Location
- California State University-San Marcos
- San Marcos, CA
- California State University-Los Angeles
- Los Angeles, CA
California State University-San Marcos vs California State University-Los Angeles
San Marcos, CA · Los Angeles, CA · largest Scorecard gap: avg net price
Scorecard match plate
Pair CA:CA
PUBLIC-PAIR · SAME-STATE · ACCEPT-OPEN · NET-SPLIT · EARN-PAR · DEBT-SPLIT · COMPLETE-PAR · GAP-NET
- PUBLIC-PAIR Public pair
- SAME-STATE Same state · CA
- ACCEPT-OPEN Open admission
- NET-SPLIT Net-price split
- EARN-PAR Earnings near-par
- DEBT-SPLIT Debt split
- COMPLETE-PAR Completion near-par
- GAP-NET Largest gap · Avg Net Price
Instrument codes from this pair's College Scorecard ownership, geography, acceptance, net price, earnings, debt, and completion, plus the ENROLL-1SIDE · brisk · 2013–2023 decade-path stamp below, not a ranking or recommendation.
Decade path · College Scorecard
Headcount surged on one side only
ENROLL-1SIDE · brisk · 2013–2023
California State University-San Marcos posted a brisk directional enrollment rise over 2013–2023 while its peer's size series stays a range. Pair any cost snapshot with that asymmetry before treating the campuses as parallel growth stories.
- California State University-San Marcos: enrollment grew +32.6% over 2013–2023; fitted +369 students/yr fitted, r² 0.62.
- California State University-Los Angeles: enrollment ranged 19,525–24,780 (2013–2023, 11 points) without a stable fitted direction.
- California State University-San Marcos: acceptance rate eased +53.1% across 2013–2023 (r² 0.69).
- California State University-Los Angeles: acceptance-rate path 2013–2023 stays non-directional here (r² 0.30).
College Scorecard institution series; dollars are nominal. Direction claims require r² ≥ 0.40 on the fitted annual slope, otherwise the page reports the observed range. Descriptive history, not a recommendation.
Scorecard metrics
Undergraduate Enrollment
Avg Net Price
Median Debt at Graduation
Loan Repayment Rate (Completers)
In-State Tuition
Retention Rate
Median Earnings (6 yr)
Median Earnings (10 yr)
Out-of-State Tuition
Cards ordered by relative gap on this pair. Teal = better side.
| Metric | California State University-San Marcos San Marcos, CA | California State University-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Location | San Marcos, CA | Los Angeles, CA |
| Undergraduate Enrollment | 14,877 | 19,562 |
| Avg Net Price | $10,229 | $3,967 |
| Median Debt at Graduation | $17,350 | $13,000 |
| Loan Repayment Rate (Completers) | 76.2% | 67.2% |
| In-State Tuition | $8,082 | $7,160 |
| Retention Rate | 78.6% | 71.9% |
| Median Earnings (6 yr) | $48,673 | $45,702 |
| Median Earnings (10 yr) | $62,908 | $59,211 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $20,682 | $19,760 |
Largest gaps: California State University-San Marcos vs California State University-Los Angeles
- AVG-NET-PRICE California State University-Los Angeles leads on avg net price ($3,967 vs $10,229 at California State University-San Marcos)
- MEDIAN-DEBT-AT-GRA California State University-Los Angeles leads on median debt at graduation ($13,000 vs $17,350 at California State University-San Marcos)
- LOAN-REPAYMENT-RAT California State University-San Marcos leads on loan repayment rate (completers) (76.2% vs 67.2% at California State University-Los Angeles)
California State University-San Marcos profile · California State University-Los Angeles profile · Compare other colleges
Avg Net Price and other Scorecard questions
On avg net price, who leads between California State University-San Marcos and California State University-Los Angeles?▼
California State University-Los Angeles leads on avg net price at $3,967 versus $10,229 at California State University-San Marcos. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
On median debt at graduation, who leads between California State University-San Marcos and California State University-Los Angeles?▼
California State University-Los Angeles leads on median debt at graduation at $13,000 versus $17,350 at California State University-San Marcos. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
On loan repayment rate (completers), who leads between California State University-San Marcos and California State University-Los Angeles?▼
California State University-San Marcos leads on loan repayment rate (completers) at 76.2% versus 67.2% at California State University-Los Angeles. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard College Scorecard institution outcomes (earnings, completion, debt); avg net price focus for this pair · 2025