California State University-San Marcos

www.csusm.edu/

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2021 Undergraduate Tuition

$5,742

2021 Average Net Price

$14,296

After Financial Aid

2019 Student Loan

1.51%

Default Rate

2021 Acceptance Rate

93.3%

13,986 Applicants

2021 Enrolled Students

16,255

80.2% Full-Time

2021 Graduation Rate

59.2%

1,256 Graduates

About

California State University-San Marcos is a higher education institution located in San Diego County, CA. In 2021, the most popular Bachelors Degree concentrations at California State University-San Marcos were General Business Administration & Management (610 degrees awarded), General Psychology (327 degrees), and Registered Nursing (294 degrees).

In 2021, 4,257 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at California State University-San Marcos. 63.4% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 36.6% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was hispanic or latino (1,713 degrees), 1.32 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, white (1,294 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at California State University-San Marcos is $5,742, which is $−17,442 less than the national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($23,184).

Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs Masters Colleges and Universities

Costs

In 2021, the median undergraduate tuition at California State University-San Marcos is $5,742, which is $−17,442 less than the national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($23,184).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $14,296.

In 2021, 64% of undergraduate students attending California State University-San Marcos received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 27% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$5,742

2021 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2021, the cost of tuition at California State University-San Marcos was $5,742. The cost of tuition at California State University-San Marcos is $−17,442 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($23,184).

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

Average Net Price

$14,296

2021 Value

10.5%

1 Year Growth

In 2021 California State University-San Marcos had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $14,296. Between 2020 and 2021, the average net price of California State University-San Marcos grew by 10.5%.

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

$14,665

Room and Board

$1,072

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at California State University-San Marcos was of $14,665 in 2021. The cost of room and board increased by 0.483% between 2020 and 2021.

During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,072. The cost of books and supplies decreased by 46.4% 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

64%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

27%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

64% of undergraduate students at California State University-San Marcos received financial aid through grants or loans in 2021. This represents a decline of 4.48% with respect to 2020, when 67% 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.

1.51%

2019 Default Rate

Number of Defaults

In 2019 the default rate for borrower's at California State University-San Marcos was 1.51%, which represents 43 out of the 2856 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 13,986 undergraduate applications in 2021, which represents a 9.26% annual growth. Out of those 13,986 applicants, 13,049 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 93.3% acceptance rate.

There were 16,255 students enrolled at California State University-San Marcos in 2021. 94% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

California State University-San Marcos has an overall enrollment yield of 18.5%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

93.3%

Acceptance Rate in 2021

13,049

Accepted Out of 13,986

In 2021, the undergraduate acceptance rate of California State University-San Marcos was 93.3% (13,049 admissions from 13,986 applications). This is higher than the acceptance rate of 2020, which was 79.4%. Between 2020 and 2021, the number of applicants grew by 9.26%, while admissions grew by 6.6%..

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.

This chart shows the SAT scores for the 25th and 75th percentile of applicants broken out into each section of the test that their are evaluated on.

Enrollment

California State University-San Marcos had a total enrollment of 16,255 students in 2021. The full-time enrollment at California State University-San Marcos is 13,033 students and the part-time enrollment is 3,222. This means that 80.2% 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 48.1% Hispanic or Latino, 26.3% White, 9.8% Asian, 5.17% Two or More Races, 3.43% Black or African American, 0.283% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.252% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

Students enrolled at California State University-San Marcos in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly Hispanic or Latino Female (33.8%), followed by Hispanic or Latino Male (16.3%) and White Female (14.9%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly Hispanic or Latino Female (29.3%), followed by White Female (24.3%) and White Male (9.34%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

80.2%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at California State University-San Marcos in 2021, both undergraduate and graduate, is 16,255 students. The full-time enrollment at California State University-San Marcos is 13,033 and the part-time enrollment is 3,222. This means that 80.2% of students enrolled at California State University-San Marcos are enrolled full-time compared with 68.3% 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

79%

2021 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 (73%), 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 (2021)

Hispanic or Latino
7,819 enrolled students
White
4,275 enrolled students
Asian
1,593 enrolled students

The enrolled student population at California State University-San Marcos is 48.1% Hispanic or Latino, 26.3% White, 9.8% Asian, 5.17% Two or More Races, 3.43% Black or African American, 0.283% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.252% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders. 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 52% White, 16.9% Hispanic or Latino, and 12.8% 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, 537 students (3.3%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2021, 1,143 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 (1,713 degrees awarded). There were 1.32 times more hispanic or latino recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white (1294 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at California State University-San Marcos is General Business Administration & Management (610 degrees awarded), followed by General Psychology (327 degrees) and Registered Nursing (294 degrees).

In 2021, 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 Human Sciences (223 degrees awarded), Social Sciences (730 degrees), and Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (183 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 (434,287 people), Other managers (369,288 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (291,119 people), Chief executives & legislators (165,603 people), and Postsecondary teachers (160,818 people).

The most specialized majors at California State University-San Marcos in 2021 are Human Sciences (223 degrees awarded), Social Sciences (730 degrees), Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (183 degrees), History (70 degrees), and Communications (231 degrees) (as of 2021).

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

The most specialized majors at California State University-San Marcos are Human Sciences (223 degrees awarded), Social Sciences (730 degrees), Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (183 degrees), History (70 degrees), and Communications (231 degrees) (as of 2021).

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 (656,621 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (428,966 people), Legal services (351,673 people), Computer Systems Design (264,846 people), and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (255,080 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 (2020)

General Business Administration & Management
613 degree-majors awarded
Registered Nursing
345 degree-majors awarded
General Psychology
307 degree-majors awarded

In 2020, the most common bachelors degree concentration at California State University-San Marcos was General Business Administration & Management with 613 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

1,557

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2021

2,700

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2021

In 2021, 1,557 degrees were awarded to men at California State University-San Marcos, which is 0.577 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (2,700).

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 2021, 396 degrees were awarded to men at California State University-San Marcos in General Business Administration & Management, which is 1.37 times more than the 289 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2021, 289 degrees were awarded to men at California State University-San Marcos in General Business Administration & Management, which is 0.73 times less than the 396 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

15%

100% Completion Time

54%

150% Completion Time

In 2021, 15% 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, 54% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 59% 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 (70.6%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate in 2021 at California State University-San Marcos is Female and White (70.6% graduation rate). Across all Masters Colleges and Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (72.9%).

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, 3.5% of graduates (44 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity (2021)

Hispanic or Latino
1,713 degrees awarded
White
1,294 degrees awarded
Asian
427 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at California State University-San Marcos is hispanic or latino (1,713 degrees awarded). There were 1.32 times more hispanic or latino recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white (1294 degrees).

5.45% of degree recipients (232 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic (2021)

Hispanic or Latino Female
1,168 degrees awarded
White Female
785 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino Male
545 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at California State University-San Marcos is hispanic or latino female (1,168 degrees awarded). There were 1.49 times more hispanic or latino female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white female (785 degrees).

Operations

California State University-San Marcos has an endowment valued at nearly $35.8M, as of the end of the 2021 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of 7.71M (21.5%) compared to the 13.1% average return (6.61M on 50.4M) across all Masters Colleges and Universities.

In 2021, California State University-San Marcos had a total salary expenditure of 309M. California State University-San Marcos employs 117 Lecturers, 113 Professors and 85 Associate professors. Most academics at California State University-San Marcos are Female Lecturer (85), Male Professor (58), and Female Professor (55).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at California State University-San Marcos are: Business and Financial Operations, with 181 employees, Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media, with 163 employees, and Office and Administrative Support with 118 employees.

Endowment

$35.8M

2021 Endowment

27.9%

growth from 2020

California State University-San Marcos has an endowment valued at about $35.8M, as of the end of the 2021 fiscal year. The endowment of California State University-San Marcos grew 27.9% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $14.7M 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

$112M

2021 Salaries

3.06%

decline from 2020

In 2021, California State University-San Marcos paid a median of $112M in salaries, which represents 36.1% of their overall expenditure ($309M) and a 3.06% decline from the previous year.

The median for similar Masters Colleges and Universities is 35.1M (41.3% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$35.8M

Instructional Salaries

394

Number of Employees

In 2021, California State University-San Marcos paid a total of $35.8M to 394 employees working as instructors, which represents 32% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $11M (31.3%) for similar Masters Colleges and Universities.

Occupations by Share

Lecturer

Most Common Instructor

117 Employees

Business and Financial Operations

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

181 Employees

In 2021, the most common positions for instructional staff at California State University-San Marcos were Lecturer with 117 employees, Professor with 113 employees, and Associate professor with 85 employees.

In 2021, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at California State University-San Marcos were Business and Financial Operations with 181 employees, Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media with 163 employees, and Office and Administrative Support with 118 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Sex

Most Common Demographic (2021)

Female Lecturer
Male Professor
Female Professor

In 2021, the most common demographic for instructional staff at California State University-San Marcos was Female Lecturer with 85 employees, Male Professor with 58 employees, and Female Professor with 55 employees.

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