Add a college to compare up to four schools
Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison.
Sacramento State San Francisco State Humboldt State University San Jose State UC Merced Cal State Fullerton Sonoma State University California State University-Fresno San Diego State University-Imperial Valley Campus Cal State East Bay UC Davis Cal Poly| California State University Chico | California State University San Marcos | College 3 | College 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|||
| Remove | Remove | +Add | +Add | |
Overview |
CSU | California State University-San Marcos | ||
| Location | Chico, CA | San Marcos, CA | ||
| Setting | Small City | Rural Fringe | ||
| Enrollment | 14,183 | 15,109 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Public 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #659 | #836 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | csuchico.edu | csusm.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
CSU | California State University-San Marcos | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $5,742 | $5,742 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition (Out of State) | $17,622 | $17,622 | ||
| Room & Board | $15,212 | $13,972 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $15,517 | $10,463 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $9,162 | $8,922 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 62% | 67% |
Admission |
CSU | California State University-San Marcos | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 21,417 | 14,774 | ||
| Admitted | 20,347 | 14,064 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 95% | 95.2% | ||
| Enrolled % | 9.9% | 18.1% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.37 | 3.32 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | B+ | B+ | ||
| Admissions Standards | Very Easy | Extremely Easy | ||
| Applicant Competition | ||||
| ACT Range | 18/24 | 17/22 | ||
| SAT Range | 970/1170 | 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 |
CSU | California State University-San Marcos | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student to Faculty Ratio | 20:1 | 23:1 | ||
| Popular Majors |
|
|
||
Outcomes |
CSU | California State University-San Marcos | ||
| Graduation Rate | 59% | 49% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $52,400 | $49,100 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 70% | 66% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $17,000 | $17,995 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $175 | $186 |
Diversity |
CSU | California State University-San Marcos | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 45% | 39% | ||
| % Women | 55% | 61% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 46% | 30% | ||
| % Black | 2% | 3% | ||
| % Hispanic | 29% | 42% | ||
| % Native American | 1% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 5% | 6% | ||
| % International | 3% | 2% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 7% | 5% |
Students |
CSU | California State University-San Marcos | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 97% | 98% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 2% | 1% | ||
Campus |
CSU | 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 CSU based on total student enrollment (15,109 students vs. 14,183 students)
CSU vs. California State University-San Marcos Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, CSU or California State University-San Marcos?
- California State University Chico 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 CSU 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 CSU ($10,463 vs. $15,517)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Marcos are 8.9% lower than costs at California State University Chico ($13,972 vs. $15,212)
- More students receive financial grant aid at California State University San Marcos than California State University Chico (67% vs. 62%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Chico students is 2.7% larger than aid received California State University San Marcos ($9,162 vs. $8,922)
CSU vs. California State University-San Marcos Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, CSU 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 CSU .
- The average SAT score at California State University Chico (1003) is 48 points higher than at California State University-San Marcos (955)
- Incoming CSU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at California State University-San Marcos (21)
- Accepted freshman CSU students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.37) than students at California State University-San Marcos (3.32)
- California State University-San Marcos has a higher acceptance rate (95.2%) than CSU (95%)
CSU vs. California State University-San Marcos Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, CSU 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 CSU.
- The graduation rate at CSU is higher than California State University San Marcos (59% vs. 49%)
- Graduates from California State University Chico earn on average $3,300 more per year than California State University-San Marcos graduates after ten years. ($52,400 vs. $49,100)
- California State University Chico students graduate with a $995 lower median federal student loan debt than California State University-San Marcos graduates. ($17,000 vs. $17,995)
- CSU graduates are paying $11 less per month on federal student loans than California State University-San Marcos graduates. ($175 vs. $186)
- More CSU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California State University-San Marcos students, three years after graduation. (70% vs. 66%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/