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#20 Best Public Universities in California

California State University-San Marcos Admission Requirements

San Marcos, California

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Chances of getting into California State University San Marcos

Acceptance Rate

Admitted 
93%
Admission Difficulty for California State University San Marcos
Measure Difficulty
Admission Standards Extremely Easy 
Applicant Competition Very Low 
How hard is it to get into California State University-San Marcos and can I get accepted?

The acceptance rate at California State University-San Marcos is 93%.  It ranks #89 in California for lowest rate of acceptance. California State University San Marcos is an easy school to get into with a very good chance of acceptance if you meet the admission requirements. Last year, 13,049 out of 13,986 applicants were admitted.

The school has extremely easy admission requirements, generally admitting students who can score in the top 69 percent on standardized admission tests. California State University San Marcos typically accepts and attracts "B+" average high school students with an average GPA around 3.32. 18% of those admitted chose to enroll in the school.

Test Optional

Submission of SAT or ACT scores is not required or recommended by California State University San Marcos.

California State University-San Marcos SAT Scores

SAT Requirements & Average SAT Score

SAT Range 
950-1130
Applicants Submitting SAT 
94%
SAT Scores for California State University San Marcos
SAT Test 25th Percentile Score
SAT Reading 25th 480
SAT Math 25th 470
SAT Composite 25th 950
SAT Scores for California State University San Marcos
SAT Test 25th Percentile Score
SAT Reading 75th 570
SAT Math 75th 560
SAT Composite 75th 1130
Average SAT Score 1040

SAT Scores you need to get in

What are the SAT requirements for students to be admitted to California State University San Marcos?

California State University San Marcos is a test optional school meaning applicants are not required to submit SAT scores with their application. The position on SAT scores from the school is "neither required nor recommended".

Students who get into California State University San Marcos score in the top 69 percent of all SAT test takers.. The SAT composite score range for the middle 50% of students is 950-1130.

Find other colleges with similar SAT score requirements

Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Estimated Chance of Acceptance by SAT Score

California State University San Marcos admission chances by SAT score
SAT Score (1600 scale) Competitiveness  Admission Chances 
1130 and Above Good >96%
1040 to 1130 Avg + 93%-96%
950 to 1040 Avg - 87%-93%
860 to 950 Reach 79%-87%
Less than 860 Low <79%
Calculate My Chances 

California State University-San Marcos ACT Scores

ACT Requirements & Average ACT Score

ACT Range 
17-22 
Applicants Submitting ACT 
28%
ACT Scores for California State University San Marcos
ACT Test 25th Percentile Score
ACT Reading 25th 15
ACT Math 25th 16
ACT Composite 25th 17
ACT Scores for California State University San Marcos
ACT Test 75th Percentile Score
ACT Reading 75th 22
ACT Math 75th 22
ACT Composite 75th 22
Average ACT Score 19

ACT Scores needed to get accepted

What are the ACT requirements for prospective students to get into California State University-San Marcos?

California State University San Marcos is test optional. Students are not required to submit ACT scores with their application. The policy on ACT scores is "neither required nor recommended".

California State University-San Marcos regularly accepts students who score 17 and above on the ACT. These students typically score in the top 69 percent nationally. The ACT composite score range for the middle 50% of students is 17-22.

Find other colleges with similar ACT score requirements

Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Estimated Chance of Acceptance by ACT Score

California State University San Marcos admission chances by ACT score
ACT Score Competitiveness  Admission Chances 
22 and Above Good >97%
19 to 22 Avg + 93%-97%
17 to 19 Avg - 89%-93%
15 to 17 Reach 83%-89%
Less than 15 Low <83%
Calculate My Chances 

California State University-San Marcos GPA

Estimated GPA Requirements & Average GPA

Avg. High School GPA 
3.32
Typical High School Grades 
B+

What GPA do you need to get into California State University San Marcos?

Applicants require above average high school grades to get into California State University-San Marcos. The average high school GPA of the admitted freshman class at California State University San Marcos was 3.32 on the 4.0 scale indicating that primarily B+ students are accepted and ultimately attend. The school ranks #69 in California for highest average GPA. If your high school grades are above the average 3.32 GPA, you have a very good chance of being admitted as California State University-San Marcos accepts 93% of all applicants.

 What do these ratings mean?

Explore more colleges with similar GPA requirements

High School GPA's for admitted California State University San Marcos students
High School GPA Freshmen Within Range Competitiveness 
4.0 6.6% Good
3.75 to 3.99 11.9% Good
3.50 to 3.74 17.8% Avg +
3.25 to 3.49 20.4% Avg -
3.00 to 3.24 20.6% Avg -
2.50 to 2.99 19.2% Reach
2.00 to 2.49 3.5% Low
1.00 to 1.99 0% Low
less than 1.00 0% Low

GPA Data Source, Peterson's Data 2022

Applying

Admission Statistics

California State University San Marcos admission statistics
Women Men Total
Applied 8,713 5,273 13,986
Accepted 8,191 4,858 13,049
Acceptance Rate 94% 92% 93%
Enrolled 1,444 969 2,413
Percent of Admitted Who Enrolled (Admission Yield) 18% 20% 18%
Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Application Fee

The cost for prospective students to apply to California State University San Marcos is $70.

Application Requirements

What are the requirements for admission to California State University San Marcos and what student information is used for admission decisions?

California State University San Marcos Application Requirements
Test Scores Neither required nor recommended
High School GPA Required
High School Class Rank Neither required nor recommended
Completion of College Preparatory Program Required
Recommendations Neither required nor recommended
Demonstration of Competencies Neither required nor recommended

Credits Accepted

High School Credits Accepted at California State University San Marcos
AP Credit Yes
Dual Credit Yes
Credit for Life Experiences No
Other Colleges to Consider 

Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=366711 IPEDS survey data for California State University San Marcos.

FAQs

Does California State University San Marcos prefer SAT or ACT?

94% of students submit their SAT scores to California State University-San Marcos. 28% of applicants send their ACT scores when applying.

What is my chance of getting into California State University San Marcos?

93% of those who apply are granted admission to California State University-San Marcos. Admission competition is and the college has extremely easy admission standards. See if your grades and scores are good enough for admission.

What SAT score is required for California State University San Marcos?

The middle 50% of addmitted applicants have SAT scores between 950 and 1130. 94% of students submit SAT scores when applying. See if your SAT score is good enough for admission.

What ACT score is required for California State University San Marcos?

The middle 50% of addmitted applicants have ACT scores between 17 and 22. 28% of students submit ACT scores when applying. See if your ACT score is good enough for admission.