San Jose State vs. California State University-San Marcos

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

San Jose State California State University-San Marcos
Location San Jose, CA San Marcos, CA
Setting Large City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 35,751 15,109
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #558 #836
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 $18,568 $13,972
Avg Net Price $14,219 $10,463
Avg Grant Aid $9,210 $8,922
% Receiving Grant Aid 59% 67%

Admission

San Jose State California State University-San Marcos
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 34,002 14,774
Admitted 26,083 14,064
Acceptance Rate 76.7% 95.2%
Enrolled % 15.5% 18.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.35 3.32
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average 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, 2023 Nov 30, 2023

Academics

San Jose State California State University-San Marcos
Student to Faculty Ratio 22:1 23:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (30%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)

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 48% 39%
% Women 52% 61%
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% 98%
% Out-of-State 1% 1%

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 (35,751 students vs. 15,109 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 ($10,463 vs. $14,219)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Marcos are 32.9% lower than costs at San Jose State University ($13,972 vs. $18,568)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University San Marcos than San Jose State University (67% vs. 59%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by San Jose State University students is 3.2% larger than aid received California State University San Marcos ($9,210 vs. $8,922)

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 (95.2%) than San Jose State (76.7%)

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/