10-yr median earnings
$62,908
Federal aid recipients only
Public · San Marcos, California
California State University-San Marcos
California State University-San Marcos is a public institution in San Marcos, California. as a public institution, published Scorecard outcomes are the federal Title-IV cohort view of former students — not every graduate and not a guarantee for any one enrollee.
- $10,229
- Avg net price / yr
- $62,908
- 10-yr median earnings
- 54.4%
- 150%-time completion
- 95.1%
- Acceptance rate
The verdict
California State University-San Marcos pairs top-quartile former-student earnings with open admission.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 12%
- former-student earnings, US
- 95.1%
- acceptance rate
- 54.4%
- 150%-time completion
- +29%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
Suburb: Large
Carnegie: Master's (L)
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this California State University-San Marcos profile
Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Master's Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.
Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.
College Value Score
B-
College Value Score
66/100
California State University-San Marcos
A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.
Earnings A
$62,908
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price B+
$10,229
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate D
54.4%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$17,350
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment A-
76.2%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention C
78.6%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$10,229
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
54.4%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 54.4%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - California State University-San Marcos vs peers
Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.
How California State University-San Marcos ranks nationally
Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.
California State University-San Marcos: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$62,908 Top 12% higher than 88% of 5,103 US colleges
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | California State University-San Marcos | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $62,908 | #634 of 5103 | 88th |
| Average net price | $10,229 | #1176 of 5020 | 77th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 54.4% | #2643 of 4858 | 46th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 14,877 | #213 of 5462 | 96th |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
14,877
Undergraduate enrollment
95.1%
Acceptance rate
-
SAT average
54.4%
150%-time completion
$62,908
10-yr median earnings
78.6%
First-year retention
How California State University-San Marcos ranks in California
State rank among 493 reporting California colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | California State University-San Marcos | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $62,908 | #98 of 493 | 80th |
| Average net price | $10,229 | #108 of 495 | 78th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 54.4% | #302 of 483 | 37th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 14,877 | #52 of 553 | 91st |
Highest former-student earnings in California
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samuel Merritt University | $143,238 | - |
| 2 | Harvey Mudd College | $138,687 | $35,924 |
| 3 | California Institute of Technology | $128,566 | $16,075 |
| 4 | Stanford University | $124,080 | $13,807 |
| 5 | Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health | $115,318 | - |
| 6 | Gnomon | $114,785 | $51,949 |
| 7 | Santa Clara University | $109,183 | $50,062 |
| 8 | Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University | $109,183 | - |
| 9 | Touro University California | $104,805 | - |
| 10 | Claremont McKenna College | $104,736 | $28,849 |
| 11 | West Coast University-Anaheim-Orange County | $102,672 | $32,879 |
| 12 | West Coast University-Ontario | $102,672 | $49,590 |
| 98 | California State University-San MarcosThis school | $62,908 | $10,229 |
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 95.1% |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at California State University-San Marcos
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k $6,230
$0 – $30k
$6,230 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k $7,240
$30k – $48k
$7,240 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k
$48k – $75k
$8,928 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$18,734 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at California State University-San Marcos - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $8,082 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $20,682 |
| Average Net Price | $10,229 |
42.6%
Pell Grant Rate
28.3%
Federal Loan Rate
$17,350
Median Debt
$184/mo
Monthly Payment
Net price at California State University-San Marcos swings rather than trends
Across 11 reported years between 2013 and 2023, the average net price here has ranged from $9,451 to $14,048 without settling into a rise or a fall. Comparing only the first and last years would read as -17.9%, but the years in between do not follow that line, so the honest summary is the range rather than a trend. Budget against the upper end, not the average.
Lowest year
$9,451
Highest year
$14,048
Most recent (2023)
$10,550
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $12,8442023 · $10,550
Over the same years, enrollment went +32.6% (10,689 → 14,174 students).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
66.0%
Female
48.3%
First Generation
Outcomes
78.6%
Retention Rate
$48,673
Median Earnings (6yr)
68.6%
Earning Over $25K
76.2%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 54.4% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 78.6% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $48,673 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $62,908 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 68.6% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 76.2% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $17,350 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $184/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Field-of-study summary by credential
| Credential | Programs | Award count | Avg earnings | Top earnings | Avg debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 37 | 3,463 | $68,078 | $120,196 | $17,199 |
| Master's | 9 | 277 | $101,403 | $148,800 | $40,796 |
Top programs at California State University-San Marcos by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Registered Nursing, Nursin…
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
$148,800 median earnings
- Registered Nursing, Nursin…
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
$120,196 median earnings
- Business Administration, M…
Business Administration, Management and Operations
$105,743 median earnings
- Computer Science
Computer Science
$97,827 median earnings
- Education, General
Education, General
$95,348 median earnings
- Computer Systems Analysis
Computer Systems Analysis
$93,047 median earnings
- Biotechnology
Biotechnology
$92,859 median earnings
- Communication Disorders Sc…
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
$88,196 median earnings
What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.
| Program | Credential | Completers | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Master's | 28 | $148,800 | $60,000 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Bachelor's | 318 | $120,196 | $24,246 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's | 59 | $105,743 | $36,990 |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's | 127 | $97,827 | $12,500 |
| Education, General | Master's | 22 | $95,348 | $20,936 |
| Computer Systems Analysis | Bachelor's | - | $93,047 | - |
| Biotechnology | Master's | 19 | $92,859 | - |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | Master's | 37 | $88,196 | $70,750 |
| Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's | - | $86,318 | $20,452 |
| Economics | Bachelor's | 43 | $83,339 | $18,620 |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | Bachelor's | - | $80,303 | $19,462 |
| International Business | Bachelor's | - | $77,965 | $15,965 |
| Social Work | Master's | 89 | $77,471 | $41,000 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's | - | $77,312 | $16,337 |
| Biotechnology | Bachelor's | 32 | $76,622 | $16,500 |
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Matches use Scorecard measures among reporting colleges — not state-system recommendations or geographic proximity.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Public institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Public institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at California State University-San Marcos? ▼
California State University-San Marcos is a public institution in San Marcos, California. The acceptance rate is 95.1%. Undergraduate enrollment is 14,877 students.
How much do California State University-San Marcos former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at California State University-San Marcos who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $62,908 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $48,673.
How much does California State University-San Marcos cost? ▼
The average net price at California State University-San Marcos is $10,229. In-state tuition is $8,082 and out-of-state tuition is $20,682. Median student debt at graduation is $17,350.
What is the graduation rate at California State University-San Marcos? ▼
California State University-San Marcos has a 54.4% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 78.6%.
Is California State University-San Marcos worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at California State University-San Marcos is $17,350, while former students earn a median of $62,908 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 28% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 76.2% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $184.
Sources & methodology
Public-college profiles lean on IPEDS enrollment and Scorecard Title-IV outcomes. State appropriations are outside this page; the figures below are the federal cohort measures only.
Every number is read live from the Mar–Jul 2026 Scorecard/IPEDS retrievals. Public institutions often enroll large Title-IV cohorts, so medians can be stable — still cohort averages, never a personal forecast. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
Where to go next from California State University-San Marcos
- Compare California State University-San Marcos against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in California side by side.Browse California
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
Public-college Scorecard figures are historical Title-IV cohort averages — confirm current tuition, aid, and admissions rules with the institution before deciding.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Public-institution profiles compile Scorecard Title-IV earnings, IPEDS enrollment/admissions, and Treasury linkage fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.