Sacramento State vs. California State University-San Marcos

Comparable Facts

Compare California State University Sacramento in Sacramento, CA with California State University San Marcos in San Marcos, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the tables above.

California State University Sacramento is larger than California State University-San Marcos based on total student enrollment (31,943 students vs. 16,237 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• California State University Sacramento is located in Sacramento, CA (Large City setting); California State University San Marcos is in San Marcos, CA (Rural Fringe setting).
• California State University Sacramento is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. California State University San Marcos is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: California State University Sacramento 24:1; California State University San Marcos 24:1.

Cost details

• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Marcos are 26.2% lower than at California State University Sacramento ($14,152 vs. $19,174).
• Out-of-state tuition is 0.3% higher at California State University-San Marcos than at California State University Sacramento (about $64 more per year; $20,682 vs. $20,618).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at California State University Sacramento than at California State University San Marcos (82% vs. 71%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Sacramento students is 14.8% larger than aid received by California State University San Marcos students ($12,767 vs. $11,123).

Admissions details

• Typical ACT composite is 1 point higher at Sacramento State than at California State University-San Marcos (20 vs. 19, midpoint estimate).
• SAT or ACT scores are test-free at both Sacramento State and California State University-San Marcos.
• Typical fall application deadline: Sacramento State Nov 30, 2026; California State University-San Marcos Nov 30, 2026.
• Enrolled first-year students at Sacramento State average a 3.42 high school GPA, 0.1 higher than at California State University-San Marcos (3.32).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 15.3% at Sacramento State vs. 14% at California State University-San Marcos.

Loans and repayment

• Among federal student loan borrowers, California State University Sacramento graduates have a $2,245 lower median loan debt than California State University-San Marcos graduates ($15,750 vs. $17,995).
• Among borrowers, Sacramento State graduates have an estimated $24 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than California State University-San Marcos graduates ($162 vs. $186).
• More California State University-San Marcos graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Sacramento State students, three years after graduation (66% vs. 64%).

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS and College Scorecard. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.