More selective than 10% of California colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $21,649. College Scorecard.
Higher than 35% of California colleges we cover and 51% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 46% of California colleges we cover and 75% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
California State University-San Marcos acceptance rate & admissions
Of 17,519 applicants, California State University-San Marcos admitted 16,765 and 2,625 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
California State University-San Marcos tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for California residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: California residents who meet income, asset and GPA standards may receive a Cal Grant (California Student Aid Commission); apply with the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application. At University of California and California State University campuses, the Middle Class Scholarship can also help families with income and assets up to $250,000 (2026-27, dependent students). Not included in the prices above. California Student Aid Commission
California State University-San Marcos majors, earnings & careers
California State University-San Marcos offers 47 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 10
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 10
- Business & Finance · 8
- Humanities & Languages · 7
- Arts & Design · 3
- Health & Medicine · 3
- Engineering · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Education · 1
Highest-earning majors at California State University-San Marcos
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $120,196 | $25,047 |
| Computer Science | $97,827 | $12,850 |
| Computer Systems Analysis | $93,047 | — |
| Accounting | $86,318 | $22,500 |
| Economics | $83,339 | $17,500 |
| Cell / Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | $80,303 | $19,375 |
| International Business | $77,965 | $15,965 |
| Finance | $77,312 | $15,125 |
Quick list of all 47 majors
- Accounting$86,318
- Anthropology$49,848
- Biochemistry$65,479
- Biology$70,789
- Biotechnology$76,622
- Business$68,984
- Business Administration$70,900
- Cell / Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences$80,303
- Chemistry—
- Communications$59,842
- Computer Engineering—
- Computer Science$97,827
- Computer Systems Analysis$93,047
- Criminology$55,418
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Economics$83,339
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$51,445
- Electrical Engineering—
- English$54,985
- Environmental Science / Conservation$55,903
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Finance$77,312
- Fire Protection—
- Geography—
- History$52,985
- Human Development and Family Studies$53,568
- International / Global Studies—
- International Business$77,965
- International Relations—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$61,252
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$58,289
- Management Information Systems$72,448
- Marketing$73,290
- Mathematics—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Nursing$120,196
- Physics—
- Physiology—
- Political Science$50,857
- Psychology$55,196
- Social Sciences$63,622
- Sociology$53,287
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$71,068
- Theatre—
- Visual and Performing Arts$48,043
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in San Diego
Overall prices in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,823. Housing costs 79% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 14 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: wildfire (very high); river flooding (very high); heat wave (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, San Diego County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
San Diego County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare California State University-San Marcos with similar schools
Similar public colleges in California by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California State University-San Marcos | 95% | $10,229 | 55% | $62,908 | This school |
| California State University-San Bernardino | 94% | $4,564 | 55% | $59,977 | |
| California State University-Chico | 93% | $14,480 | 63% | $64,172 | |
| San Francisco State University | 96% | $12,278 | 50% | $68,077 | |
| California State University-Dominguez Hills | 93% | $8,615 | 43% | $57,162 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
California State University-San Marcos would cost you $5,665 more per year than California State University-San Bernardino, on average.
- Higher sticker price at California State University-San Marcos, mostly from more California State University-San Bernardino students living at home, which lowers its average (+$2,871).
- California State University-San Bernardino gives aided families $1,443 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, California resident | California State University-San Marcos | California State University-San Bernardino | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $8,082 | $8,093 | −$11 |
| Books & supplies | $1,018 | $788 | +$230 |
| Housing & meals | $14,152 | $12,996 | +$1,156 |
| Personal & travel | $3,714 | $3,738 | −$24 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$5,317 | −$8,188 | +$2,871 |
| Sticker price | $21,649 | $17,427 | +$4,222 |
| Average grants | −$11,420 | −$12,863 | +$1,443 |
| You pay | $10,229 | $4,564 | +$5,665 |
“+” means California State University-San Marcos costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about California State University-San Marcos
What is the California State University-San Marcos acceptance rate?
California State University-San Marcos accepts 95% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 16,765 of 17,519 applicants were admitted.
How much does California State University-San Marcos cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $21,649 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $10,229 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $6,230 and families earning $110k+ pay $18,734.
How much do California State University-San Marcos graduates earn?
Former California State University-San Marcos students earn a median $62,908 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the California State University-San Marcos graduation rate?
55% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 79% return for their second year.
Is California State University-San Marcos the right fit for your family?
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “California State University-San Marcos: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/california-state-university-san-marcos (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).