NAU vs. California State University-San Marcos

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

NAU California State University-San Marcos
Location Flagstaff, AZ San Marcos, CA
Setting Small City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 28,086 15,109
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #836
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website nau.edu csusm.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

NAU California State University-San Marcos
Tuition (In State) $11,024 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $26,286 $17,622
Room & Board $11,728 $13,972
Avg Net Price $17,115 $10,463
Avg Grant Aid $11,865 $8,922
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 67%

Admission

NAU California State University-San Marcos
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 44,855 14,774
Admitted 35,881 14,064
Acceptance Rate 80% 95.2%
Enrolled % 15.5% 18.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 3.32
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
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 Aug 1, 2024 Nov 30, 2023

Academics

NAU California State University-San Marcos
Student to Faculty Ratio 20:1 23:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Education (17%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)

Outcomes

NAU California State University-San Marcos
Graduation Rate 52% 49%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,900 $49,100
Making Student Loan Payments 55% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,000 $17,995
Median Loan Payment $206 $186

Diversity

NAU California State University-San Marcos
% Men 37% 39%
% Women 63% 61%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 59% 30%
% Black 3% 3%
% Hispanic 22% 42%
% Native American 3% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 6%
% International 4% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 5%

Students

NAU California State University-San Marcos
% In-State 73% 98%
% Out-of-State 26% 1%

Campus

NAU 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 No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Northern Arizona University is larger than than California State University-San Marcos based on total student enrollment (28,086 students vs. 15,109 students)

NAU vs. California State University-San Marcos Cost Comparison

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

  • Northern Arizona University is 92% more expensive to attend than California State University-San Marcos for in-state tuition ($11,024.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 49.2% higher at NAU than California State University San Marcos ($26,286.00 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 NAU ($10,463 vs. $17,115)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Northern Arizona University are 19.1% lower than costs at California State University San Marcos ($11,728 vs. $13,972)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Northern Arizona University than California State University San Marcos (100% vs. 67%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Northern Arizona University students is 33% larger than aid received California State University San Marcos ($11,865 vs. $8,922)

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

Which college is harder to get into, NAU 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 NAU .

  • Accepted freshman NAU students have a 0.38 point higher average high school GPA (3.7) than students at California State University-San Marcos (3.32)
  • California State University-San Marcos has a higher acceptance rate (95.2%) than NAU (80%)

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

Which is better, NAU 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 NAU.

  • The graduation rate at NAU is higher than California State University San Marcos (52% vs. 49%)
  • Graduates from California State University San Marcos earn on average $5,200 more per year than NAU graduates after ten years. ($49,100 vs. $43,900)
  • California State University San Marcos students graduate with a $2,005 lower median federal student loan debt than NAU graduates. ($17,995 vs. $20,000)
  • California State University-San Marcos graduates are paying $20 less per month on federal student loans than NAU graduates. ($186 vs. $206)
  • More California State University-San Marcos graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former NAU students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 55%)

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