California State University-San Marcos
San Marcos, CA · Public · Graduate degree-granting
A public institution in San Marcos, California, accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission, California State University-San Marcos serves students across multiple degree programs. With 14,877 students, it is a mid-size institution. Graduates earn a median of $62,908 ten years after enrollment, which is 54% above the national median of $40,747. The graduation rate is 54.4%. On the financial side, median graduate debt is $17,350, yielding an earnings-to-debt ratio of 3.63x. The average net price after financial aid is $10,229 per year. The most popular programs include Business Administration & Management, Psychology, Sociology, Registered Nursing, and Criminology.
Key Outcomes
Median Earnings (10yr)
$62,908
Graduation Rate
54.4%
Median Debt
$17,350
Average Net Price
$10,229
Earnings-to-Cost Ratio
1.54x
Earnings-to-Debt Ratio
3.63x
Admissions & Enrollment
Total Enrollment
14,877
Admission Rate
95.1%
Average SAT
Not reported
Retention Rate
78.6%
Cost
In-State Tuition
$8,082
Out-of-State Tuition
$20,682
Pell Grant Rate
42.6%
Federal Loan Rate
28.3%
Net Cost by Family Income
Income $0–$30K
$6,230
Income $30K–$48K
$7,240
Income $48K–$75K
$8,928
Income $110K+
$18,734
Student Demographics
Women
66.0%
White
24.3%
Black
4.0%
Hispanic
51.5%
Asian
9.3%
Two or More Races
6.3%
Student Loan Performance
Repayment Rate (3yr)
66.6%
Accreditations
- American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation — Professional Psychology (IPSY) - Predoctoral internship programs (Accredited)
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology — Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) - Graduate degree programs (Accredited)
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education — Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels, Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the graduate degree levels (Accredited)
- Council on Education for Public Health — Public Health Programs (PHPG) - Graduate level program offered outside a school of public health, Public Health Programs (PHPBG) - Baccalaureate and Graduate level programs offered outside a school of public health (Accredited)
- National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education — Teacher Education (TED) - Baccalaureate and graduate programs for the preparation of teachers and other professional personnel for elementary and secondary schools (Accredited)
- WASC Senior College and University Commission — Institutional Accreditation (Accredited)
Programs (66)
Bachelor (43)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration & Management | $70,900 | 471 |
| Psychology | $55,196 | 315 |
| Sociology | $53,287 | 295 |
| Registered Nursing | $120,196 | 278 |
| Criminology | $55,418 | 234 |
| Communications | $59,842 | 201 |
| Biology | $70,789 | 188 |
| Sports & Fitness | $61,252 | 164 |
| Human Development & Family Studies | $53,568 | 163 |
| Liberal Arts & Sciences | $58,289 | 155 |
| Computer Science | $97,827 | 152 |
| Teacher Education | $51,445 | 117 |
| Visual & Performing Arts | $48,043 | 76 |
| English Language & Literature | $54,985 | 74 |
| History | $52,985 | 73 |
| Political Science | $50,857 | 63 |
| Communication Disorders | $71,068 | 58 |
| Economics | $83,339 | 52 |
| Natural Resources Conservation | $55,903 | 50 |
| Social Sciences | $63,622 | 39 |
| Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | $65,479 | 36 |
| Computer Engineering | Not reported | 34 |
| Mathematics | Not reported | 30 |
| Romance Languages | Not reported | 23 |
| Anthropology | $49,848 | 23 |
| Biotechnology | $76,622 | 21 |
| Electrical Engineering | Not reported | 16 |
| Physics | Not reported | 16 |
| Fire Protection | Not reported | 13 |
| Chemistry | Not reported | 11 |
| Music | Not reported | 7 |
| Ethnic & Gender Studies | Not reported | 6 |
| International Studies | Not reported | 5 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | Not reported | 5 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | Not reported | 3 |
| Computer Systems Analysis | $93,047 | Not reported |
| Cell Biology | $80,303 | Not reported |
| Business | $68,984 | Not reported |
| Accounting | $86,318 | Not reported |
| Finance | $77,312 | Not reported |
| International Business | $77,965 | Not reported |
| Management Information Systems | $72,448 | Not reported |
| Marketing | $73,290 | Not reported |
Master (21)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Social Work | $77,471 | 69 |
| Public Health | Not reported | 67 |
| Business Administration & Management | $105,743 | 59 |
| Registered Nursing | $148,800 | 37 |
| Communication Disorders | $88,196 | 33 |
| Education | $95,348 | 21 |
| Computer Science | Not reported | 20 |
| Bilingual Education | Not reported | 20 |
| Special Education | Not reported | 19 |
| Computer & Information Systems Security | Not reported | 18 |
| Curriculum & Instruction | Not reported | 14 |
| Biotechnology | $92,859 | 14 |
| Psychology | Not reported | 14 |
| Sociology | Not reported | 13 |
| Secondary Education | Not reported | 10 |
| Biology | Not reported | 10 |
| Mathematics | Not reported | 8 |
| History | Not reported | 8 |
| English Language & Literature | Not reported | 7 |
| Sports & Fitness | Not reported | 7 |
| Romance Languages | Not reported | 5 |
Show 2 additional programs with limited data
| Program | Level | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Communication Disorders | Graduate Certificate | 2 |
| Geography | Bachelor | 1 |
Rankings Featuring This Institution
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Nursing & Health Programs
- Highest Earning Master's Biology Programs
- Highest Earning Master's Education Programs
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Computer Science Programs in California
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Nursing & Health Programs in California
- Highest Earning Master's Nursing & Health Programs in California
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Psychology Programs in California
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Biology Programs in California
- Highest Earning Master's Biology Programs in California
- Highest Earning Bachelor's English Programs in California
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