Metropolitan State College of Denver vs. California State University-San Marcos

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

Metropolitan State College of Denver California State University-San Marcos
Location Denver, CO San Marcos, CA
Setting Large City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 16,995 15,109
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #990 #836
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mscd.edu csusm.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Metropolitan State College of Denver California State University-San Marcos
Tuition (In State) $8,445 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $26,277 $17,622
Room & Board $12,411 $13,972
Avg Net Price $14,805 $10,463
Avg Grant Aid $5,930 $8,922
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 67%

Admission

Metropolitan State College of Denver California State University-San Marcos
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 10,163 14,774
Admitted 9,951 14,064
Acceptance Rate 97.9% 95.2%
Enrolled % 19.2% 18.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.03 3.32
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 16/23 17/22
SAT Range 910/1130 950/1130
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Jul 1, 2024 Nov 30, 2023

Academics

Metropolitan State College of Denver California State University-San Marcos
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 23:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (21%)
  • General Studies (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • English and Literature (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)

Outcomes

Metropolitan State College of Denver California State University-San Marcos
Graduation Rate 21% 49%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $42,600 $49,100
Making Student Loan Payments 47% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,250 $17,995
Median Loan Payment $250 $186

Diversity

Metropolitan State College of Denver California State University-San Marcos
% Men 43% 39%
% Women 57% 61%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 58% 30%
% Black 6% 3%
% Hispanic 22% 42%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 6%
% International 0% 2%
% Unknown Race 4% 5%

Students

Metropolitan State College of Denver California State University-San Marcos
% In-State 97% 98%
% Out-of-State 3% 1%

Campus

Metropolitan State College of Denver 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

  • Metropolitan State College of Denver is larger than than California State University-San Marcos based on total student enrollment (16,995 students vs. 15,109 students)

Metropolitan State College of Denver vs. California State University-San Marcos Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Metropolitan State College of Denver or California State University-San Marcos?

  • Metropolitan State College of Denver is 47.1% more expensive to attend than California State University-San Marcos for in-state tuition ($8,445.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 49.1% higher at Metropolitan State College of Denver than California State University San Marcos ($26,277.00 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 Metropolitan State College of Denver ($10,463 vs. $14,805)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Metropolitan State College of Denver are 12.6% lower than costs at California State University San Marcos ($12,411 vs. $13,972)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Metropolitan State College of Denver than California State University San Marcos (100% vs. 67%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University San Marcos students is 50.5% larger than aid received Metropolitan State College of Denver ($8,922 vs. $5,930)

Metropolitan State College of Denver vs. California State University-San Marcos Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Metropolitan State College of Denver 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 Metropolitan State College of Denver .

  • The average SAT score at Metropolitan State College of Denver (971) is 16 points higher than at California State University-San Marcos (955)
  • Incoming Metropolitan State College of Denver students have at the same average ACT score (21) as students at California State University-San Marcos (21)
  • Accepted freshman California State University-San Marcos students have a 0.29 point higher average high school GPA (3.32) than students at Metropolitan State College of Denver (3.03)
  • Metropolitan State College of Denver has a higher acceptance rate (97.9%) than California State University-San Marcos (95.2%)

Metropolitan State College of Denver vs. California State University-San Marcos Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Metropolitan State College of Denver 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 Metropolitan State College of Denver.

  • The graduation rate at California State University-San Marcos is higher than Metropolitan State College of Denver (49% vs. 21%)
  • Graduates from California State University San Marcos earn on average $6,500 more per year than Metropolitan State College of Denver graduates after ten years. ($49,100 vs. $42,600)
  • California State University San Marcos students graduate with a $6,255 lower median federal student loan debt than Metropolitan State College of Denver graduates. ($17,995 vs. $24,250)
  • California State University-San Marcos graduates are paying $64 less per month on federal student loans than Metropolitan State College of Denver graduates. ($186 vs. $250)
  • More California State University-San Marcos graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Metropolitan State College of Denver students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 47%)

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