CSN vs. California State University-San Marcos

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

CSN California State University-San Marcos
Location Las Vegas, NV San Marcos, CA
Setting Large City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 28,901 15,109
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #836
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website csn.edu csusm.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

CSN California State University-San Marcos
Tuition (In State) $3,383 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $11,284 $17,622
Room & Board $10,866 $13,972
Avg Net Price $7,685 $10,463
Avg Grant Aid $5,061 $8,922
% Receiving Grant Aid 76% 67%

Admission

CSN California State University-San Marcos
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 14,774
Admitted - 14,064
Acceptance Rate Open 95.2%
Enrolled % Open 18.1%
Avg High School GPA - 3.32
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 17/22
SAT Range 950/1130
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2023

Academics

CSN California State University-San Marcos
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 23:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (21%)
  • Health Professions (20%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (19%)
  • Science Technologies (7%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)

Outcomes

CSN California State University-San Marcos
Graduation Rate - 49%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $36,000 $49,100
Making Student Loan Payments 30% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $10,500 $17,995
Median Loan Payment $108 $186

Diversity

CSN California State University-San Marcos
% Men 43% 39%
% Women 57% 61%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 33% 30%
% Black 12% 3%
% Hispanic 29% 42%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 2% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 6%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 8% 5%

Students

CSN California State University-San Marcos
% In-State 99% 98%
% Out-of-State 1% 1%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • College of Southern Nevada is larger than than California State University-San Marcos based on total student enrollment (28,901 students vs. 15,109 students)

CSN vs. California State University-San Marcos Cost Comparison

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

  • California State University San Marcos is 69.7% more expensive to attend than CSN for in-state tuition ($5,742.00 vs. $3,383.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 56.2% higher at California State University-San Marcos than College of Southern Nevada ($17,622.00 vs. $11,284.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at College of Southern Nevada than California State University-San Marcos ($7,685 vs. $10,463)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at College of Southern Nevada are 28.6% lower than costs at California State University San Marcos ($10,866 vs. $13,972)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at College of Southern Nevada than California State University San Marcos (76% vs. 67%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University San Marcos students is 76.3% larger than aid received College of Southern Nevada ($8,922 vs. $5,061)

Which college is harder to get into, CSN 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 CSN .

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

Which is better, CSN 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 CSN.

  • Graduates from California State University San Marcos earn on average $13,100 more per year than CSN graduates after ten years. ($49,100 vs. $36,000)
  • College of Southern Nevada students graduate with a $7,495 lower median federal student loan debt than California State University-San Marcos graduates. ($10,500 vs. $17,995)
  • CSN graduates are paying $78 less per month on federal student loans than California State University-San Marcos graduates. ($108 vs. $186)
  • More California State University-San Marcos graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former CSN students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 30%)

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