California State University, San Marcos

California State University, San Marcos is a public, state school located in the suburban setting of San Marcos, CA, less than an hour from San Diego.

Founded in 1990, CSU San Marcos currently enrolls around 14,643 students a year, including 13,962 undergrads. The institution runs on a semester academic calendar.

2021 Admissions Facts About CSU San Marcos

Acceptance rate: 79%

Average GPA: 3.4

Mean ACT score: 20

Mean SAT score: 1035

Early Decision or Early Action: No/No

2022 Regular Decision Deadline: November 30

2022 Regular Decision Notification Date:

What is California State University, San Marcos's acceptance rate?

Admission to CSU San Marcos is moderately difficult. CSU San Marcos accepts around 79 percent of applicants each year.

The average high school GPA for a student at CSU San Marcos is 3.4 /4.0. The mean composite SAT score is 1035. The mean ACT scores is 20.

In 2021, 0 applicants were waitlisted and 0 students were ultimating offered a spot off the waitlist.

Is CSU San Marcos a good school?

Different people have different ideas about what makes a "good" school. Acceptance rate and average GPA are good indicators of how competitive an institution is, but they don't say much about the quality of the education or the student experience.

Retention, graduation rates, and job placement statistics can help you understand how satisfied students are with their school experience, and how effectively an institution prepares students for careers.

Retention and graduation rates

About 84 percent of students who start at CSU San Marcos return the next year. Out of the 2,127 students who started at CSU San Marcos as first-time freshman, 352 graduate within four years.

CSU San Marcos's six-year graduation for undergrads is 57 percent. The average six-year graduation rate for U.S. colleges and universities is 61 percent for public schools, and 67 percent for private, non-profit schools.

Job outcomes and student debt

Job placement and student debt statistics for recent graduates can give you a sense of the return on investment a school offers. The average student debt for graduates in the class of 2021 was around $26,018 per student, not including those with no debt. For context, compare this number with the average national debt, which is around $36,000 per borrower.

Based on this information, how does CSU San Marcos sound? Remember, the best school for one person may be a terrible fit for someone else! So the real question to ask yourself: is CSU San Marcos a good school for YOU?

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