Menlo vs. California State University-San Marcos

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

Menlo California State University-San Marcos
Location Atherton, CA San Marcos, CA
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 800 15,109
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #836
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website menlo.edu csusm.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Menlo California State University-San Marcos
Tuition (In State) $48,260 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $48,260 $17,622
Room & Board $16,250 $13,972
Avg Net Price $29,151 $10,463
Avg Grant Aid $34,632 $8,922
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 67%

Admission

Menlo California State University-San Marcos
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,357 14,774
Admitted 2,072 14,064
Acceptance Rate 61.7% 95.2%
Enrolled % 9.8% 18.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.3 3.32
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 17/22
SAT Range 950/1130
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Apr 1, 2024 Nov 30, 2023

Academics

Menlo California State University-San Marcos
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 23:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (67%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (18%)
  • Communication (15%)
  • Psychology (1%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)

Outcomes

Menlo California State University-San Marcos
Graduation Rate 34% 49%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,900 $49,100
Making Student Loan Payments 55% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,062 $17,995
Median Loan Payment $217 $186

Diversity

Menlo California State University-San Marcos
% Men 56% 39%
% Women 44% 61%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 29% 30%
% Black 6% 3%
% Hispanic 22% 42%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 2% 0%
% Two or More Races 8% 6%
% International 14% 2%
% Unknown Race 9% 5%

Students

Menlo California State University-San Marcos
% In-State 49% 98%
% Out-of-State 22% 1%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • California State University San Marcos is larger than than Menlo based on total student enrollment (15,109 students vs. 800 students)

Menlo vs. California State University-San Marcos Cost Comparison

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

  • Menlo College is 740.5% more expensive to attend than California State University-San Marcos for in-state tuition ($48,260.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 173.9% higher at Menlo than California State University San Marcos ($48,260.00 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 Menlo ($10,463 vs. $29,151)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Marcos are 16.3% lower than costs at Menlo College ($13,972 vs. $16,250)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Menlo College than California State University San Marcos (100% vs. 67%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Menlo College students is 288.2% larger than aid received California State University San Marcos ($34,632 vs. $8,922)

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

Which college is harder to get into, Menlo 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 Menlo .

  • The average SAT score at Menlo College (1018) is 63 points higher than at California State University-San Marcos (955)
  • Incoming Menlo students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at California State University-San Marcos (21)
  • Accepted freshman California State University-San Marcos students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.32) than students at Menlo (3.3)
  • California State University-San Marcos has a higher acceptance rate (95.2%) than Menlo (61.7%)

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

Which is better, Menlo 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 Menlo.

  • The graduation rate at California State University-San Marcos is higher than Menlo College (49% vs. 34%)
  • Graduates from Menlo College earn on average $4,800 more per year than California State University-San Marcos graduates after ten years. ($53,900 vs. $49,100)
  • California State University San Marcos students graduate with a $3,067 lower median federal student loan debt than Menlo graduates. ($17,995 vs. $21,062)
  • California State University-San Marcos graduates are paying $31 less per month on federal student loans than Menlo graduates. ($186 vs. $217)
  • More California State University-San Marcos graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Menlo students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 55%)

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