USD vs. California State University-San Marcos

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

USD California State University-San Marcos
Location San Diego, CA San Marcos, CA
Setting Large City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 8,815 15,109
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #836
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website sandiego.edu csusm.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

USD California State University-San Marcos
Tuition (In State) $53,810 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $53,810 $17,622
Room & Board $17,010 $13,972
Avg Net Price $36,008 $10,463
Avg Grant Aid $36,408 $8,922
% Receiving Grant Aid 83% 67%

Admission

USD California State University-San Marcos
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 14,334 14,774
Admitted 7,541 14,064
Acceptance Rate 52.6% 95.2%
Enrolled % 16.4% 18.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.95 3.32
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 17/22
SAT Range 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, 2024 Nov 30, 2024

Academics

USD California State University-San Marcos
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 23:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (39%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)

Outcomes

USD California State University-San Marcos
Graduation Rate 75% 49%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $70,200 $49,100
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,904 $17,995
Median Loan Payment $236 $186

Diversity

USD California State University-San Marcos
% Men 43% 39%
% Women 57% 61%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 53% 30%
% Black 3% 3%
% Hispanic 19% 42%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 6%
% International 7% 2%
% Unknown Race 3% 5%

Students

USD California State University-San Marcos
% In-State 55% 98%
% Out-of-State 40% 1%

Campus

USD 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

  • California State University San Marcos is larger than than USD based on total student enrollment (15,109 students vs. 8,815 students)

USD vs. California State University-San Marcos Cost Comparison

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

  • University of San Diego is 837.1% more expensive to attend than California State University-San Marcos for in-state tuition ($53,810.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 205.4% higher at USD than California State University San Marcos ($53,810.00 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 USD ($10,463 vs. $36,008)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Marcos are 21.7% lower than costs at University of San Diego ($13,972 vs. $17,010)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of San Diego than California State University San Marcos (83% vs. 67%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of San Diego students is 308.1% larger than aid received California State University San Marcos ($36,408 vs. $8,922)

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

Which college is harder to get into, USD 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 USD .

  • The average SAT score at University of San Diego (1236) is 281 points higher than at California State University-San Marcos (955)
  • Incoming USD students have a 7 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at California State University-San Marcos (21)
  • Accepted freshman USD students have a 0.63 point higher average high school GPA (3.95) than students at California State University-San Marcos (3.32)
  • California State University-San Marcos has a higher acceptance rate (95.2%) than USD (52.6%)

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

Which is better, USD 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 USD.

  • The graduation rate at USD is higher than California State University San Marcos (75% vs. 49%)
  • Graduates from University of San Diego earn on average $21,100 more per year than California State University-San Marcos graduates after ten years. ($70,200 vs. $49,100)
  • California State University San Marcos students graduate with a $4,909 lower median federal student loan debt than USD graduates. ($17,995 vs. $22,904)
  • California State University-San Marcos graduates are paying $50 less per month on federal student loans than USD graduates. ($186 vs. $236)
  • More USD graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California State University-San Marcos students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 66%)

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