California State University-San Marcos vs. Minerva

Comparable Facts

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

California State University San Marcos is larger than Minerva based on total student enrollment (16,237 students vs. 669 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• California State University San Marcos is located in San Marcos, CA (Rural Fringe setting); Minerva University is in San Francisco, California (Large City setting).
• California State University San Marcos is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Minerva University is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: California State University San Marcos 24:1; Minerva University 14:1.

California State University-San Marcos vs. Minerva Cost Comparison

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

• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California State University San Marcos than Minerva ($10,241 vs. $13,324).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Marcos are 10.1% lower than at Minerva University ($14,152 vs. $15,750).
• Minerva University is 192.4% more expensive for in-state tuition than California State University-San Marcos (about $15,548 more per year; $23,630.00 vs. $8,082.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 14.3% higher at Minerva than at California State University San Marcos (about $2,948 more per year; $23,630.00 vs. $20,682.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Minerva University than at California State University San Marcos (78% vs. 71%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Minerva University students is 102.5% larger than aid received by California State University San Marcos students ($22,522 vs. $11,123).

California State University-San Marcos vs. Minerva Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, California State University-San Marcos or Minerva? 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 Minerva 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; Minerva - 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 Minerva (3%).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 14% at California State University-San Marcos vs. 43.6% at Minerva.

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

How do outcomes compare for California State University-San Marcos and Minerva? 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.