California State University-San Marcos vs. CSUMB

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

California State University-San Marcos CSUMB
Location San Marcos, CA Seaside, CA
Setting Rural Fringe Rural Fringe
Enrollment 15,109 7,045
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #836 #861
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website csusm.edu csumb.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

California State University-San Marcos CSUMB
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $17,622
Room & Board $13,972 $16,262
Avg Net Price $10,463 $11,435
Avg Grant Aid $8,922 $8,702
% Receiving Grant Aid 67% 66%

Admission

California State University-San Marcos CSUMB
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 14,774 12,568
Admitted 14,064 11,611
Acceptance Rate 95.2% 92.4%
Enrolled % 18.1% 7.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.32 3.45
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Very Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 17/22 17/23
SAT Range 950/1130 960/1160
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 Jan 15, 2024

Academics

California State University-San Marcos CSUMB
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 20:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (22%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%)

Outcomes

California State University-San Marcos CSUMB
Graduation Rate 49% 38%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,100 $45,300
Making Student Loan Payments 66% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,995 $14,000
Median Loan Payment $186 $144

Diversity

California State University-San Marcos CSUMB
% Men 39% 38%
% Women 61% 62%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 30% 31%
% Black 3% 6%
% Hispanic 42% 43%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 7%
% International 2% 2%
% Unknown Race 5% 5%

Students

California State University-San Marcos CSUMB
% In-State 98% 96%
% Out-of-State 1% 2%

Campus

California State University-San Marcos CSUMB
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • California State University San Marcos is larger than than CSUMB based on total student enrollment (15,109 students vs. 7,045 students)

California State University-San Marcos vs. CSUMB Cost Comparison

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

  • California State University San Marcos and CSUMB 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-San Marcos as California State University Monterey Bay ($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 CSUMB ($10,463 vs. $11,435)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Marcos are 16.4% lower than costs at California State University Monterey Bay ($13,972 vs. $16,262)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University San Marcos than California State University Monterey Bay (67% vs. 66%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University San Marcos students is 2.5% larger than aid received California State University Monterey Bay ($8,922 vs. $8,702)

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

Which college is harder to get into, California State University-San Marcos or CSUMB? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between CSUMB or California State University-San Marcos .

  • Accepted freshman CSUMB students have a 0.13 point higher average high school GPA (3.45) than students at California State University-San Marcos (3.32)
  • California State University-San Marcos has a higher acceptance rate (95.2%) than CSUMB (92.4%)

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

Which is better, California State University-San Marcos or CSUMB? 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 CSUMB and California State University-San Marcos.

  • The graduation rate at California State University-San Marcos is higher than California State University Monterey Bay (49% vs. 38%)
  • Graduates from California State University San Marcos earn on average $3,800 more per year than CSUMB graduates after ten years. ($49,100 vs. $45,300)
  • California State University Monterey Bay students graduate with a $3,995 lower median federal student loan debt than California State University-San Marcos graduates. ($14,000 vs. $17,995)
  • CSUMB graduates are paying $42 less per month on federal student loans than California State University-San Marcos graduates. ($144 vs. $186)
  • More California State University-San Marcos graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former CSUMB students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 66%)

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