Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsPublicHSI

California State University-San Marcos

Name: California State University-San Marcos — Federal Education Data 2024
Creator: Clema
Published: 2026-06-10
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

San Marcos, California·Public, 4-year or above·Far West·csusm.edu

6-yr Graduation

55%

—

Total enrollment

16,237

peer median 15,747

Avg net price

$10,550

-$363 vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs

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About Admissions Outcomes Program outcomes Accreditation Cost Federal aid Loan defaults Academic programs Enrollment trends Athletics Campus safety Faculty Peers IR Office Common Data Set Documents Alumni

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%

Overall completion

55%

4-year graduation

28%

4-year graduation

28%

6-year graduation (bachelor’s)

55%

6-year graduation (bachelor’s)

55%

Full-time retention

79%

Full-time retention

79%

Pell equity

2.0pp gap

Pell recipients

51%

Non-Pell

53%

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.

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

Passing

38.5% of portfolio

Failing (GE)

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

Severe

Recoverable

At Risk

Watch

Safe

No data

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.

Program

Typical

Benchmark

EP gap

Visual and Performing Arts General

Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts

$48,043

$36,082

Same-State HS Median

+33.1%

+$11,961

Visual and Performing Arts General

Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts

+33.1%

$48,043 vs $36,082

Anthropology

Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences

$49,848

$36,082

Same-State HS Median

+38.2%

+$13,766

Anthropology

Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences

+38.2%

$49,848 vs $36,082

Political Science and Government

Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences

$50,857

$36,082

Same-State HS Median

+40.9%

+$14,775

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

$51,445

$36,082

Same-State HS Median

+42.6%

+$15,363

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

$88,196

$61,854

National Same-Field BA Median

+42.6%

+$26,342

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

$52,985

$36,082

Same-State HS Median

+46.8%

+$16,903

History

Bachelor Degree · History

+46.8%

$52,985 vs $36,082

Sociology

Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences

$53,287

$36,082

Same-State HS Median

+47.7%

+$17,205

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

$53,568

$36,082

Same-State HS Median

+48.5%

+$17,486

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.

Program

Median debt

Median earnings

Debt burden

Communication Disorders Sciences and Services

Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences

$78,986

$88,196

90%

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

$51,475

$77,471

66%

Social Work

Master's Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions

66%

$51,475 debt · $77,471 earn

Anthropology

Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences

$25,000

$49,848

50%

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

$39,086

$105,743

37%

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

$24,587

$70,789

35%

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

$17,709

$53,568

33%

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

$15,500

$48,043

32%

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

$16,535

$54,985

30%

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

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
Dec 2024Grant Substantive Change: Program
WASC Senior College and University Commission
Apr 2024Renewal of Accreditation
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
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
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$6,812

$0–30k

$6,812

$30–48k$7,246

$30–48k

$7,246

$48–75k$9,980

$48–75k

$9,980

$75–110k$13,773

$75–110k

$13,773

$110k+$19,772

$110k+

$19,772

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

Avg net price

$10,550

-$363vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs median $10,913

Federal loans

29.6%

In-state tuition

$7,739

Out-of-state

$19,619

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, 7,513 students received $44.3M in Pell grants, alongside $47.0M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients

7,513

AY 2024–25

Pell disbursed

$44.3M

$44,305,667 total

Direct Loans

$47.0M

7,692 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

’20

’21

’22

’23

’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$13.4M

3,220 loan awards

Unsubsidized · UG$15.9M

3,367 loan awards

Unsubsidized · Grad$8.0M

480 loan awards

Parent PLUS$6.2M

392 loan awards

Grad PLUS$3.4M

233 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

Measurement window

3 years

Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016

3.5%-5.8

2017

4.2%-5.0

2018

3.3%-3.7

2019

1.5%-0.8

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 programs62

UndergraduateOffered

GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

3,150 total completions

01Social Sciences

61619.6%

01Social Sciences

61619.6%

02Business

58718.6%

02Business

58718.6%

03Health Professions

48915.5%

03Health Professions

48915.5%

04Psychology

31810.1%

04Psychology

31810.1%

05Biological Sciences

2417.7%

05Biological Sciences

2417.7%

06Computer Sciences

2277.2%

06Computer Sciences

2277.2%

07Communication

1835.8%

07Communication

1835.8%

08Parks/Recreation

1735.5%

08Parks/Recreation

1735.5%

09Education

1705.4%

09Education

1705.4%

10Liberal Arts

1464.6%

10Liberal Arts

1464.6%

Enrollment trends & demographics

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

IPEDS

Fall total

16,237

12-mo unduplicated

16,826

Undergraduate

15,544

Graduate

1,282

Gender split

Men

41%6,822

Women

59%10,004

Race / ethnicity composition

Hispanic

51.2%

White

24.9%

Asian

9.6%

Two or more

6.0%

Black

3.8%

Unknown

2.9%

Non-resident

0.8%

American Indian / Alaska Native

0.3%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander

0.3%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

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

EADA

Athletes

273

129 M · 144 W

Women athletes

52.7%

Athletic aid

$881K

Total student aid

Budget

$8.6M

Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid

$401K

$480K

Recruiting expense

$11K

$10K

Head-coach salaries

$83K

$88K

Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 7

Sport

Men

Women

Expenses

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)

121

$788,990

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)

56 M · 121 W

$789K

Soccer

$979,702

Soccer

29 M · 31 W

$980K

Baseball

—

$498,489

Baseball

35 M · —

$498K

Basketball

$1,177,948

Basketball

15 M · 16 W

$1.2M

Softball

—

$504,433

Softball

— · 23 W

$504K

Volleyball

—

$392,734

Volleyball

— · 17 W

$393K

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

1.99

30 offenses · 15,109 students

3-year trend

0.492 yrs ago1.171 yr ago1.99Latest

Offenses · 3-yr

Last three years

VAWA · 3-yr

DV, dating, stalking

Hate crimes · 3-yr

Res-hall fires · 3-yr

Criminal offenses by type

Rape

Fondling

Motor vehicle theft

Burglary

Aggravated assault

Arson

By location

30total

On campus29
Public property1

Includes 21 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

Domestic violence

Dating violence

Stalking

18 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

Sexual orientation2

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals

Weapons40

Drugs1721

Liquor76

Residence-hall fires

University Village Apt1 fire
CookingDamage $1,000-$9,999
North Commons1 fire
A 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.

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

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%	—	16,237	$10,550	Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona	68%	75.2%	27,636	$11,580	Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
California State University-Chico	63%	92.7%	15,257	$14,838	Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
California State University-Dominguez Hills	43%	93.3%	15,182	$3,659	Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
California State University-East Bay	48%	97.4%	12,326	$11,276	R2 Research
California State University-Fresno	57%	95.3%	24,427	$6,480	R2 Research
California State University-San Bernardino	55%	93.7%	18,492	$5,918	R2 Research
Coastal Carolina University	48%	75.3%	11,348	$13,742	Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
CUNY Brooklyn College	54%	58.4%	14,390	$2,943	Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Florida Gulf Coast University	57%	63.4%	16,612	$10,319	Doctoral/Professional
Tarleton State University	48%	89.6%	17,433	$20,261	R2 Research
Western Washington University	65%	93.2%	14,710	$18,680	Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Peer group median	55%	92.7%	15,747	$10,913

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 (5)

The institution's official annual Common Data Set publications — the most detailed reference for enrollment, admissions, and outcomes.

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
Zealous1

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 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 $10,550 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.

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