Public · Not ranked by US News
California State University-San Marcos
San Marcos, CA
Figures on this page come from U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data. This school has not been individually reviewed, so there is no ranking, aid-policy, or GPA guidance below.
What it may cost by family income
Estimated average net price — what families actually pay after grants and scholarships — by annual household income. Net price matters far more than the $34,249 sticker price. All figures are the full cost of attendance — housing, food, and books included, not just tuition.
| Household income | Est. net price / year |
|---|---|
| Under $30k | $6,230 |
| $30k–$48k | $7,240 |
| $48k–$75k | $8,928 |
| $75k–$110k | $12,525 |
| Over $110k | $18,734 |
Sticker cost of attendance: $34,249 (out-of-state) · $21,649 in-state.
What the whole degree costs
Every cost figure above is one year. A bachelor's degree is four — sometimes five. Today's-prices makes no assumptions; the second column assumes prices rise ~3.5% a year, in line with recent averages.
| Household income | 4 yrs, today's prices | 4 yrs with increases |
|---|---|---|
| Under $30k | $24,920 | $26,259 |
| $30k–$48k | $28,960 | $30,516 |
| $48k–$75k | $35,712 | $37,631 |
| $75k–$110k | $50,100 | $52,792 |
| Over $110k | $74,936 | $78,963 |
55% of students here graduate within six years. If the degree takes a fifth year, budget roughly one more year at the prices above — ask the school what share of students finish in four.
First-year aid is not guaranteed to repeat — ask California State University-San Marcos how grants change after year one. That answer moves these numbers more than anything else on this page.
Applying to a specific major at California State University-San Marcos
95% is the acceptance rate for the whole university — not for every major. For the programs below, admission is usually decided separately and is harder than that number suggests. Almost no university publishes a by-major admission rate, and neither does the federal government, so we do not show one: any site that does is estimating.
To find the real figure for your major, check California State University-San Marcos's Common Data Set and its admissions page, or ask an admissions officer directly — that question gets answered more often than students expect.
At California State University-San Marcos: 152 bachelor's degrees awarded a year · $71,015 median earnings (Computer Science.)
Applicant demand has grown far faster than faculty and seats, so many universities cap CS enrollment, admit to it directly, or require a competitive internal application after enrolling.
Check: Whether the school admits to CS directly, and whether switching into CS later is restricted — the answer changes your real odds more than your test scores do.
At California State University-San Marcos: 278 bachelor's degrees awarded a year · $88,074 median earnings (Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.)
Clinical placement requirements hard-cap how many students a nursing program can take, which routinely makes direct-entry nursing among the most selective programs on a campus.
Check: Whether the program is direct-entry or requires applying again in sophomore year, and how many seats it takes per cohort.
At California State University-San Marcos: 471 bachelor's degrees awarded a year · $43,601 median earnings (Business Administration, Management and Operations.)
Many undergraduate business schools admit their own cohort at application time and are more selective than the university overall; others admit only after two years of coursework.
Check: Whether the business school is direct-admit for first-years, and if not, what GPA the internal application actually requires.
At California State University-San Marcos: 76 bachelor's degrees awarded a year · $22,917 median earnings (Visual and Performing Arts, General.)
Admission usually turns on an audition or portfolio judged by the department, which can outweigh grades and test scores in either direction.
Check: Audition/portfolio dates and prescreen requirements — many fall well before the regular application deadline.
Federal data shows no bachelor's completions at California State University-San Marcos in engineering or architecture, so those are not listed above. Small or new programs can be missing from federal reporting — confirm with the school before ruling one out.
What graduates earn, by major
Median earnings and median federal loan debt for bachelor's graduates of California State University-San Marcos, by field of study, from the U.S. Department of Education. Earnings differ far more between majors at one school than between schools.
| Major | Median earnings | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations. · Business | $43,601 | — |
| Psychology, General. · Social Sciences | $28,055 | — |
| Sociology. · Social Sciences | $29,685 | — |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. · Nursing | $88,074 | — |
| Criminology. · Social Sciences | $33,410 | — |
| Communication and Media Studies. | $35,535 | — |
| Biology, General. · Biological Sciences | $35,600 | — |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness. | $30,891 | — |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services. | $29,775 | — |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities. | $27,181 | — |
| Computer Science. · Computer Science | $71,015 | — |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General. · Visual & Performing Arts | $22,917 | — |
Largest programs shown. Earnings are measured a few years after graduation and reflect who enrolls as much as what is taught.
Is California State University-San Marcos a reach, target, or safety for you?
Ladder2College models your personal admission odds and net cost here — based on your GPA, scores, and family income — and shows how it fits alongside the rest of your list.
Model my odds & cost — freeFigures are estimates modeled on U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data and recent reporting, provided for guidance only. Always confirm cost with California State University-San Marcos’s official net price calculator and admissions figures with the school directly.