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California State University-San Marcos

San Marcos, CA · Public · Large suburb · CSUSM

Public institution in San Marcos, CA · 14,174 undergraduates · 96% acceptance rate · $62,908 median earnings 10 years after entry.

Stats

College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.

Cost

Average net price
$10,550354th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
In-state tuition & fees
$7,739341st cheapest of 2,024 reporting
Out-of-state tuition & fees
$19,619834th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
Cost of attendance
$21,144446th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
Median graduate debt
$17,350420th lowest of 1,865 reporting

Outcomes

Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$62,908440th highest of 1,954 reporting
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$48,673610th highest of 1,950 reporting
Graduation rate (4-year)
54.2%988th highest of 2,014 reporting
Full-time retention
74.8%987th highest of 1,837 reporting

Admissions

Acceptance rate
95.7%1,421st most selective of 1,596 reporting
Average SAT
—
Median ACT
—

Campus

Undergraduates
14,174179th largest of 2,144 reporting
Student-faculty ratio
21.0:11,930th smallest of 2,141 reporting
Pell Grant share
43.6%561st highest of 2,122 reporting

Nearest large-hub airport: 28 mi (SAN)

On 2 of our 111 lists

Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.

Best-paying fields of study

Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 44 reported programs.

FieldLevel1 yr2 yr
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professionsbachelors$87,520$88,074
PhysicsPhysical Sciencesbachelors$65,332$57,318
Computer Sciencebachelors$63,855$71,015
Accounting and Related ServicesBusinessbachelors$56,867$55,286
Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralComputer Sciencebachelors$54,322$45,864
Finance and Financial Management ServicesBusinessbachelors$52,822$49,520
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular BiologyBiological Sciencesbachelors$46,478$41,937
Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusinessbachelors$46,025$43,601
BiotechnologyBiological Sciencesbachelors$45,500$41,565
Management Information Systems and ServicesBusinessbachelors$44,933—
International BusinessBusinessbachelors$42,682—
Business/Commerce, GeneralBusinessbachelors$41,565$44,170

Campus facts

Athletics — 7 sports

NCAA Division II without football · NCAA Division II

Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $858,506 (M $409,256 · W $449,250)

Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.

Nearest undergraduate enrollment to California State University-San Marcos’s 14,174 (College Scorecard UGDS, compiled 2026-10-24). Size only — not a judgment of similarity or quality.

In CA

Elsewhere