California State University-San Marcos

www.csusm.edu

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2024 Undergraduate Tuition
$6,084
5.96% growth from 2023
2024 Average Net Price
$10,241
After Financial Aid
2024 Acceptance Rate
95.1%
19,721 Applicants
2024 Enrolled Students
16,237
82.6% Full-Time
2024 Graduation Rate
54.6%
1,281 Graduates

About

California State University-San Marcos is a higher education institution located in San Diego County, CA. In 2024, the most popular Bachelors Degree concentrations at California State University-San Marcos were General Business Administration & Management (538 degrees awarded), General Psychology (308 degrees), and Registered Nursing (294 degrees).

In 2024, 3,791 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at California State University-San Marcos. 62.6% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 37.4% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was hispanic or latino (1,747 degrees), 1.6 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, white (1,089 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at California State University-San Marcos is $6,084, which is $−19,204 less than the national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($25,288).

Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium ProgramsMasters Colleges and Universities

Costs

In 2024, the median undergraduate tuition at California State University-San Marcos is $6,084, which is $19,204 less than the national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($25,288).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $10,241.

In 2024, 63% of undergraduate students attending California State University-San Marcos received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 28% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$6,084
2024 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2024, the cost of tuition at California State University-San Marcos was $6,084. The cost of tuition at California State University-San Marcos is $−19,204 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($25,288).

This chart compares the tuition costs of California State University-San Marcos (in red) with those of other similar universities.

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Average Net Price

$10,241
2024 Value
2.47%
1 Year Growth

In 2024 California State University-San Marcos had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $10,241. Between 2023 and 2024, the average net price of California State University-San Marcos grew by 2.47%.

This chart compares the average net price of California State University-San Marcos (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

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Other Student Expenses

$17,203
Room and Board
$1,018
Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at California State University-San Marcos was of $17,203 in 2024. The cost of room and board increased by 5.54% between 2023 and 2024.

During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,018. The cost of books and supplies decreased by 11% during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at California State University-San Marcos (in red) with that of similar universities.

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Financial Aid by Income Level

63%
Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants
28%
Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

63% of undergraduate students at California State University-San Marcos received financial aid through grants or loans in 2024. This represents a decline of 3.08% with respect to 2023, when 65% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at California State University-San Marcos (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

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Admissions

California State University-San Marcos received 19,721 undergraduate applications in 2024, which represents a 12.6% annual growth. Out of those 19,721 applicants, 18,755 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 95.1% acceptance rate.

There were 16,237 students enrolled at California State University-San Marcos in 2024. 94% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

California State University-San Marcos has an overall enrollment yield of 14%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

95.1%
Acceptance Rate in 2024
18,755
Accepted Out of 19,721

In 2024, the undergraduate acceptance rate of California State University-San Marcos was 95.1% (18,755 admissions from 19,721 applications). This is lower than the acceptance rate of 2023, which was 95.7%. Between 2023 and 2024, the number of applicants grew by 12.6%, while admissions grew by 11.9%.

This chart compares the acceptance rate of California State University-San Marcos (in red) with that of other similar universities, and the chart below shows the acceptance rate by gender.

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SAT Scores

94%
Submission Percentage (2020)
2,118
Scores Submitted (2020)

94% of enrolled first-time students at California State University-San Marcos in 2020 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

The following chart shows the average SAT scores for the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile of applicants for each section of the test that they are evaluated on.

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Enrollment

California State University-San Marcos had a total enrollment of 16,237 students in 2024. The full-time enrollment at California State University-San Marcos is 13,413 students and the part-time enrollment is 2,824. This means that 82.6% of students enrolled at California State University-San Marcos are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at California State University-San Marcos, both undergraduate and graduate, is 50.8% Hispanic or Latino, 24.9% White, 9.1% Asian, 6.15% Two or More Races, 4% Black or African American, 0.302% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.289% American Indian or Alaska Native.

Students enrolled at California State University-San Marcos in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly Hispanic or Latino Female (32.3%), followed by Hispanic or Latino Male (19.5%) and White Female (13.8%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly Hispanic or Latino Female (33%), followed by White Female (24.1%) and Hispanic or Latino Male (10.4%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

82.6%
Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at California State University-San Marcos in 2024, both undergraduate and graduate, is 16,237 students. The full-time enrollment at California State University-San Marcos is 13,413 and the part-time enrollment is 2,824. This means that 82.6% of students enrolled at California State University-San Marcos are enrolled full-time compared with 68.6% at similar Masters Colleges and Universities.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at California State University-San Marcos (in red) compares to similar universities.

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Retention Rate over Time

79%
2024 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at California State University-San Marcos was 79%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Masters Colleges and Universities (74%), California State University-San Marcos had a retention rate higher than its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at California State University-San Marcos (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

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Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity (2024)
  1. Hispanic or Latino
    8,244 enrolled students
  2. White
    4,042 enrolled students
  3. Asian
    1,477 enrolled students

The enrolled student population at California State University-San Marcos is 50.8% Hispanic or Latino, 24.9% White, 9.1% Asian, 6.15% Two or More Races, 4% Black or African American, 0.302% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.289% American Indian or Alaska Native. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Masters Colleges and Universities is 48.8% White, 18.2% Hispanic or Latino, and 13.7% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 556 students (3.42%) did not report their race.

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Graduates

In 2024, 957 more women than men received degrees from California State University-San Marcos. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at California State University-San Marcos is hispanic or latino (1,747 degrees awarded). There were 1.6 times more hispanic or latino recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white (1,089 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at California State University-San Marcos is General Business Administration & Management (538 degrees awarded), followed by General Psychology (308 degrees) and Registered Nursing (294 degrees).

In 2024,  the most specialized majors across all degree types at California State University-San Marcos, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Social Sciences (616 degrees awarded), History (78 degrees), and Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (173 degrees).

Common Jobs by Major

Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers
Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at California State University-San Marcos are Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers (454,712 people), Other managers (428,098 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (279,770 people), Chief executives & legislators (188,015 people), and Postsecondary teachers (160,790 people).

The most specialized majors at California State University-San Marcos in 2024 are Social Sciences (616 degrees awarded), History (78 degrees), Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (173 degrees), Human Sciences (99 degrees), and Communications (183 degrees) (as of 2024).

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Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Surgeons
Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at California State University-San Marcos are Surgeons, Diagnostic medical sonographers, Magnetic resonance imaging technologists, Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents, and Physicians

The most specialized majors at California State University-San Marcos are Social Sciences (616 degrees awarded), History (78 degrees), Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (173 degrees), Human Sciences (99 degrees), and Communications (183 degrees) (as of 2024).

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Common Industries by Major

Elementary & secondary schools
Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at California State University-San Marcos are Elementary & secondary schools (721,741 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (464,797 people), Legal services (370,869 people), Computer Systems Design (335,340 people), and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (287,593 people).

The most specialized majors at California State University-San Marcos are Social Sciences (616 degrees awarded), History (78 degrees), Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (173 degrees), Human Sciences (99 degrees), and Communications (183 degrees) (as of 2024).

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Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by California State University-San Marcos.
Most Common (2024)
  1. General Business Administration & Management
    538 degrees awarded
  2. General Psychology
    308 degrees awarded
  3. Registered Nursing
    294 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common bachelors degree concentration at California State University-San Marcos was General Business Administration & Management with 538 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at California State University-San Marcos according to their major.

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Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

1,417
Degrees Awarded to Men
in 2024
2,374
Degrees Awarded to Women
in 2024

In 2024, 1,417 degrees were awarded to men at California State University-San Marcos, which is 0.597 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (2,374).

This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 majors at California State University-San Marcos by degrees awarded.

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Most Common Male Majors

In 2024, 344 degrees were awarded to men at California State University-San Marcos in General Business Administration & Management, which is 1.42 times more than the 243 female recipients with that same degree.

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Most Common Female Majors

In 2024, 251 degrees were awarded to men at California State University-San Marcos in Registered Nursing, which is 3.39 times more than the 74 male recipients with that same degree.

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Time to Complete

23%
100% Completion Time
57%
150% Completion Time

In 2024, 23% of students graduating from California State University-San Marcos completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 57% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 60% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Masters Colleges and Universities Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

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Graduation Rate by Race and Sex

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.
Asian Female
Highest Graduation Rate (74.3%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate in 2024 at California State University-San Marcos is Female and Asian (74.3% graduation rate). Across all Masters Colleges and Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (75.5%).

The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the graduation rate of those students is shown in the chart below. Additionally, 2.35% of graduates (30 students) did not report their race.

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Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity (2024)
  1. Hispanic or Latino
    1,747 degrees awarded
  2. White
    1,089 degrees awarded
  3. Asian
    404 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at California State University-San Marcos is hispanic or latino (1,747 degrees awarded). There were 1.6 times more hispanic or latino recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white (1,089 degrees).

3.8% of degree recipients (144 students) did not report their race.

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Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic (2024)
  1. Hispanic or Latino Female
    1,183 degrees awarded
  2. White Female
    659 degrees awarded
  3. Hispanic or Latino Male
    564 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at California State University-San Marcos is hispanic or latino female (1,183 degrees awarded). There were 1.8 times more hispanic or latino female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white female (659 degrees).

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Operations

California State University-San Marcos has an endowment valued at nearly $36.6M, as of the end of the 2024 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of 9.45M (25.9%) compared to the 9.96% average return (5.41M on 54.3M) across all Masters Colleges and Universities.

In 2024, California State University-San Marcos had a total salary expenditure of 372M. California State University-San Marcos employs 126 Lecturers, 116 Professors and 95 Associate professors. Most academics at California State University-San Marcos are Female Lecturer (95), Female Professor (59), and Male Professor (57).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at California State University-San Marcos are: Business and Financial Operations, with 202 employees, Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media, with 178 employees, and Office and Administrative Support with 119 employees.

Endowment

$36.6M
2024 Endowment
8.98%
growth from 2023

California State University-San Marcos has an endowment valued at about $36.6M, as of the end of the 2024 fiscal year. The endowment of California State University-San Marcos grew 8.98% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $17.8M lower than than the median endowment of Masters Colleges and Universities according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at California State University-San Marcos (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs Carnegie Classification grouping.

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Salary Expenditure

$139M
2024 Salaries
0%
growth from 2023

In 2024, California State University-San Marcos paid a median of $139M in salaries, which represents 37.3% of their overall expenditure ($372M) and a 0% growth from the previous year.

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Instructional Salaries

$46.4M
Instructional Salaries
427
Number of Employees

In 2024, California State University-San Marcos paid a total of $46.4M to 427 employees working as instructors, which represents 33.5% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $1.15M (2.91%) for similar Masters Colleges and Universities.

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Occupations by Share

In 2024, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at California State University-San Marcos were Business and Financial Operations with 202 employees, Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media with 178 employees, and Office and Administrative Support with 119 employees.

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