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California State University-San Marcos acceptance rate & admissions

California State University-San Marcos admits 95% of applicants, most. For Fall 2023, 16,765 of 17,519 applicants were admitted and 2,625 enrolled. The school does not consider SAT or ACT scores (test-blind).

Check your chances at California State University-San Marcos → Compare your GPA and scores with these ranges, and with other colleges.

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Acceptance rate
95%

More selective than 10% of California colleges we cover. U.S. median 77%.

College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class

Test scores
Not considered

Share of students sending scores not reported.

IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class

Admitted students who enroll
16%

Called “yield.” A high yield means many admitted students choose California State University-San Marcos over other offers.

IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class

Applicants, admits and enrollment

Applied17,519
Admitted16,765
Enrolled2,625

IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class (first-time, degree-seeking undergraduates). Newer counts arrive with the next IPEDS release.

California State University-San Marcos admissions year over year

Entering classAcceptanceSAT readingSAT mathACTSource
Fall 202495%———College Scorecard
Fall 202396%———IPEDS

Score ranges are the 25th–75th percentiles. Each year is kept as published; we add a year with every federal release.

How selective is California State University-San Marcos compared with other California colleges?

California State University-San Marcos has the 83rd-lowest acceptance rate of 92 California colleges we cover. Schools around it:

RankCollegeAcceptanceGraduationAvg. net price
79California State University-Sacramento94%56%$9,338
80Laguna College of Art and Design94%52%$42,505
81California State University-Channel Islands95%51%$9,849
82California State University Maritime Academy95%60%$20,555
83California State University-San Marcos95%55%$10,229
84California State University-Fresno95%57%$7,000
85Life Pacific University96%40%$20,898
86San Francisco State University96%50%$12,278
87California State University-East Bay97%48%$9,320

College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class. All California colleges →

Who enrolls at California State University-San Marcos

First-year students who return for year two79%
First-year students from California97%
Pell Grant recipients43%
First-generation students48%
Women / men57% / 43%
International students1%

College Scorecard; IPEDS

California State University-San Marcos admissions questions

What is the California State University-San Marcos acceptance rate?

California State University-San Marcos accepts 95% of applicants, most. For the Fall 2023 entering class, 16,765 of 17,519 applicants were admitted.

Does California State University-San Marcos require the SAT or ACT?

California State University-San Marcos does not consider SAT or ACT scores (test-blind), according to its federal admissions report for Fall 2023.

How many admitted students enroll at California State University-San Marcos?

16% of admitted students enrolled in Fall 2023 (2,625 of 16,765).

Is California State University-San Marcos getting harder to get into?

California State University-San Marcos accepted 95% of applicants for Fall 2024, compared with 96% for Fall 2023.

Is California State University-San Marcos the right fit for your family?

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS Admissions; years shown with each figure. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Back to California State University-San Marcos overview