California State University-San Marcos
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.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 2.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
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.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing37 · 38.5%
- No Data59 · 61.5%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
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.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
WASC Senior College and University Commission
WASC Senior College and University Commission
Programmatic accreditations · 8
Action history · 6
- Jan 2025Loss of Accreditation or Preaccreditation: Voluntary WithdrawalCouncil on Education for Public Health · Public Health Programs (PHPG) - Graduate level program offered outside a school of public health
- Dec 2024Grant Substantive Change: ProgramWASC Senior College and University Commission
- Apr 2024Renewal of AccreditationCommission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
- Jul 2020Renewal of AccreditationAmerican Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology · Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) - Graduate degree programs
- Apr 2019Grant Substantive Change: DegreeWASC Senior College and University Commission
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 7,513 students received $44.3M in Pell grants, alongside $47.0M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
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.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 2,856 borrowers who entered repayment, 43 (1.5%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* 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.
Academic programs at CSUSM
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 7
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus29
- Public property1
Includes 21 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
- Sexual orientation2
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
- University Village Apt1 fireCookingDamage $1,000-$9,999
- North Commons1 fireA firework was thrown into a room in an on-campus housing facility (North Commons) causing a burning on the floor, a place not intended to contain a fire, and some items that burned left a mark on the vinyl flooring.Damage $0-$99
Data quality: 6 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
CSUSM vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions CSUSM selected for federal comparison reporting.
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% | — | 16,237 | $10,550 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
| 68% | 75.2% | 27,636 | $11,580 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 63% | 92.7% | 15,257 | $14,838 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 43% | 93.3% | 15,182 | $3,659 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 48% | 97.4% | 12,326 | $11,276 | R2 Research | |
| 57% | 95.3% | 24,427 | $6,480 | R2 Research | |
| 55% | 93.7% | 18,492 | $5,918 | R2 Research | |
| 48% | 75.3% | 11,348 | $13,742 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 54% | 58.4% | 14,390 | $2,943 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 57% | 63.4% | 16,612 | $10,319 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 48% | 89.6% | 17,433 | $20,261 | R2 Research | |
| 65% | 93.2% | 14,710 | $18,680 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| Peer group median | 55% | 92.7% | 15,747 | $10,913 |
Institutions like CSUSM
Explore the federal data for institutions in CSUSM's comparison group.
- Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsCalifornia
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
Grad rate68%Admit rate75.2%Enrollment27,636Net price$11,580View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsCalifornia
California State University-Chico
Grad rate63%Admit rate92.7%Enrollment15,257Net price$14,838View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsCalifornia
California State University-Dominguez Hills
Grad rate43%Admit rate93.3%Enrollment15,182Net price$3,659View data - R2 ResearchCalifornia
California State University-East Bay
Grad rate48%Admit rate97.4%Enrollment12,326Net price$11,276View data - R2 ResearchCalifornia
California State University-Fresno
Grad rate57%Admit rate95.3%Enrollment24,427Net price$6,480View data - R2 ResearchCalifornia
California State University-San Bernardino
Grad rate55%Admit rate93.7%Enrollment18,492Net price$5,918View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsSouth Carolina
Coastal Carolina University
Grad rate48%Admit rate75.3%Enrollment11,348Net price$13,742View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsNew York
CUNY Brooklyn College
Grad rate54%Admit rate58.4%Enrollment14,390Net price$2,943View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalFlorida
Florida Gulf Coast University
Grad rate57%Admit rate63.4%Enrollment16,612Net price$10,319View data - R2 ResearchTexas
Tarleton State University
Grad rate48%Admit rate89.6%Enrollment17,433Net price$20,261View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsWashington
Western Washington University
Grad rate65%Admit rate93.2%Enrollment14,710Net price$18,680View data
CSUSM Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
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- Jessica KeachInstitutional 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.
Selectivity & Admissions
Admissions funnel
C120,881 applied → 19,864 admitted (95.1%) → 2,705 enrolled.
Selectivity
C1Accessible — 95.1% acceptance rate.
Admit rate by gender
C1Admit rate varies by gender.
SAT range (middle 50%)
C9Middle 50% SAT 860–1113 (median 1010).
ACT range (middle 50%)
C9Middle 50% ACT 18–24 (median 21).
High-school class rank
C10Share of enrolled first-years by HS class-rank band.
What matters in admission
C7Relative importance of each admission factor.
Outcomes & Equity
Graduation & retention
B6-year graduation rate 55%; first-year retention 79%.
Equity: Pell graduation gap
B4Pell-grant recipients graduate 2 pts below the overall rate (53% vs 55%).
Academic Experience
Class-size distribution
I341% of classes have under 20 students; 13% have 50+.
Faculty profile
IKey faculty indicators.
Student Body & Diversity
Undergraduate race/ethnicity
B2Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity.
International students
B21% of undergraduates are international (nonresident).
Undergrad vs graduate
B115,770 undergraduates and 1,242 graduate students.
Reports & documents (2)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- Strategic planPower of CSUSMThe Power of CSUSM is a strategic plan focused on dismantling barriers to student success and fostering a supportive, inclusive campus culture. The plan emphasizes adapting to regional needs, building partnerships, and launching philanthropic efforts to drive transformation. Under the leadership of President Ellen Neufeldt, CSUSM aims to be a leader in social mobility and innovation, preparing students for global leadership and societal change.csusm.edu
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
Frequently asked questions about California State University-San Marcos
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about CSUSM.
What is the graduation rate at California State University-San Marcos?
How many students attend California State University-San Marcos?
What is the average net price at California State University-San Marcos?
What is the yield rate at California State University-San Marcos?
Where is California State University-San Marcos located?
Who runs Institutional Research at California State University-San Marcos?
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