PUC vs. California State University-San Marcos

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

PUC California State University-San Marcos
Location Angwin, CA San Marcos, CA
Setting Rural Fringe Rural Fringe
Enrollment 870 15,109
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #836
Religious Affiliation Seventh Day Adventists - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website puc.edu csusm.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

PUC California State University-San Marcos
Tuition (In State) $32,655 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $32,655 $17,622
Room & Board $9,273 $13,972
Avg Net Price $21,841 $10,463
Avg Grant Aid $23,383 $8,922
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 67%

Admission

PUC California State University-San Marcos
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,364 14,774
Admitted 661 14,064
Acceptance Rate 48.5% 95.2%
Enrolled % 16.9% 18.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.24 3.32
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Very Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 18/23 17/22
SAT Range 990/1200 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 Nov 30, 2023

Academics

PUC California State University-San Marcos
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 23:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (41%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Education (5%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)

Outcomes

PUC California State University-San Marcos
Graduation Rate 45% 49%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,200 $49,100
Making Student Loan Payments 57% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $30,000 $17,995
Median Loan Payment $310 $186

Diversity

PUC California State University-San Marcos
% Men 37% 39%
% Women 63% 61%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 26% 30%
% Black 9% 3%
% Hispanic 28% 42%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 2% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 6%
% International 3% 2%
% Unknown Race 5% 5%

Students

PUC California State University-San Marcos
% In-State 77% 98%
% Out-of-State 21% 1%

Campus

PUC 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 PUC based on total student enrollment (15,109 students vs. 870 students)

PUC vs. California State University-San Marcos Cost Comparison

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

  • Pacific Union College is 468.7% more expensive to attend than California State University-San Marcos for in-state tuition ($32,655.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 85.3% higher at PUC than California State University San Marcos ($32,655.00 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 PUC ($10,463 vs. $21,841)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Pacific Union College are 50.7% lower than costs at California State University San Marcos ($9,273 vs. $13,972)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Pacific Union College than California State University San Marcos (100% vs. 67%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Pacific Union College students is 162.1% larger than aid received California State University San Marcos ($23,383 vs. $8,922)

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

Which college is harder to get into, PUC 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 PUC .

  • The average SAT score at Pacific Union College (984) is 29 points higher than at California State University-San Marcos (955)
  • Incoming PUC 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 0.08 point higher average high school GPA (3.32) than students at PUC (3.24)
  • California State University-San Marcos has a higher acceptance rate (95.2%) than PUC (48.5%)

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

Which is better, PUC 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 PUC.

  • The graduation rate at California State University-San Marcos is higher than Pacific Union College (49% vs. 45%)
  • Graduates from Pacific Union College earn on average $10,100 more per year than California State University-San Marcos graduates after ten years. ($59,200 vs. $49,100)
  • California State University San Marcos students graduate with a $12,005 lower median federal student loan debt than PUC graduates. ($17,995 vs. $30,000)
  • California State University-San Marcos graduates are paying $124 less per month on federal student loans than PUC graduates. ($186 vs. $310)
  • More California State University-San Marcos graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former PUC students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 57%)

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