Statement · San Marcos, CA
California State University-San Marcos
Public4-year · Bachelor's degreesCompare with other schools →
Families earning under $30k paid $6,230 a year after grants and aid, against a published cost of $21,649.
Students who received federal aid earned a median $62,908 ten years after entering, the 80th percentile among public 4-years.
55% of students finish within 150% of normal time.
- Enrollment, 2023
- 16,760
What it costs
The published sticker cost is $21,649 a year; after grants, families who received aid paid between $6,230 and $18,734 a year depending on income at California State University-San Marcos.
Statement of cost · California State University-San Marcos
- Sticker costPublished yearly cost of attendance, all students
- $21,649
- What families earning under $30k paidYearly net price after grants, for students receiving federal aid
- $6,230
- Average net price, all incomesAided students, all family incomes
- $10,229
- In-state tuition & feesLatest reported, 2024
- $8,082
Each figure is reported separately; none is computed from another.
Net price by family income
Pick an income bracket above; the marked point follows. Dollars are what aided families paid each year after grants.
Yearly net price by family income, in dollars
- Shaded: the middle half of public 4-years (all incomes), $8,778 to $16,425. Dotted line: the median, $12,780.
Table of the same numbers
| Family income | Paid per year |
|---|---|
| Under $30k | $6,230 |
| $30k–$48k | $7,240 |
| $48k–$75k | $8,928 |
| $75k–$110k | $12,525 |
| Over $110k | $18,734 |
College Scorecard, 2023–24 aid cohort (students who received federal aid)
What graduates earn and owe
Ten years after entry, the median federally aided student here earns $62,908; the median graduate who borrowed owes $17,350.
Statement, continued
- Earnings, 6 years after entryFederally aided (Title IV) students only. Median.
- $48,673
- Earnings, 8 years after entryFederally aided (Title IV) students only. Median.
- $57,040
- Median earnings 10 years after entryFederally aided (Title IV) students only. Median.
80th percentile among public 4-years - $62,908
- Median debt, graduatesStudents who finished and borrowed federal loans.
36th percentile among public 4-years - $17,350
- Median debt, all who borrowedEveryone who borrowed, whether or not they finished.
- $13,500
Earnings and debt come from federal aid records, so students who never received federal aid are not counted.
Earnings after entry
The shaded band is the middle half of public 4-years at 10 years: $42,655 to $60,720.
- Shaded: middle half of public 4-years, 10 years out ($42,655 to $60,720); dotted line is the median.
- Dashed: median graduate debt, $17,350.
Earnings cover federally aided (Title IV) students only. Hollow marks are rungs with no reported value, not zero.
Table of the same numbers
| Measure | Dollars |
|---|---|
| Median earnings, 6 yrs after entry | $48,673 |
| Median earnings, 8 yrs after entry | $57,040 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $62,908 |
| Median graduate debt | $17,350 |
College Scorecard, federal tax and aid records
What programs pay
Median earnings five years after completing, by field of study. Small programs are privacy-suppressed and shown as not reported, never zero.
| Program | Credential | Graduates | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | 471 | $74,005 | $19,015 |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | 315 | $54,559 | $18,312 |
| Sociology | Bachelor's Degree | 295 | $51,480 | $15,000 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | 278 | $105,792 | $25,047 |
| Criminology | Bachelor's Degree | 234 | $54,589 | $14,810 |
| Communication and Media Studies | Bachelor's Degree | 201 | $55,408 | $16,500 |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | 188 | $76,916 | $24,174 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Bachelor's Degree | 164 | $63,880 | $18,257 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | 163 | $49,769 | $17,193 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Bachelor's Degree | 155 | $55,289 | $15,125 |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | 152 | $110,266 | $12,850 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Bachelor's Degree | 117 | not reported | $15,150 |
Show all 27 programs
| Program | Credential | Graduates | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visual and Performing Arts, General | Bachelor's Degree | 76 | $41,204 | $18,750 |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's Degree | 74 | $51,512 | $15,500 |
| History | Bachelor's Degree | 73 | $43,090 | $16,923 |
| Social Work | Master's Degree | 69 | $72,619 | not reported |
| Public Health | Master's Degree | 67 | not reported | not reported |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | 63 | $53,339 | $19,485 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | 59 | $110,496 | not reported |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | Bachelor's Degree | 58 | not reported | $15,998 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Master's Degree | 37 | $134,848 | not reported |
| Education, General | Master's Degree | 21 | $82,880 | not reported |
| Computer Systems Analysis | Bachelor's Degree | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biotechnology | Master's Degree | 14 | not reported | not reported |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | Master's Degree | 33 | not reported | not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | not reported | $81,423 | $22,500 |
| Economics | Bachelor's Degree | 52 | $77,155 | $17,500 |
Source: College Scorecard field-of-study data.
Who goes here
California State University-San Marcos: 14,877 undergraduates; 43% of students receive Pell grants; 95% of applicants are admitted.
Admission rate
95%
84th percentile among public 4-years
Undergraduates
14,877
81st percentile among public 4-years
Pell share
43%
of undergraduates receive Pell grants
79th percentile among public 4-years
Completion
55%
finish within 150% of normal time
69th percentile among public 4-years
First-generation
48%
parents did not attend college
Median family income
$31,283
43rd percentile among public 4-years
Students by family income
Share of students in each family-income bracket, for students who received federal aid.
- Under $30k35%
- $30k–$48k19%
- $48k–$75k19%
- $75k–$110k12%
- Over $110k15%
Show as a table
| Family income | Share of students |
|---|---|
| Under $30k | 35% |
| $30k–$48k | 19% |
| $48k–$75k | 19% |
| $75k–$110k | 12% |
| Over $110k | 15% |
How it has changed
Average net price fell from $11,256 in 2009 to $10,229 in 2024.
Four measures, year by year
A break in a line is a year the measure was not collected. It is not zero.
Admission rate
Price per year
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
7 years not reported; the line breaks there
Undergraduates
1 year not reported; the line breaks there
Table of the same numbers
| Year | Admit rate | Sticker price | Net price | Earnings, 10 yrs | Undergrads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported | 3,595 |
| 1997 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported | 3,808 |
| 1998 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported | 4,103 |
| 1999 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported | 4,699 |
| 2000 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| 2001 | 63% | not reported | not reported | not reported | 5,272 |
| 2002 | 60% | not reported | not reported | not reported | 6,215 |
| 2003 | 66% | not reported | not reported | not reported | 6,461 |
| 2004 | 70% | not reported | not reported | not reported | 6,220 |
| 2005 | 36% | not reported | not reported | not reported | 6,344 |
| 2006 | 42% | not reported | not reported | not reported | 7,600 |
| 2007 | 76% | not reported | not reported | $50,800 | 8,063 |
| 2008 | 72% | not reported | not reported | not reported | 8,111 |
| 2009 | 73% | $16,256 | $11,256 | $47,500 | 8,708 |
| 2010 | 71% | $17,786 | $11,041 | not reported | 8,807 |
| 2011 | 41% | $17,252 | $9,362 | $45,400 | 9,444 |
| 2012 | 59% | $18,587 | $11,220 | $45,400 | 9,885 |
| 2013 | 63% | $20,386 | $12,844 | $45,100 | 10,689 |
| 2014 | 62% | $17,692 | $9,736 | $47,300 | 11,506 |
| 2015 | 54% | $18,938 | $10,547 | not reported | 12,103 |
| 2016 | 52% | $18,070 | $9,451 | not reported | 12,475 |
| 2017 | 57% | $19,191 | $11,029 | not reported | 14,516 |
| 2018 | 58% | $21,995 | $12,872 | not reported | 14,871 |
| 2019 | 62% | $22,435 | $13,399 | not reported | 14,765 |
| 2020 | 79% | $22,531 | $13,218 | $62,908 | 15,016 |
| 2021 | 93% | $23,821 | $14,048 | not reported | 14,937 |
| 2022 | 95% | $19,750 | $10,774 | not reported | 13,844 |
| 2023 | 96% | $21,144 | $10,550 | not reported | 14,174 |
| 2024 | 95% | $21,649 | $10,229 | not reported | 14,877 |
College Scorecard annual institution files, 1996 to 2026
Similar schools
These are the nearest neighbors in the same sector. The list is not an ordering.
Sources & caveats
Figures come from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Built 2026-07-17.
- not reported
- Not reported: suppressed for privacy or never collected. It is not zero, and nothing has been filled in.
- Percentiles
- A percentile compares this school with others in its own sector (for example, public 4-year schools). It describes position, not quality.
- Earnings
- Earnings cover students who received federal (Title IV) aid, measured from the year they entered. Students who never received federal aid are not included.
Provenance notes
- U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard, 2026-06 release. Earnings cover federally aided (Title IV) students only. Suppressed values are null, never imputed.
- Annual Scorecard files 1996-2026. A null in early years usually means the measure was not yet collected, not zero.
- Coordinates and locale describe the campus address, not where students live.