marcos (100% vs. 71%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by San Francisco Bay University students is 6.5% larger than aid received by California State University San Marcos students ($11,841 vs. $11,123).

SFBU vs. California State University-San Marcos Admissions comparison

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

• Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) among enrolled freshmen who submitted scoresCalifornia State University San Marcos 950/1130.
• Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) among enrolled freshmen who submitted scoresCalifornia State University San Marcos 17/22.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: SFBU - Test-free; California State University-San Marcos - Test-free.
• Typical fall application deadline: SFBU Aug 5, 2027; California State University-San Marcos Nov 30, 2026.
• Enrolled freshman California State University-San Marcos students have a 0.6 point higher average high school GPA (3.32) than students at SFBU (2.72).
• SFBU has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than California State University-San Marcos (95.1%).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 5.6% at SFBU vs. 14% at California State University-San Marcos.

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

How do outcomes compare for SFBU and California State University-San Marcos? Where federal data is available for both schools, the bullets below compare graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt using the same College Scorecard / IPEDS fields as the comparison table. If a metric is missing for one school, that school is noted separately.

• California State University San Marcos's six-year graduation rate is 49%. Comparable graduation rate data is not available for SFBU.
• Graduates from California State University San Marcos have median earnings of about $49,100 about ten years after starting college (College Scorecard). Comparable earnings data is not available for SFBU.

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.