California State University-San Marcos

www.csusm.edu

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2023 Undergraduate Tuition

$5,742

2023 Average Net Price

$10,500

After Financial Aid

2020 Default Rate

on Student Loans

2023 Acceptance Rate

95.7%

17,519 Applicants

2023 Enrolled Students

15,431

82.3% Full-Time

2023 Graduation Rate

54.2%

1,303 Graduates

About

California State University-San Marcos is a higher education institution located in San Diego County, CA. In 2023, the most popular Bachelors Degree concentrations at California State University-San Marcos were General Business Administration & Management (471 degrees awarded), General Psychology (315 degrees), and Sociology (295 degrees).

In 2023, 3,943 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at California State University-San Marcos. 64.4% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 35.6% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was hispanic or latino (1,810 degrees), 1.56 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, white (1,160 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at California State University-San Marcos is $5,742, which is $−18,833 less than the national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($24,575).

In 2020 the default rate for borrower's at California State University-San Marcos was 0%, corresponding to 0 out of the 2,936 total borrowers.

Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs Masters Colleges and Universities

Costs

In 2023, the median undergraduate tuition at California State University-San Marcos is $5,742, which is $18,833 less than the national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($24,575).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $10,500.

In 2023, 65% of undergraduate students attending California State University-San Marcos received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 30% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$5,742

2023 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2023, the cost of tuition at California State University-San Marcos was $5,742. The cost of tuition at California State University-San Marcos is $−18,833 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($24,575).

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

Average Net Price

$10,500

2023 Value

0.354%

1 Year Growth

In 2023 California State University-San Marcos had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $10,500. Between 2022 and 2023, the average net price of California State University-San Marcos grew by 0.354%.

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.

Other Student Expenses

$16,300

Room and Board

$1,144

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at California State University-San Marcos was of $16,300 in 2023. The cost of room and board increased by 39.7% between 2022 and 2023.

During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,144. The cost of books and supplies increased by 2.33% during the same period.

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

Financial Aid by Income Level

65%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

30%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

65% of undergraduate students at California State University-San Marcos received financial aid through grants or loans in 2023. This represents a growth of 0% with respect to 2022, 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.

Student Loan Default Rate

Cohort default rates only account for borrowers who default in the first three years, and some schools only have a small proportion of borrowers entering repayment. These rates should be interpreted with caution, as they may not be reflective of the entire school population.

2020 Default Rate

Number of Defaults

In 2020 the default rate for borrower's at California State University-San Marcos was 0%, which represents 0 out of the 2936 total borrowers.

A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school's borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.

Admissions

California State University-San Marcos received 17,519 undergraduate applications in 2023, which represents a 18.6% annual growth. Out of those 17,519 applicants, 16,765 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 95.7% acceptance rate.

There were 15,431 students enrolled at California State University-San Marcos in 2023. 94% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

California State University-San Marcos has an overall enrollment yield of 15.7%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

95.7%

Acceptance Rate in 2023

16,765

Accepted Out of 17,519

In 2023, the undergraduate acceptance rate of California State University-San Marcos was 95.7% (16,765 admissions from 17,519 applications). This is higher than the acceptance rate of 2022, which was 95.2%. Between 2022 and 2023, the number of applicants grew by 18.6%, while admissions grew by 19.2%.

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.

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.

Enrollment

California State University-San Marcos had a total enrollment of 15,431 students in 2023. The full-time enrollment at California State University-San Marcos is 12,695 students and the part-time enrollment is 2,736. This means that 82.3% 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 50.4% Hispanic or Latino, 25.6% White, 9.53% Asian, 5.91% Two or More Races, 3.77% Black or African American, 0.318% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.318% 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 (32.9%), followed by Hispanic or Latino Male (18.8%) and White Female (14.3%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly Hispanic or Latino Female (32.1%), followed by White Female (22.7%) and White Male (9.36%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

82.3%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at California State University-San Marcos in 2023, both undergraduate and graduate, is 15,431 students. The full-time enrollment at California State University-San Marcos is 12,695 and the part-time enrollment is 2,736. This means that 82.3% of students enrolled at California State University-San Marcos are enrolled full-time compared with 68.2% 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.

Retention Rate over Time

75%

2023 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 75%. 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.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity (2023)

Hispanic or Latino
7,770 enrolled students
White
3,945 enrolled students
Asian
1,470 enrolled students

The enrolled student population at California State University-San Marcos is 50.4% Hispanic or Latino, 25.6% White, 9.53% Asian, 5.91% Two or More Races, 3.77% Black or African American, 0.318% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.318% 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 50.1% White, 17.7% Hispanic or Latino, and 13.4% 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, 463 students (3%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2023, 1,137 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 (1,810 degrees awarded). There were 1.56 times more hispanic or latino recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white (1,160 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at California State University-San Marcos is General Business Administration & Management (471 degrees awarded), followed by General Psychology (315 degrees) and Sociology (295 degrees).

In 2023, 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 (720 degrees awarded), Human Sciences (163 degrees), and History (81 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 (450,956 people), Other managers (411,512 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (269,371 people), Chief executives & legislators (184,683 people), and Postsecondary teachers (162,694 people).

The most specialized majors at California State University-San Marcos in 2023 are Social Sciences (720 degrees awarded), Human Sciences (163 degrees), History (81 degrees), Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (171 degrees), and Communications (201 degrees) (as of 2023).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Diagnostic medical sonographers

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 Diagnostic medical sonographers, Surgeons, Magnetic resonance imaging technologists, Physicians, and Nuclear medicine technologists and medical dosimetrists

The most specialized majors at California State University-San Marcos are Social Sciences (720 degrees awarded), Human Sciences (163 degrees), History (81 degrees), Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (171 degrees), and Communications (201 degrees) (as of 2023).

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 (851,554 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (477,529 people), Legal services (367,175 people), General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (364,494 people), and Justice, public order, & safety activities (271,383 people).

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 (2023)

General Business Administration & Management
471 degrees awarded
General Psychology
315 degrees awarded
Sociology
295 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common bachelors degree concentration at California State University-San Marcos was General Business Administration & Management with 471 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.

Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

1,403

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2023

2,540

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2023

In 2023, 1,403 degrees were awarded to men at California State University-San Marcos, which is 0.552 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (2,540).

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

Most Common Male Majors

In 2023, 318 degrees were awarded to men at California State University-San Marcos in General Business Administration & Management, which is 1.5 times more than the 212 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2023, 266 degrees were awarded to men at California State University-San Marcos in General Psychology, which is 4.22 times more than the 63 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

19%

100% Completion Time

59%

150% Completion Time

In 2023, 19% 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, 59% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 62% 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.

Graduation Rate by Race and Sex

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

White Female

Highest Graduation Rate (67.3%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate in 2023 at California State University-San Marcos is Female and White (67.3% graduation rate). Across all Masters Colleges and Universities, Non-resident Alien Male students have the highest graduation rate (65.7%).

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, 3.99% of graduates (52 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity (2023)

Hispanic or Latino
1,810 degrees awarded
White
1,160 degrees awarded
Asian
415 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at California State University-San Marcos is hispanic or latino (1,810 degrees awarded). There were 1.56 times more hispanic or latino recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white (1,160 degrees).

3.88% of degree recipients (153 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic (2023)

Hispanic or Latino Female
1,278 degrees awarded
White Female
687 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino Male
532 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at California State University-San Marcos is hispanic or latino female (1,278 degrees awarded). There were 1.86 times more hispanic or latino female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white female (687 degrees).

Operations

California State University-San Marcos has an endowment valued at nearly $33.5M, as of the end of the 2023 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of 2.82M (8.39%) compared to the 5.72% average return (2.84M on 49.7M) across all Masters Colleges and Universities.

In 2023, California State University-San Marcos had a total salary expenditure of 347M. California State University-San Marcos employs 122 Lecturers, 109 Professors and 96 Associate professors. Most academics at California State University-San Marcos are Female Lecturer (89), Female Assistant professor (59), and Male Professor (56).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at California State University-San Marcos are: Business and Financial Operations, with 203 employees, Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media, with 182 employees, and Office and Administrative Support with 129 employees.

Endowment

$33.5M

2023 Endowment

7.57%

growth from 2022

California State University-San Marcos has an endowment valued at about $33.5M, as of the end of the 2023 fiscal year. The endowment of California State University-San Marcos grew 7.57% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $16.2M 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.

Salary Expenditure

$131M

2023 Salaries

9.29%

growth from 2022

In 2023, California State University-San Marcos paid a median of $131M in salaries, which represents 37.8% of their overall expenditure ($347M) and a 9.29% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 7.59% growth between 2021 and 2022, and a 3.06% decline between 2020 and 2021.

The median for similar Masters Colleges and Universities is 36.1M (39.6% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$40.7M

Instructional Salaries

416

Number of Employees

In 2023, California State University-San Marcos paid a total of $40.7M to 416 employees working as instructors, which represents 31% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $1.12M (2.97%) for similar Masters Colleges and Universities.

Occupations by Share

Lecturer

Most Common Instructor

122 Employees

Business and Financial Operations

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

203 Employees

In 2023, the most common positions for instructional staff at California State University-San Marcos were Lecturer with 122 employees, Professor with 109 employees, and Associate professor with 96 employees.

In 2023, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at California State University-San Marcos were Business and Financial Operations with 203 employees, Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media with 182 employees, and Office and Administrative Support with 129 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Sex

Most Common Demographic (2023)

Female Lecturer
Female Assistant professor
Male Professor

In 2023, the most common demographic for instructional staff at California State University-San Marcos was Female Lecturer with 89 employees, Female Assistant professor with 59 employees, and Male Professor with 56 employees.

This chart shows the sex split between each academic rank present at California State University-San Marcos.

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