Pitzer vs. California State University-San Marcos

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

Pitzer California State University-San Marcos
Location Claremont, CA San Marcos, CA
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 1,212 15,109
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #836
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website pitzer.edu csusm.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Pitzer California State University-San Marcos
Tuition (In State) $60,282 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $60,282 $17,622
Room & Board $19,854 $13,972
Avg Net Price $39,809 $10,463
Avg Grant Aid $39,594 $8,922
% Receiving Grant Aid 34% 67%

Admission

Pitzer California State University-San Marcos
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,500 14,774
Admitted 644 14,064
Acceptance Rate 18.4% 95.2%
Enrolled % 48% 18.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.93 3.32
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition Very High
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 Jan 1, 2024 Nov 30, 2023

Academics

Pitzer California State University-San Marcos
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 23:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (22%)
  • General Studies (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Natural Resources Conservation (7%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)

Outcomes

Pitzer California State University-San Marcos
Graduation Rate 81% 49%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,600 $49,100
Making Student Loan Payments 81% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $15,895 $17,995
Median Loan Payment $164 $186

Diversity

Pitzer California State University-San Marcos
% Men 41% 39%
% Women 59% 61%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 48% 30%
% Black 5% 3%
% Hispanic 15% 42%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 9% 6%
% International 7% 2%
% Unknown Race 6% 5%

Students

Pitzer California State University-San Marcos
% In-State 38% 98%
% Out-of-State 52% 1%

Campus

Pitzer 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 Pitzer based on total student enrollment (15,109 students vs. 1,212 students)

Pitzer vs. California State University-San Marcos Cost Comparison

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

  • Pitzer College is 949.8% more expensive to attend than California State University-San Marcos for in-state tuition ($60,282.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 242.1% higher at Pitzer than California State University San Marcos ($60,282.00 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 Pitzer ($10,463 vs. $39,809)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Marcos are 42.1% lower than costs at Pitzer College ($13,972 vs. $19,854)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University San Marcos than Pitzer College (67% vs. 34%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Pitzer College students is 343.8% larger than aid received California State University San Marcos ($39,594 vs. $8,922)

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

Which college is harder to get into, Pitzer 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 Pitzer .

  • Accepted freshman Pitzer students have a 0.61 point higher average high school GPA (3.93) than students at California State University-San Marcos (3.32)
  • California State University-San Marcos has a higher acceptance rate (95.2%) than Pitzer (18.4%)

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

Which is better, Pitzer 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 Pitzer.

  • The graduation rate at Pitzer is higher than California State University San Marcos (81% vs. 49%)
  • Graduates from Pitzer College earn on average $500 more per year than California State University-San Marcos graduates after ten years. ($49,600 vs. $49,100)
  • Pitzer College students graduate with a $2,100 lower median federal student loan debt than California State University-San Marcos graduates. ($15,895 vs. $17,995)
  • Pitzer graduates are paying $22 less per month on federal student loans than California State University-San Marcos graduates. ($164 vs. $186)
  • More Pitzer graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California State University-San Marcos students, three years after graduation. (81% vs. 66%)

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