Add a college to compare up to four schools
Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison.
USF Sacramento State San Jose State San Diego State Cal State East Bay CSU Sonoma State University Cal State Long Beach Cal State LA Cal State Fullerton San Diego State University-Imperial Valley Campus CSUMB| San Francisco State University | California State University San Marcos | College 3 | College 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|||
| Remove | Remove | +Add | +Add | |
Overview |
San Francisco State | California State University-San Marcos | ||
| Location | San Francisco, CA | San Marcos, CA | ||
| Setting | Large City | Rural Fringe | ||
| Enrollment | 25,282 | 15,109 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Public 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #789 | #836 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | sfsu.edu | csusm.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
San Francisco State | California State University-San Marcos | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $5,742 | $5,742 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition (Out of State) | $17,622 | $17,622 | ||
| Room & Board | $17,955 | $13,972 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $13,267 | $10,463 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $9,830 | $8,922 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 72% | 67% |
Admission |
San Francisco State | California State University-San Marcos | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 29,932 | 14,774 | ||
| Admitted | 28,195 | 14,064 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 94.2% | 95.2% | ||
| Enrolled % | 11.8% | 18.1% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.31 | 3.32 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | B+ | B+ | ||
| Admissions Standards | Extremely Easy | Extremely Easy | ||
| Applicant Competition | ||||
| ACT Range | 16/23 | 17/22 | ||
| SAT Range | 930/1130 | 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 Francisco State | California State University-San Marcos | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student to Faculty Ratio | 19:1 | 23:1 | ||
| Popular Majors |
|
|
||
Outcomes |
San Francisco State | California State University-San Marcos | ||
| Graduation Rate | 46% | 49% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $52,600 | $49,100 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 63% | 66% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $17,250 | $17,995 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $178 | $186 |
Diversity |
San Francisco State | California State University-San Marcos | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 43% | 39% | ||
| % Women | 57% | 61% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 21% | 30% | ||
| % Black | 5% | 3% | ||
| % Hispanic | 29% | 42% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 6% | 6% | ||
| % International | 6% | 2% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 5% | 5% |
Students |
San Francisco State | California State University-San Marcos | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 96% | 98% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 1% | 1% | ||
Campus |
San Francisco 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 Francisco State University is larger than than California State University-San Marcos based on total student enrollment (25,282 students vs. 15,109 students)
San Francisco State vs. California State University-San Marcos Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, San Francisco State or California State University-San Marcos?
- San Francisco 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 Francisco 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 Francisco State ($10,463 vs. $13,267)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Marcos are 28.5% lower than costs at San Francisco State University ($13,972 vs. $17,955)
- More students receive financial grant aid at San Francisco State University than California State University San Marcos (72% vs. 67%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by San Francisco State University students is 10.2% larger than aid received California State University San Marcos ($9,830 vs. $8,922)
San Francisco State vs. California State University-San Marcos Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, San Francisco 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 Francisco State .
- The average SAT score at San Francisco State University (979) is 24 points higher than at California State University-San Marcos (955)
- Incoming San Francisco State students have at the same average ACT score (21) as students at California State University-San Marcos (21)
- Accepted freshman California State University-San Marcos students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.32) than students at San Francisco State (3.31)
- California State University-San Marcos has a higher acceptance rate (95.2%) than San Francisco State (94.2%)
San Francisco State vs. California State University-San Marcos Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, San Francisco 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 Francisco State.
- The graduation rate at California State University-San Marcos is higher than San Francisco State University (49% vs. 46%)
- Graduates from San Francisco State University earn on average $3,500 more per year than California State University-San Marcos graduates after ten years. ($52,600 vs. $49,100)
- San Francisco State University students graduate with a $745 lower median federal student loan debt than California State University-San Marcos graduates. ($17,250 vs. $17,995)
- San Francisco State graduates are paying $8 less per month on federal student loans than California State University-San Marcos graduates. ($178 vs. $186)
- More California State University-San Marcos graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former San Francisco State students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 63%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/