Add a college to compare up to four schools
Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison.
San Francisco State California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Cal State Long Beach Sacramento State UC Riverside UCSC Cal State Fullerton San Diego State CSU UC Merced UC Davis San Diego State University-Imperial Valley Campus| San Jose State University | California State University San Marcos | College 3 | College 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|||
| Remove | Remove | +Add | +Add | |
Overview |
San Jose State | California State University-San Marcos | ||
| Location | San Jose, CA | San Marcos, CA | ||
| Setting | Large City | Rural Fringe | ||
| Enrollment | 36,062 | 15,431 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Public 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #571 | #833 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | sjsu.edu | csusm.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
San Jose State | California State University-San Marcos | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $5,742 | $5,742 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition (Out of State) | $17,622 | $17,622 | ||
| Room & Board | $19,866 | $14,152 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $13,833 | $10,500 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $11,311 | $10,247 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 61% | 72% |
Admission |
San Jose State | California State University-San Marcos | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 35,780 | 17,519 | ||
| Admitted | 28,708 | 16,765 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 80.2% | 95.7% | ||
| Enrolled % | 15.7% | 15.7% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.35 | 3.32 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | B+ | B+ | ||
| Admissions Standards | Moderate | Extremely Easy | ||
| Applicant Competition | ||||
| ACT Range | 19/26 | 17/22 | ||
| SAT Range | 1010/1240 | 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 | Dec 15, 2025 | Nov 30, 2025 |
Academics |
San Jose State | California State University-San Marcos | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student to Faculty Ratio | 18:1 | 21:1 | ||
| Popular Majors |
|
|
||
Outcomes |
San Jose State | California State University-San Marcos | ||
| Graduation Rate | 46% | 49% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $59,900 | $49,100 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 73% | 66% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $15,000 | $17,995 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $155 | $186 |
Diversity |
San Jose State | California State University-San Marcos | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 9% | 2% | ||
| % Women | 15% | 6% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 19% | 30% | ||
| % Black | 3% | 3% | ||
| % Hispanic | 26% | 42% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 5% | 6% | ||
| % International | 6% | 2% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 4% | 5% |
Students |
San Jose State | California State University-San Marcos | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 96% | 97% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 1% | 2% | ||
Campus |
San Jose 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 Jose State University is larger than than California State University-San Marcos based on total student enrollment (36,062 students vs. 15,431 students)
San Jose State vs. California State University-San Marcos Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, San Jose State or California State University-San Marcos?
- San Jose 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 Jose 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 Jose State ($10,500 vs. $13,833)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Marcos are 40.4% lower than costs at San Jose State University ($14,152 vs. $19,866)
- More students receive financial grant aid at California State University San Marcos than San Jose State University (72% vs. 61%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by San Jose State University students is 10.4% larger than aid received California State University San Marcos ($11,311 vs. $10,247)
San Jose State vs. California State University-San Marcos Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, San Jose 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 Jose State .
- The average SAT score at San Jose State University (1055) is 100 points higher than at California State University-San Marcos (955)
- Incoming San Jose State students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at California State University-San Marcos (21)
- Accepted freshman San Jose State students have a 0.03 point higher average high school GPA (3.35) than students at California State University-San Marcos (3.32)
- California State University-San Marcos has a higher acceptance rate (95.7%) than San Jose State (80.2%)
San Jose State vs. California State University-San Marcos Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, San Jose 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 Jose State.
- The graduation rate at California State University-San Marcos is higher than San Jose State University (49% vs. 46%)
- Graduates from San Jose State University earn on average $10,800 more per year than California State University-San Marcos graduates after ten years. ($59,900 vs. $49,100)
- San Jose State University students graduate with a $2,995 lower median federal student loan debt than California State University-San Marcos graduates. ($15,000 vs. $17,995)
- San Jose State graduates are paying $31 less per month on federal student loans than California State University-San Marcos graduates. ($155 vs. $186)
- More San Jose State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California State University-San Marcos students, three years after graduation. (73% vs. 66%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/