Mills College vs. California State University-San Marcos

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

Mills College California State University-San Marcos
Location Oakland, CA San Marcos, CA
Setting Large City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 817 15,109
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #836
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mills.edu csusm.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Mills College California State University-San Marcos
Tuition (In State) $29,340 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $29,340 $17,622
Room & Board $14,369 $13,972
Avg Net Price - $10,463
Avg Grant Aid $0 $8,922
% Receiving Grant Aid 0% 67%

Admission

Mills College California State University-San Marcos
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 14,774
Admitted - 14,064
Acceptance Rate 95.2%
Enrolled % 18.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.57 3.32
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very High Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 30/31 17/22
SAT Range 1378/1413 950/1130
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2023

Academics

Mills College California State University-San Marcos
Student to Faculty Ratio 8:1 23:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • English and Literature (16%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Ethnic Studies (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)

Outcomes

Mills College California State University-San Marcos
Graduation Rate 57% 49%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $44,400 $49,100
Making Student Loan Payments 66% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,500 $17,995
Median Loan Payment $242 $186

Diversity

Mills College California State University-San Marcos
% Men 9% 39%
% Women 91% 61%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 48% 30%
% Black 7% 3%
% Hispanic 24% 42%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 10% 6%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 5%

Students

Mills College California State University-San Marcos
% In-State 75% 98%
% Out-of-State 22% 1%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • California State University San Marcos is larger than than Mills College based on total student enrollment (15,109 students vs. 817 students)

Mills College vs. California State University-San Marcos Cost Comparison

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

  • Mills College is 411% more expensive to attend than California State University-San Marcos for in-state tuition ($29,340.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 66.5% higher at Mills College than California State University San Marcos ($29,340.00 vs. $17,622.00)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Marcos are 2.8% lower than costs at Mills College ($13,972 vs. $14,369)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University San Marcos than Mills College (67% vs. 0%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University San Marcos students is ?% larger than aid received Mills College ($8,922 vs. $0)

Which college is harder to get into, Mills College 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 Mills College .

  • The average SAT score at Mills College (1183) is 228 points higher than at California State University-San Marcos (955)
  • Incoming Mills College students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at California State University-San Marcos (21)
  • Accepted freshman Mills College students have a 0.25 point higher average high school GPA (3.57) than students at California State University-San Marcos (3.32)

Mills College vs. California State University-San Marcos Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Mills College 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 Mills College.

  • The graduation rate at Mills College is higher than California State University San Marcos (57% vs. 49%)
  • Graduates from California State University San Marcos earn on average $4,700 more per year than Mills College graduates after ten years. ($49,100 vs. $44,400)
  • California State University San Marcos students graduate with a $5,505 lower median federal student loan debt than Mills College graduates. ($17,995 vs. $23,500)
  • California State University-San Marcos graduates are paying $56 less per month on federal student loans than Mills College graduates. ($186 vs. $242)
  • More Mills College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California State University-San Marcos 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/