California State University-San Marcos

Student body

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment

14,877

Graduate enrollment

1,260

Student–faculty ratio

24 : 1

Pell Grant recipients

43%

First-generation students

48%

Students over 25

18%

Median family income

$31,282

Avg faculty salary (academic year)

$108,414

Endowment

$36,560,347

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate

95.1%

Test scores

Not considered

SAT range (25th–75th %)

—

SAT average

—

SAT reading

—

SAT math

—

ACT composite

—

Cost

In-state tuition

$8,082

Out-of-state tuition

$20,682

Room & board

$14,152

Books & supplies

$1,061

Total cost of attendance

$21,649

Average net price

$10,229

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)

55%

Graduated on time (4 years)

28%

First-year retention

79%

Transferred to another college

4%

Median earnings, 6 years after entry

$48,673

Median earnings, 10 years after entry

$62,908

Median debt at graduation

$17,350

Students with federal loans

28%

Paying down their loans (1 year in)

62%

About 27% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing

Yes

Dorm capacity

1,954

Dorm capacity vs undergrads

13%

Housing charge (year)

$9,944

Meal plan (year)

$4,996

Application fee

$70

Athletics

NCAA Division II without football

Varsity athletes

398 (158 men · 240 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (7)

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade

B

Reported offenses per 1,000 students

1.4 / year

Violent offenses (2022–2024)

43

Property offenses (2022–2024)

24

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 3 campuses (16,237 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

$8,928/year × about 4.7 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.