# California State University-San Marcos

Public college in San Marcos, CA. IPEDS ID 366711.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/california-state-university-san-marcos · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/california-state-university-san-marcos.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 95% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $10,229 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 55%; beats 35% of CA colleges and 51% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $62,908; beats 46% of CA colleges and 75% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $13,500

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $6,230 |
| 30-48k | $7,240 |
| 48-75k | $8,928 |
| 75-110k | $12,525 |
| 110k+ | $18,734 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, in-state. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $21,649 in-state; about $34,249 out-of-state
- Tuition and fees: $8,082 in-state, $20,682 out-of-state
- Housing and meals: $14,152; books: $1,018

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: not reported; SAT math: not reported; ACT: not reported (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 17,519 applicants, 16,765 admitted, 2,625 enrolled; test scores not considered
- Fall 2024: acceptance 95%, ACT not reported (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 96%, ACT not reported (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (47 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $103,799 | $120,196 | $25,047 |
| Computer Science | $60,645 | $97,827 | $12,850 |
| Computer Systems Analysis | $61,054 | $93,047 | not reported |
| Accounting | $63,366 | $86,318 | $22,500 |
| Economics | $40,155 | $83,339 | $17,500 |
| Cell / Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | $49,734 | $80,303 | $19,375 |
| International Business | $55,455 | $77,965 | $15,965 |
| Finance | $54,408 | $77,312 | $15,125 |
| Biotechnology | $49,615 | $76,622 | $18,500 |
| Marketing | $43,134 | $73,290 | $19,032 |
| Management Information Systems | $55,102 | $72,448 | $16,170 |
| Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders | $22,567 | $71,068 | $15,998 |
| Business Administration | $49,543 | $70,900 | $19,015 |
| Biology | $38,527 | $70,789 | $24,174 |
| Business | $46,958 | $68,984 | $22,875 |
| Biochemistry | $57,682 | $65,479 | $16,666 |
| Social Sciences | $37,446 | $63,622 | $18,719 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $26,203 | $61,252 | $18,257 |
| Communications | $36,310 | $59,842 | $16,500 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $29,341 | $58,289 | $15,125 |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | $37,364 | $55,903 | $12,424 |
| Criminology | $34,694 | $55,418 | $14,810 |
| Psychology | $31,355 | $55,196 | $18,312 |
| English | $29,638 | $54,985 | $15,500 |
| Human Development and Family Studies | $31,184 | $53,568 | $17,193 |
| Sociology | $34,541 | $53,287 | $15,000 |
| History | $22,407 | $52,985 | $16,923 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $29,055 | $51,445 | $15,150 |
| Political Science | $35,297 | $50,857 | $19,485 |
| Anthropology | not reported | $49,848 | $17,000 |
| Visual and Performing Arts | $27,741 | $48,043 | $18,750 |
| Ethnic / Gender Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Computer Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Electrical Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | $29,329 | not reported | $7,500 |
| Physiology | $36,889 | not reported | $16,419 |
| Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | $40,875 | not reported | $23,000 |
| Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| International / Global Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | $49,382 | not reported | not reported |
| Physics | $56,018 | not reported | $19,069 |
| Fire Protection | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Geography | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| International Relations | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Theatre | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Music | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Nursing → Registered nurse: median wage $139,520 (San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA), $140,270 (CA), $97,550 (U.S.)
- Communications → Public relations specialist: median wage $81,240 (San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA), $85,030 (CA), $74,750 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

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