California State University-Fresno vs. California State University-San Marcos

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

California State University-Fresno California State University-San Marcos
Location Fresno, CA San Marcos, CA
Setting Large City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 23,999 15,109
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #891 #836
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website csufresno.edu csusm.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

California State University-Fresno California State University-San Marcos
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $17,622
Room & Board $11,080 $13,972
Avg Net Price $7,507 $10,463
Avg Grant Aid $9,968 $8,922
% Receiving Grant Aid 85% 67%

Admission

California State University-Fresno California State University-San Marcos
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 18,551 14,774
Admitted 17,703 14,064
Acceptance Rate 95.4% 95.2%
Enrolled % 19.5% 18.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.12 3.32
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 16/21 17/22
SAT Range 890/1100 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

California State University-Fresno California State University-San Marcos
Student to Faculty Ratio 21:1 23:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (17%)
  • Health Professions (12%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)

Outcomes

California State University-Fresno California State University-San Marcos
Graduation Rate 49% 49%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $46,500 $49,100
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $15,000 $17,995
Median Loan Payment $155 $186

Diversity

California State University-Fresno California State University-San Marcos
% Men 40% 39%
% Women 60% 61%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 21% 30%
% Black 3% 3%
% Hispanic 48% 42%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 6%
% International 5% 2%
% Unknown Race 4% 5%

Students

California State University-Fresno California State University-San Marcos
% In-State 97% 98%
% Out-of-State 1% 1%

Campus

California State University-Fresno 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 Fresno is larger than than California State University-San Marcos based on total student enrollment (23,999 students vs. 15,109 students)

California State University-Fresno vs. California State University-San Marcos Cost Comparison

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

  • California State University Fresno 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 California State University-Fresno 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 Fresno than California State University-San Marcos ($7,507 vs. $10,463)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Fresno are 26.1% lower than costs at California State University San Marcos ($11,080 vs. $13,972)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University Fresno than California State University San Marcos (85% vs. 67%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Fresno students is 11.7% larger than aid received California State University San Marcos ($9,968 vs. $8,922)

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

Which college is harder to get into, California State University-Fresno 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 State University-Fresno .

  • The average SAT score at California State University San Marcos (955) is 58 points higher than at California State University-Fresno (897)
  • Incoming California State University-San Marcos students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (21) than students at California State University-Fresno (19)
  • Accepted freshman California State University-San Marcos students have a 0.2 point higher average high school GPA (3.32) than students at California State University-Fresno (3.12)
  • California State University-Fresno has a higher acceptance rate (95.4%) than California State University-San Marcos (95.2%)

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

Which is better, California State University-Fresno 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 State University-Fresno.

  • The graduation rate at California State University-Fresno is the same as at California State University San Marcos (49% vs. 49%)
  • Graduates from California State University San Marcos earn on average $2,600 more per year than California State University-Fresno graduates after ten years. ($49,100 vs. $46,500)
  • California State University Fresno students graduate with a $2,995 lower median federal student loan debt than California State University-San Marcos graduates. ($15,000 vs. $17,995)
  • California State University-Fresno graduates are paying $31 less per month on federal student loans than California State University-San Marcos graduates. ($155 vs. $186)
  • More California State University-San Marcos graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California State University-Fresno students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 63%)

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