Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsPublicHSI

California State University - San Marcos

San Marcos, California·Public, 4-year or above·Far West·csusm.edu
Acceptance
95.1%
+2.1pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
6-yr Graduation
55%
—
Total enrollment
16,237
peer median 15,747
Avg net price
$10,229
-$651 vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
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AboutAdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeCommon Data SetDocumentsAlumni

About

California State University-San Marcos is a public university located in San Marcos, California. It is part of the California State University system and focuses on providing high-quality education with a strong emphasis on community engagement and technological integration. The campus spans 304 acres and offers a variety of programs through its four colleges and Extended Learning.

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
19,721
19,721 candidates competed
Admitted
18,755
95.1% acceptance rate
Enrolled
2,624
14.0% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
55%
4-year graduation
28%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
55%
Full-time retention
79%

Pell equity

6.7pp gap
Pell recipients
51%597 of 1163
Non-Pell (all)
58%684 of 1185
Subsidized loan, no Pell
53%130 of 245
No Federal Aid
59%554 of 940

Non-Pell students graduate at a 6.7-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 96 Title IV programs, 37 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 59 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
96
Passing
37
38.5% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

96programs
  • Passing37 · 38.5%
  • No Data59 · 61.5%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
0
Safe
37
No data
59

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

37
Visual and Performing Arts General
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+33.1%
$48,043 vs $36,082
Anthropology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+38.2%
$49,848 vs $36,082
Political Science and Government
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+40.9%
$50,857 vs $36,082
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
+42.6%
$51,445 vs $36,082
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+42.6%
$88,196 vs $61,854
History
Bachelor Degree · History
+46.8%
$52,985 vs $36,082
Sociology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+47.7%
$53,287 vs $36,082
Human Development Family Studies and Related Services
Bachelor Degree · Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
+48.5%
$53,568 vs $36,082

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

34
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
90%
$78,986 debt · $88,196 earn
Social Work
Master's Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
66%
$51,475 debt · $77,471 earn
Anthropology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
50%
$25,000 debt · $49,848 earn
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
37%
$39,086 debt · $105,743 earn
Biology General
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
35%
$24,587 debt · $70,789 earn
Human Development Family Studies and Related Services
Bachelor Degree · Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
33%
$17,709 debt · $53,568 earn
Visual and Performing Arts General
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
32%
$15,500 debt · $48,043 earn
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
30%
$16,535 debt · $54,985 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

WASC Senior College and University Commission

Accredited since 1993Next review Jun 2026
PreaccreditedInstitutional accreditor

WASC Senior College and University Commission

Accredited since 1990Next review Dec 2017

Programmatic accreditations · 8

Action history · 6

  1. Jan 2025Loss of Accreditation or Preaccreditation: Voluntary Withdrawal
    Council on Education for Public Health · Public Health Programs (PHPG) - Graduate level program offered outside a school of public health
  2. Dec 2024Grant Substantive Change: Program
    WASC Senior College and University Commission
  3. Apr 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
  4. Jul 2020Renewal of Accreditation
    American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology · Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) - Graduate degree programs
  5. Apr 2019Grant Substantive Change: Degree
    WASC Senior College and University Commission

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$6,230
$30–48k$7,240
$48–75k$8,928
$75–110k$12,525
$110k+$18,734

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$10,229
-$651vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs median $10,880
Federal loans
28.3%
In-state tuition
$8,082
Out-of-state
$20,682

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 7,529 students received $44.6M in Pell grants, alongside $47.1M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
7,529
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$44.6M
$44,582,017 total
Direct Loans
$47.1M
7,718 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

7k
’20
7k
’21
7k
’22
7k
’23
8k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$13.5M
3,228 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$16.0M
3,378 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$8.1M
482 loan awards
Parent PLUS$6.2M
393 loan awards
Grad PLUS$3.5M
237 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 2,856 borrowers who entered repayment, 43 (1.5%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.5%
-0.8pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
2,856
Defaulted
43
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
3.5%
2017
4.2%
2018
3.3%
2019
1.5%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at CSUSM

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs64
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

3,220 total completions
01Business
66120.5%
02Social Sciences
60718.9%
03Health Professions
47014.6%
04Psychology
3179.8%
05Biological Sciences
2517.8%
06Parks/Recreation
2487.7%
07Computer Sciences
1875.8%
08Education
1815.6%
09Liberal Arts
1615.0%
10Communication
1374.3%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
16,237
12-mo unduplicated
17,760
Undergraduate
16,371
Graduate
1,389

Gender split

Men
41%7,327
Women
59%10,433

Race / ethnicity composition

Hispanic
51.5%
White
24.3%
Asian
9.3%
Two or more
6.3%
Black
4.0%
Unknown
3.0%
Non-resident
0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.3%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
302
142 M · 160 W
Women athletes
53.0%
Athletic aid
$859K
Total student aid
Budget
$8.7M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$409K
$449K
Recruiting expense
$18K
$14K
Head-coach salaries
$93K
$95K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 7

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
64 M · 136 W
$905K
Soccer
29 M · 32 W
$941K
Baseball
39 M · —
$480K
Basketball
16 M · 18 W
$1.1M
Softball
— · 26 W
$529K
Golf
10 M · 10 W
$640K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
1.30
20 offenses · 15,431 students

3-year trend

1.172 yrs ago1.991 yr ago1.30Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
69
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
38
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
6
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
4

Criminal offenses by type

Rape
8
Burglary
3
Fondling
3
Aggravated assault
3
Motor vehicle theft
3

By location

20total
  • On campus19
  • Public property1

Includes 14 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

4
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
7
Stalking
11 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

  • Religion2
  • Sexual orientation2

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons31
Drugs715
Liquor03

Residence-hall fires

  • The Quad1 fire
    ElectricalDamage $0-$99

Data quality: 6 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
24.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
427

CSUSM vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions CSUSM selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectCalifornia State University-San Marcos
55%95.1%16,237$10,229Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
68%75.2%27,636$11,531Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
California State University-Chico
63%92.7%15,257$14,480Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
California State University-Dominguez Hills
43%93.3%15,182$8,615Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
California State University-East Bay
48%97.4%12,326$9,320R2 Research
California State University-Fresno
57%95.3%24,427$7,000R2 Research
California State University-San Bernardino
55%93.7%18,492$4,564R2 Research
Coastal Carolina University
48%75.3%11,348$13,966Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
CUNY Brooklyn College
54%58.4%14,390$3,103Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Florida Gulf Coast University
57%63.4%16,612$12,568Doctoral/Professional
Tarleton State University
48%89.6%17,433$20,783R2 Research
Western Washington University
65%93.2%14,710$21,193Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Peer group median55%93.0%15,747$10,880

Institutions like CSUSM

Explore the federal data for institutions in CSUSM's comparison group.

IPEDS

CSUSM Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Office of Institutional Planning & Analysis

The Office of Institutional Planning & Analysis (IP&A) supports data-informed planning, decision making, and action; serves as a trusted source of high-quality, official information reported to internal and external stakeholders; and works to make campus data accessible, intelligible, and transparent.

Visit IR office page
Team
1 member
  • Jessica Keach
    Institutional Research & Reporting Lead

Common Data Set

CSUSM's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.

Acceptance rate
95.1%
Accessible
Yield
13.6%
of admitted students enroll
Total enrollment
17,012
15,770 UG · 1,242 grad
6-yr graduation rate
55%
First-year retention
79%
Student–faculty ratio
26 to 1
01

Selectivity & Admissions

Admissions funnel

C1
Applied
20,881
Admitted
19,864
Enrolled
2,705

20,881 applied → 19,864 admitted (95.1%) → 2,705 enrolled.

Selectivity

C1
Acceptance rate
95.1%

Accessible — 95.1% acceptance rate.

Admit rate by gender

C1
male94.3%
female95.7%
unknown93.3%

Admit rate varies by gender.

SAT range (middle 50%)

C9
25th
860
Median
1010
75th
1113

Middle 50% SAT 860–1113 (median 1010).

ACT range (middle 50%)

C9
25th
18
Median
21
75th
24

Middle 50% ACT 18–24 (median 21).

High-school class rank

C10

Share of enrolled first-years by HS class-rank band.

What matters in admission

C7
Very Important1
Academic GPA
Considered2
Geographical residenceState residency
Not Considered5
Rigor of secondary school recordClass rankStandardized test scoresApplication EssayRecommendation(s)

Relative importance of each admission factor.

02

Outcomes & Equity

Graduation & retention

B
6-yr grad rate
55%
Retention
79%

6-year graduation rate 55%; first-year retention 79%.

Equity: Pell graduation gap

B4
All students55%
Pell recipients53%

Pell-grant recipients graduate 2 pts below the overall rate (53% vs 55%).

03

Academic Experience

Class-size distribution

I3
2-9 students61
10-19 students301
20-29 students177
30-39 students148
40-49 students80
50-99 students93
100+ students19

41% of classes have under 20 students; 13% have 50+.

Faculty profile

I
Student–faculty ratio
26 to 1
Faculty with terminal degree
80%
Women faculty
53%

Key faculty indicators.

04

Student Body & Diversity

Undergraduate race/ethnicity

B2
Hispanic/Latino51.4%
White, non-Hispanic24.1%
Asian, non-Hispanic8.8%
Two or more races, non-Hispanic6.9%
Black or African American, non-Hispanic4.2%
Race and/or ethnicity unknown3.0%
Nonresidents1.0%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic0.4%
American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic0.3%

Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity.

International students

B2
International UG
151
Share
1%

1% of undergraduates are international (nonresident).

Undergrad vs graduate

B1
Undergraduate
15,77093%
Graduate
1,2427%

15,770 undergraduates and 1,242 graduate students.

Source publications

Reports & documents (2)

Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.

Notable alumni of CSUSM (13)

A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.

  • Joseph Clevenger
  • Damian Terriquez
  • Mark Dice
  • James Dykstra
  • Ken Fontenot
  • IDubbbz
  • Nia Jax
  • Robert C. Nowakowski
  • Brian Simnjanovski
  • Tiffany van Soest
  • Taylor Tomlinson
  • Jose Yenque
Showing 1–12 of 13
1 / 2

Frequently asked questions about California State University-San Marcos

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about CSUSM.

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

California State University-San Marcos's acceptance rate is 95.1% (18,755 admitted from 19,721 applicants), based on the latest IPEDS.

What is the graduation rate at California State University-San Marcos?

California State University-San Marcos reports a 6-year graduation rate of 55% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend California State University-San Marcos?

California State University-San Marcos reports a total enrollment of 16,237 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at California State University-San Marcos?

The average net price at California State University-San Marcos is $10,229 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at California State University-San Marcos?

California State University-San Marcos's yield rate is 14.0%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is California State University-San Marcos located?

California State University-San Marcos is located in San Marcos, California 92096-0001.

Who runs Institutional Research at California State University-San Marcos?

California State University-San Marcos's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Planning & Analysis.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant & loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant and Direct Loan recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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