Cal State Long Beach vs. California State University-San Marcos

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

Cal State Long Beach California State University-San Marcos
Location Long Beach, CA San Marcos, CA
Setting Large City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 38,973 15,109
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #507 #836
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website csulb.edu csusm.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Cal State Long Beach California State University-San Marcos
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $17,622
Room & Board $14,932 $13,972
Avg Net Price $9,346 $10,463
Avg Grant Aid $9,478 $8,922
% Receiving Grant Aid 75% 67%

Admission

Cal State Long Beach California State University-San Marcos
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 74,718 14,774
Admitted 29,851 14,064
Acceptance Rate 40% 95.2%
Enrolled % 18% 18.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 3.32
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Average Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 20/26 17/22
SAT Range 1020/1240 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 Nov 30, 2023 Nov 30, 2023

Academics

Cal State Long Beach California State University-San Marcos
Student to Faculty Ratio 22:1 23:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)

Outcomes

Cal State Long Beach California State University-San Marcos
Graduation Rate 54% 49%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,100 $49,100
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $15,000 $17,995
Median Loan Payment $155 $186

Diversity

Cal State Long Beach California State University-San Marcos
% Men 41% 39%
% Women 59% 61%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 19% 30%
% Black 4% 3%
% Hispanic 39% 42%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 6%
% International 6% 2%
% Unknown Race 4% 5%

Students

Cal State Long Beach California State University-San Marcos
% In-State 97% 98%
% Out-of-State 2% 1%

Campus

Cal State Long Beach 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 Long Beach is larger than than California State University-San Marcos based on total student enrollment (38,973 students vs. 15,109 students)

Cal State Long Beach vs. California State University-San Marcos Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cal State Long Beach or California State University-San Marcos?

  • California State University Long Beach 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 Cal State Long Beach 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 Long Beach than California State University-San Marcos ($9,346 vs. $10,463)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Marcos are 6.9% lower than costs at California State University Long Beach ($13,972 vs. $14,932)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University Long Beach than California State University San Marcos (75% vs. 67%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Long Beach students is 6.2% larger than aid received California State University San Marcos ($9,478 vs. $8,922)

Cal State Long Beach vs. California State University-San Marcos Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Cal State Long Beach 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 Cal State Long Beach .

  • The average SAT score at California State University Long Beach (1056) is 101 points higher than at California State University-San Marcos (955)
  • Incoming Cal State Long Beach students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at California State University-San Marcos (21)
  • Accepted freshman Cal State Long Beach students have a 0.38 point higher average high school GPA (3.7) than students at California State University-San Marcos (3.32)
  • California State University-San Marcos has a higher acceptance rate (95.2%) than Cal State Long Beach (40%)

Cal State Long Beach vs. California State University-San Marcos Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Cal State Long Beach 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 Cal State Long Beach.

  • The graduation rate at Cal State Long Beach is higher than California State University San Marcos (54% vs. 49%)
  • Graduates from California State University Long Beach earn on average $2,000 more per year than California State University-San Marcos graduates after ten years. ($51,100 vs. $49,100)
  • California State University Long Beach students graduate with a $2,995 lower median federal student loan debt than California State University-San Marcos graduates. ($15,000 vs. $17,995)
  • Cal State Long Beach graduates are paying $31 less per month on federal student loans than California State University-San Marcos graduates. ($155 vs. $186)
  • More Cal State Long Beach graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California State University-San Marcos students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 66%)

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