Cost advantage
Affordable public option
In-state tuition in the lower range for public universities.
This school$8.1k
Public 4-yr avg$11k
Source: CollegeScorecard 2024
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UniversitypublicVerified data
California State University-San Marcos
San Marcos, CA
Cost & Financial Aid
In-State Tuition
$8,082
Out-of-State Tuition
$20,682
Avg On-Campus Living
$14,152
Avg Off-Campus Living
$20,921
Financial Aid & Outcomes
CollegeScorecard · 2024
What will it actually cost?
Sticker price$22,234
Net price (after aid)$10,229
Most students pay the net price after financial aid, not the sticker price.
Net price by family income
$0 – $30k$6,230
$30k – $48k$7,240
$48k – $75k$8,928
$75k – $110k$12,525
$110k+$18,734
After graduation
Median earnings (10yr)$62,908
Median debt at graduation$17,350
Est. monthly loan payment$184
Earnings-to-debt ratio
Strong · 3.6×Graduates earn about 3.6× their median debt every year.
Financial access
Students on Pell Grants43%
Pell Grants are federal aid for students from low-income families.
Students with federal loans28%
Share of students who borrowed to pay for school.
Some fields may not be reported by this institution. Verify final details with the school directly.
How does cost line up with outcomes across colleges? See our analysis of college cost vs. graduation and earnings, an association shaped by selectivity and sector, not proof a pricier college pays off.
Student Outcomes
Graduation Rate
55%
Freshman Retention
79%
Source: CollegeScorecard (2024)
Final aid offers, scholarships, and net price vary per family. Always verify with the school's financial aid office.
Scholarships available
Decision support · Cost & value
Quick Decision Highlights
The strongest cost, aid, and value reasons to consider this school.
Lower net price
$10.2k below avg
Strong aid for lower incomes
Reported net price for the $0–30k band runs below average.
Need-based aid friendly
43% above avg
Affordability snapshot
In-state tuition
$8.1k
below avg
Out-of-state
$20.7k
below avg
Net price
$10.2k
below avg
Pell
43%
above avg
Median debt
$17.4k
below avg
Earnings (10y)
$62.9k
above avg
“Avg” comparisons reference national IPEDS / College Scorecard averages (~2022–23); figures are directional and vary by school and year.
Admissions
Acceptance rate
95%
SAT range
786 - 999
ACT range
14 - 24
Actions
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Location
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UniversitiesCommunity Colleges1 school
Institution does not report this
San Marcos, CA 92096
Academics
Studying online: a substantial share study entirely online
In Fall 2023, 882 of California State University-San Marcos's 15,431 students (6%) were enrolled entirely at a distance. A further 5,684 (37%) took at least one distance course alongside in-person study.
Distance-education figures count STUDENTS enrolled in Fall 2023, not programs on offer. "Exclusively at a distance" means a student took only distance courses that term. A college with few or no such students may still run online courses or an online degree, so a low figure is not evidence that online study is unavailable, and a high one is not a judgement of quality either way.
U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS Fall Enrollment (distance education status), Fall 2023
Fields of study
California State University-San Marcos reported conferring credentials in 46 different fields to the federal government. See which ones, and at what credential level.
Campus & Student Life
Area Safety Rating
Similar schools
Frequently asked questions
About California State University-San Marcos
Built from CampusPin profile data. Always verify final admissions, cost, financial aid, and program details with the institution before applying. See our data methodology and data dictionary.
- Where is California State University-San Marcos located?
- California State University-San Marcos is located in San Marcos, CA, in the United States.
- What type of institution is California State University-San Marcos?
- California State University-San Marcos is a public university based in CA. CampusPin classifies institutions as either four-year universities or two-year community colleges, with control labeled public or private.
- What is the acceptance rate at California State University-San Marcos?
- The most recently reported acceptance rate at California State University-San Marcos is approximately 95%. Acceptance rate signals selectivity but does not predict any individual applicant's outcome and is not a measure of school quality. CampusPin reports the federally-published value; verify the current cycle with the institution.
- What is the tuition at California State University-San Marcos?
- California State University-San Marcos's published in-state tuition is approximately $8,082 per year. This is the published price before financial aid; the net price most students actually pay is typically lower. Verify the current academic-year tuition with the institution before applying.
- How many students attend California State University-San Marcos?
- California State University-San Marcos reports total enrollment of approximately 15,359 students (undergraduate plus graduate). Total enrollment is a useful sizing signal, see the institutional profile for additional breakdowns when available.
- How much does California State University-San Marcos actually cost after financial aid?
- The average net price at California State University-San Marcos is approximately $10,229 per year. Net price is the total cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships that never have to be repaid, so it is what students actually paid rather than the published sticker price. What families pay varies with income: students from families earning under $30,000 paid about $6,230 on average, and those from families earning $110,000 or more about $18,734. These are averages for students who received federal aid in a prior cohort, not a quote for any individual family. Run the institution's own Net Price Calculator for a figure specific to you.
- What is the graduation rate at California State University-San Marcos?
- California State University-San Marcos reports a graduation rate of approximately 55%. This measures the share of a prior entering cohort who completed their degree within the federal tracking window. It reflects who enrolls as much as what the institution does, so it is not on its own a measure of teaching quality, and it is not comparable across institutions serving very different students.
- How much student debt do graduates of California State University-San Marcos have?
- Students who borrowed at California State University-San Marcos left with a median of approximately $17,350 in federal loans, and about 28% of students took federal loans at all. Both numbers matter: a median describes only the students who borrowed, so it reads very differently at a school where most students borrow than at one where few do. Federal loans only, so private and parent borrowing are not included.
- How much do graduates of California State University-San Marcos earn?
- Median earnings approximately ten years after entry are $62,908 for students who received federal financial aid at California State University-San Marcos. This reflects the mix of programs the institution offers and the students who enroll, not the effect of attending, and it covers aid recipients rather than all graduates.
- How should I verify final details about California State University-San Marcos?
- CampusPin compiles institutional data from public datasets like IPEDS and the College Scorecard, plus institutional websites and editorial review. Before applying, paying a deposit, or making a final decision, confirm admissions requirements, current tuition, financial aid, deadlines, and program details directly with California State University-San Marcos.
Fields this college awarded credentials in
The 14 largest of 46 fields California State University-San Marcos reported, by credentials conferred in 2023-24, using the federal classification of each field. The level is the highest credential actually awarded, which is not always the one a field is best known for.
| Field | Awarded | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 587 | Graduate49 graduate · 538 bachelor's |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 325 | Graduate31 graduate · 294 bachelor's |
| Psychology, General | 318 | Graduate10 graduate · 308 bachelor's |
| Sociology | 254 | Graduate9 graduate · 245 bachelor's |
| Computer Science | 216 | Graduate21 graduate · 195 bachelor's |
| Criminology | 188 | Bachelor's |
| Communication and Media Studies | 183 | Bachelor's |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 173 | Graduate9 graduate · 164 bachelor's |
| Biology, General | 167 | Graduate6 graduate · 161 bachelor's |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 146 | Bachelor's |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 103 | Graduate33 graduate · 70 bachelor's |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | 99 | Bachelor's |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 91 | Bachelor's |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General | 80 | Bachelor's |
Fields are as classified in the federal IPEDS completions collection, which records credentials already conferred. A field listed here was awarded in the reporting year; it does not confirm the program is currently admitting students, and a field CampusPin has no guide for is still shown under its official federal title. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Explore more
Compare colleges side by sideAll colleges in CaliforniaCalifornia college costs by family incomeStudent debt at California collegesComputer science major guideBusiness major guideNursing major guidePsychology major guideEngineering major guide
Always verify final admissions, cost, financial aid, and program details with California State University-San Marcos before applying.
Data sources & methodology
Reporting period: 2024Last verified: June 10, 2026
Facts on this profile of California State University-San Marcos are compiled from federal datasets and the institution's own published information.
Sources used across this page
Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.
IPEDS / NCES College Navigator
Federal enrollment, admissions, tuition, retention, and program data. Released annually with a 1–2 year lag.
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
Net price by income band, post-graduation earnings, and federal aid context.
Clery Act campus security reports
Annual campus security and fire-safety disclosures required of U.S. institutions.
Institutional websites
Each school's official admissions, registrar, and financial-aid pages are the authoritative source for current details.
Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.
Suggested citation
CampusPin. (2024). California State University-San Marcos, college profile. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/schools/california-state-university-san-marcos
About this information
CampusPin compiles college information from recent publicly available data, including federal and institutional sources. College information can change as institutions and public agencies release new data.
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