California State University-San Marcos vs. California Jazz Conservatory

Comparable Facts

Compare California State University San Marcos in San Marcos, CA with California Jazz Conservatory in Berkeley, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

California State University San Marcos is larger than California Jazz Conservatory based on total student enrollment (16,237 students vs. 6 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

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

California State University-San Marcos vs. California Jazz Conservatory Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, California State University-San Marcos or California Jazz Conservatory? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California Jazz Conservatory are 19.4% lower than at California State University San Marcos ($11,403 vs. $14,152).
• California Jazz Conservatory is 85.6% more expensive for in-state tuition than California State University-San Marcos (about $6,918 more per year; $15,000.00 vs. $8,082.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 37.9% higher at California State University-San Marcos than at California Jazz Conservatory (about $5,682 more per year; $20,682.00 vs. $15,000.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at California State University San Marcos than at California Jazz Conservatory (71% vs. 0%).

California State University-San Marcos vs. California Jazz Conservatory Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, California State University-San Marcos or California Jazz Conservatory? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between California Jazz Conservatory and California State University-San Marcos.

• Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: California State University San Marcos 950/1130.
• Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: California State University San Marcos 17/22.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: California State University-San Marcos - Test-free; California Jazz Conservatory - Test-free.
• Typical fall application deadline: California State University-San Marcos Nov 30, 2026.
• California State University-San Marcos has a higher acceptance rate (95.1%) than California Jazz Conservatory (66.7%).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 14% at California State University-San Marcos vs. 50% at California Jazz Conservatory.

California State University-San Marcos vs. California Jazz Conservatory Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for California State University-San Marcos and California Jazz Conservatory? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.