California College of the Arts vs. California State University-San Marcos

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

California College of the Arts California State University-San Marcos
Location Oakland, CA San Marcos, CA
Setting Large City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 1,501 15,109
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #836
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cca.edu csusm.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

California College of the Arts California State University-San Marcos
Tuition (In State) $53,856 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $53,856 $17,622
Room & Board $19,957 $13,972
Avg Net Price $47,862 $10,463
Avg Grant Aid $27,563 $8,922
% Receiving Grant Aid 91% 67%

Admission

California College of the Arts California State University-San Marcos
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,987 14,774
Admitted 2,261 14,064
Acceptance Rate 75.7% 95.2%
Enrolled % 8.4% 18.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.34 3.32
Typical High School Grades B+ 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 Nov 30, 2023

Academics

California College of the Arts California State University-San Marcos
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 23:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (77%)
  • Architecture (11%)
  • Communications Technology (4%)
  • Communication (4%)
  • English and Literature (2%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)

Outcomes

California College of the Arts California State University-San Marcos
Graduation Rate 49% 49%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,500 $49,100
Making Student Loan Payments 62% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $28,000 $17,995
Median Loan Payment $289 $186

Diversity

California College of the Arts California State University-San Marcos
% Men 35% 39%
% Women 65% 61%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 27% 30%
% Black 4% 3%
% Hispanic 14% 42%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 6%
% International 31% 2%
% Unknown Race 7% 5%

Students

California College of the Arts California State University-San Marcos
% In-State 42% 98%
% Out-of-State 20% 1%

Campus

California College of the Arts California State University-San Marcos
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No No
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • California State University San Marcos is larger than than California College of the Arts based on total student enrollment (15,109 students vs. 1,501 students)

California College of the Arts vs. California State University-San Marcos Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, California College of the Arts or California State University-San Marcos?

  • California College of the Arts is 837.9% more expensive to attend than California State University-San Marcos for in-state tuition ($53,856.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 205.6% higher at California College of the Arts than California State University San Marcos ($53,856.00 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 California College of the Arts ($10,463 vs. $47,862)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Marcos are 42.8% lower than costs at California College of the Arts ($13,972 vs. $19,957)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California College of the Arts than California State University San Marcos (91% vs. 67%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California College of the Arts students is 208.9% larger than aid received California State University San Marcos ($27,563 vs. $8,922)

California College of the Arts vs. California State University-San Marcos Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, California College of the Arts 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 California College of the Arts .

  • Accepted freshman California College of the Arts students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.34) than students at California State University-San Marcos (3.32)
  • California State University-San Marcos has a higher acceptance rate (95.2%) than California College of the Arts (75.7%)

California College of the Arts vs. California State University-San Marcos Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, California College of the Arts 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 California College of the Arts.

  • The graduation rate at California College of the Arts is the same as at California State University San Marcos (49% vs. 49%)
  • Graduates from California State University San Marcos earn on average $5,600 more per year than California College of the Arts graduates after ten years. ($49,100 vs. $43,500)
  • California State University San Marcos students graduate with a $10,005 lower median federal student loan debt than California College of the Arts graduates. ($17,995 vs. $28,000)
  • California State University-San Marcos graduates are paying $103 less per month on federal student loans than California College of the Arts graduates. ($186 vs. $289)
  • More California State University-San Marcos graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California College of the Arts students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 62%)

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