UNCG vs. California State University-San Marcos

Should I go to University of North Carolina at Greensboro or California State University San Marcos? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UNCG 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools
University of North Carolina at Greensboro vs. California State University San Marcos comparison
University of North Carolina at Greensboro California State University San Marcos College 3 College 4
University of North Carolina at Greensboro California State University San Marcos
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

UNCG California State University-San Marcos
Location Greensboro, NC San Marcos, CA
Setting Large City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 17,978 15,109
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #671 #836
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uncg.edu csusm.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UNCG California State University-San Marcos
Tuition (In State) $4,422 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $19,581 $17,622
Room & Board $9,924 $13,972
Avg Net Price $10,979 $10,463
Avg Grant Aid $8,257 $8,922
% Receiving Grant Aid 82% 67%

Admission

UNCG California State University-San Marcos
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 11,515 14,774
Admitted 10,587 14,064
Acceptance Rate 91.9% 95.2%
Enrolled % 22.1% 18.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.59 3.32
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/27 17/22
SAT Range 1110/1280 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 Mar 1, 2024 Nov 30, 2023

Academics

UNCG California State University-San Marcos
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 23:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (17%)
  • Education (11%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)

Outcomes

UNCG California State University-San Marcos
Graduation Rate 53% 49%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,100 $49,100
Making Student Loan Payments 56% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,737 $17,995
Median Loan Payment $235 $186

Diversity

UNCG California State University-San Marcos
% Men 33% 39%
% Women 67% 61%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 52% 30%
% Black 28% 3%
% Hispanic 8% 42%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 6%
% International 2% 2%
% Unknown Race 0% 5%

Students

UNCG California State University-San Marcos
% In-State 92% 98%
% Out-of-State 6% 1%

Campus

UNCG 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

  • University of North Carolina at Greensboro is larger than than California State University-San Marcos based on total student enrollment (17,978 students vs. 15,109 students)

UNCG vs. California State University-San Marcos Cost Comparison

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

  • California State University San Marcos is 29.9% more expensive to attend than UNCG for in-state tuition ($5,742.00 vs. $4,422.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 11.1% higher at UNCG than California State University San Marcos ($19,581.00 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 UNCG ($10,463 vs. $10,979)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of North Carolina at Greensboro are 40.8% lower than costs at California State University San Marcos ($9,924 vs. $13,972)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of North Carolina at Greensboro than California State University San Marcos (82% vs. 67%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University San Marcos students is 8.1% larger than aid received University of North Carolina at Greensboro ($8,922 vs. $8,257)

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

Which college is harder to get into, UNCG 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 UNCG .

  • The average SAT score at University of North Carolina at Greensboro (1035) is 80 points higher than at California State University-San Marcos (955)
  • Incoming UNCG students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at California State University-San Marcos (21)
  • Accepted freshman UNCG students have a 0.27 point higher average high school GPA (3.59) than students at California State University-San Marcos (3.32)
  • California State University-San Marcos has a higher acceptance rate (95.2%) than UNCG (91.9%)

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

Which is better, UNCG 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 UNCG.

  • The graduation rate at UNCG is higher than California State University San Marcos (53% vs. 49%)
  • Graduates from California State University San Marcos earn on average $10,000 more per year than UNCG graduates after ten years. ($49,100 vs. $39,100)
  • California State University San Marcos students graduate with a $4,742 lower median federal student loan debt than UNCG graduates. ($17,995 vs. $22,737)
  • California State University-San Marcos graduates are paying $49 less per month on federal student loans than UNCG graduates. ($186 vs. $235)
  • More California State University-San Marcos graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UNCG students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 56%)

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