CSUSM acceptance rate, cost and outcomes
California State University-San Marcos · Public · San Marcos, CA · 14,246 undergraduates (IPEDS fall 2023)
CSUSM admitted 95.7% of applicants for fall 2023, up from 62.5% in 2013. California residents pay $8,454 in tuition and fees for 2025-26; out-of-state students pay $21,774.
Admit rate, 2013 to 2023
Show as table
| Fall | Admit rate | Applicants | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 62.5% | 10,208 | 6,381 |
| 2014 | 61.8% | 12,838 | 7,934 |
| 2015 | 54.0% | 13,718 | 7,413 |
| 2016 | 51.8% | 15,366 | 7,965 |
| 2017 | 56.8% | 16,514 | 9,374 |
| 2018 | 58.4% | 17,649 | 10,311 |
| 2019 | 61.7% | 17,349 | 10,699 |
| 2020 | 79.4% | 15,413 | 12,241 |
| 2021 | 93.3% | 13,986 | 13,049 |
| 2022 | 95.2% | 14,774 | 14,064 |
| 2023 | 95.7% | 17,519 | 16,765 |
Applications went from 10,208 in fall 2013 to 17,519 in fall 2023. Admit rate = admitted ÷ applicants. Source: IPEDS fall admissions.1
What families actually pay
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| Family income | Net price / year, 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $7,618 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $7,756 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $9,457 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $12,320 |
| Over $110,000 | $20,770 |
| Tuition and fees, in-state (2025-26) | $8,454 |
| Tuition and fees, out-of-state (2025-26) | $21,774 |
| Cost of attendance (2024-25) | $23,131 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid (2024-25) | $10,939 |
Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants, for first-time full-time students with federal aid paying the in-state rate, 2024-25. Tuition is 2025-26. Source: College Scorecard.2
SAT and ACT
Similar public colleges
| College | Admit rate | Tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|
| SFSU CA | 96.1% | $8,324 in-state |
| Fresno State CA | 96.4% | $8,224 in-state |
| Chico State CA | 93.7% | $8,896 in-state |
Same state and type first, then the nearest admit rate. Fall 2023 and 2025-26 figures.
What the numbers say
Cal State San Marcos had 17,519 applicants for fall 2023 and admitted 95.7% of them.1 Compared with 62.5% in 2013, the 2023 rate is higher by 33.2 percentage points.1 Most of that came after 2019, when the rate reached 61.7%, and the rate declined in 3 of the 10 yearly comparisons.1 Between 2013 and 2023 the applicant count rose 72%, from 10,208 to 17,519, while admissions rose 163%, from 6,381 to 16,765.1
The campus is test-blind for fall 2023, so IPEDS lists no SAT or ACT range.1
Resident tuition and fees are $8,454 for 2025-26, nonresident tuition is $21,774, and the resident price is below the $8,846 median of 33 public bachelor's colleges in California.2 Families earning $0 to $30,000 faced an average net price of $7,618 in 2024-25, those at $48,001 to $75,000 faced $9,457, and those over $110,000 faced $20,770.2
55% of the 2019 entrants graduated within 6 years, under the 60% median across 123 California colleges.2 Many of undergraduates, 47%, had Pell grants, and fall 2023 retention was 79%.2 Median earnings are $67,217 10 years after entry, a bit under the $70,012 state median, and median federal debt is $16,000.2
Every number on this page, with its source field
| Figure | Value | File, field, year |
|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 17,519 | IPEDS ADM2023, APPLCN, fall 20231 |
| Admitted | 16,765 | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMSSN, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled first-years | 2,625 | IPEDS ADM2023, ENRLT, fall 20231 |
| Undergraduates | 14,246 | IPEDS DRVEF2023, EFUG, fall 20234 |
| Admission policy | Selective (not open admission) | IPEDS IC2023, OPENADMP, 2023-243 |
| Test policy | Test-blind | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMCON7, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 25th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| SAT reading/writing, 75th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| SAT math, 25th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| SAT math, 75th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| ACT composite, 25th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| ACT composite, 75th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| Enrolled students submitting SAT | Not reported | Not reported |
| Enrolled students submitting ACT | Not reported | Not reported |
| Tuition and fees, in-state | $8,454 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_IN, 2025-262 |
| Tuition and fees, out-of-state | $21,774 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_OUT, 2025-262 |
| Cost of attendance | $23,131 | College Scorecard, COSTT4_A, 2024-252 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid | $10,939 | College Scorecard, NPT4_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $0 to $30,000 | $7,618 | College Scorecard, NPT41_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $30,001 to $48,000 | $7,756 | College Scorecard, NPT42_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $48,001 to $75,000 | $9,457 | College Scorecard, NPT43_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $75,001 to $110,000 | $12,320 | College Scorecard, NPT44_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income over $110,000 | $20,770 | College Scorecard, NPT45_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Graduation rate within 6 years | 55% | College Scorecard, C150_4, 2019 entrants2 |
| First-year retention | 79% | College Scorecard, RET_FT4, fall 2023 entrants2 |
| Undergraduates with a Pell grant | 47% | College Scorecard, PCTPELL, 2024-252 |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $67,217 | College Scorecard, MD_EARN_WNE_P10, 2022-232 |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $16,000 | College Scorecard, GRAD_DEBT_MDN, FY2024-252 |
| Median in-state tuition and fees, public colleges, California (N = 33) | $8,846 | College Scorecard, median TUITIONFEE_IN, public bachelor's institutions, 2025-262 |
| Median graduation rate within 6 years, California (N = 123) | 60% | College Scorecard, median C150_4, bachelor's institutions, 2019 entrants2 |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry, California (N = 129) | $70,012 | College Scorecard, median MD_EARN_WNE_P10, bachelor's institutions, 2022-232 |
Sources
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS admissions files, fall 2013 to fall 2023 (IC2013, ADM2014, ADM2015, ADM2016, ADM2017, ADM2018, ADM2019, ADM2020, ADM2021, ADM2022, ADM2023). Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education: College Scorecard, Most Recent Institution-Level Data (Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution (release of 15 Oct 2026)). Data years: 2019 entrants, 2022-23, 2024-25, 2025-26, FY2024-25, fall 2023 entrants. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023-24 (IC2023.zip). Data years: 2023-24. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Fall Enrollment, derived variables, fall 2023 (DRVEF2023.zip). Data years: 2023. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
AdmitFacts is not affiliated with CSUSM, the U.S. Department of Education or NCES. Missing values are shown as Not reported, never estimated. The file field behind each figure is listed under "Every number on this page". How we build each page