California State University-San Marcos
San Marcos, California · Public · 4-year · Suburb
Official websiteAt a glance
- Average net price
- $10,229What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
- Acceptance rate
- 95%
- Graduation rate
- 54%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
- Undergraduates
- 14,877
- In-state tuition
- $8,082Published price before aid.
- Out-of-state tuition
- $20,682
- SAT midpoint
- Not reported
- Median earnings, 10 yrs
- $62,908Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.
How it compares to similar colleges
Each rating covers one measure against public 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.
Affordability
$10,2295/5
Better than 82% of public 4-year colleges (565 compared).
Completion
54%3/5
Better than 56% of public 4-year colleges (566 compared).
Earnings
$62,9084/5
Better than 73% of public 4-year colleges (590 compared).
Debt at graduation
$17,3505/5
Better than 82% of public 4-year colleges (588 compared).
What these ratings are based on
- Affordability
- Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
- Completion
- Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
- Earnings
- Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
- Debt at graduation
- Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
- Why there is no rating for selectivity
- A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.
What it actually costs
Published cost
$21,649
The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.
Average net price
$10,229
What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.
Outcomes
| Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time | 54% |
|---|---|
| Retention rateFirst-year students who return | 79% |
| Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed | $17,350 |
| Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled | $62,908 |
What graduates of each major earn
Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.
| Major | Earnings, 1 yr | Degrees awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $103,799 | 278 |
| Accounting and Related Services | $63,366 | Not reported |
| Computer Systems Analysis | $61,054 | Not reported |
| Computer Science | $60,645 | 152 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | $57,682 | 36 |
| Physics | $56,018 | 16 |
| International Business | $55,455 | Not reported |
| Management Information Systems and Services | $55,102 | Not reported |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $54,408 | Not reported |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | $49,734 | Not reported |
| Biotechnology | $49,615 | 21 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $49,543 | 471 |
| Chemistry | $49,382 | 11 |
| Business/Commerce, General | $46,958 | Not reported |
| Marketing | $43,134 | Not reported |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | $40,875 | Not reported |
| Economics | $40,155 | 52 |
| Biology, General | $38,527 | 188 |
| Social Sciences, General | $37,446 | 39 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $37,364 | 50 |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences | $36,889 | Not reported |
| Communication and Media Studies | $36,310 | 201 |
| Political Science and Government | $35,297 | 63 |
| Criminology | $34,694 | 234 |
| Sociology | $34,541 | 295 |
| Psychology, General | $31,355 | 315 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | $31,184 | 163 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $29,638 | 74 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $29,341 | 155 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $29,329 | 23 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $29,055 | 117 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General | $27,741 | 76 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $26,203 | 164 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | $22,567 | 58 |
| History | $22,407 | 73 |
| Computer Engineering | Not reported | 34 |
| Mathematics | Not reported | 30 |
| Anthropology | Not reported | 23 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Not reported | 16 |
| Fire Protection | Not reported | 13 |
| Music | Not reported | 7 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | Not reported | 6 |
| International/Globalization Studies | Not reported | 5 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | Not reported | 5 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | Not reported | 3 |
| Geography and Cartography | Not reported | 1 |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | Not reported | Not reported |
All 47 bachelor’s programs this college reported.
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