Public Institution
California State University-San Marcos
Cal State San Marcos is situated in northern San Diego County, offering a suburban campus environment. The university is known for its focus on student success and community engagement. As a younger CSU campus, it provides a more modern learning environment and a developing athletic program within NCAA Division II.
Programs
35
Analyzed in dataset
Earnings
$43,051
Average graduate, 1 yr after
Outlook
55/100
Avg DegreeOutlook Score
Tuition
$7,739
In-state sticker price
Out-of-state: $19,619/yr
Financial Aid
The sticker price is rarely what families actually pay. CSU San Marcos's grant and scholarship aid lowers the net price for most income brackets. 44% of students receive Pell Grants; 30% take federal loans.
Net Price by Family Income
Academic Year 2025| Income Bracket | Avg Net Price | 4-Year Net Cost |
|---|---|---|
| $0 – $30K | $6,812 | $27,248 |
| $30K – $48K | $7,246 | $28,984 |
| $48K – $75K | $9,980 | $39,920 |
| $75K – $110K | $13,773 | $55,092 |
| $110K+ | $19,772 | $79,088 |
| Sticker price (no aid) | $7,739 | $30,956 |
Net price = tuition + fees + room & board minus grants and scholarships, by reported family-income bracket. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey via College Scorecard.
Programs at CSU San Marcos
35 degree programs ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any program for AI scenario analysis and 10-year earnings projections.
| Degree Program | DW Score | 1-yr Earnings | AI Risk | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Nursing
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Compare across schools → |
91
|
$103,799/yr | High | 33.2x |
| Computer Science Compare across schools → |
85
|
$60,645/yr | Very High | 34.6x |
|
Accounting
Accounting and Related Services Compare across schools → |
84
|
$63,366/yr | Very High | 25.3x |
|
Finance
Finance and Financial Management Services Compare across schools → |
83
|
$54,408/yr | Very High | 27.2x |
|
Business Administration
Business Administration, Management and Operations Compare across schools → |
76
|
$49,543/yr | High | 22.9x |
|
Business
Business/Commerce, General Compare across schools → |
74
|
$46,958/yr | High | 21.1x |
| Physics Compare across schools → |
70
|
$56,018/yr | Very High | 25.0x |
| Economics Compare across schools → |
68
|
$40,155/yr | Very High | 23.9x |
| Marketing Compare across schools → |
67
|
$43,134/yr | Very High | 23.5x |
| International Business Compare across schools → |
65
|
$55,455/yr | Very High | 16.9x |
|
Cell Biology
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences Compare across schools → |
62
|
$49,734/yr | High | 22.4x |
|
Social Sciences
Social Sciences, General Compare across schools → |
62
|
$37,446/yr | High | 19.6x |
| Computer Systems Analysis Compare across schools → |
61
|
$61,054/yr | Very High | 18.7x |
| Biotechnology Compare across schools → |
60
|
$49,615/yr | High | 23.4x |
| Chemistry Compare across schools → |
59
|
$49,382/yr | High | 15.0x |
|
Biology
Biology, General Compare across schools → |
59
|
$38,527/yr | High | 23.8x |
|
Management Information Systems
Management Information Systems and Services Compare across schools → |
57
|
$55,102/yr | Very High | 16.8x |
|
Biochemistry
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology Compare across schools → |
54
|
$57,682/yr | High | 17.6x |
|
Political Science
Political Science and Government Compare across schools → |
52
|
$35,297/yr | Very High | 16.2x |
| Criminology Compare across schools → |
51
|
$34,694/yr | High | 16.6x |
| Communication and Media Studies Compare across schools → |
48
|
$36,310/yr | High | 16.9x |
|
Human Development & Family Studies
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services Compare across schools → |
48
|
$31,184/yr | High | 15.1x |
|
Health & Physical Education
Health and Physical Education/Fitness Compare across schools → |
48
|
$26,203/yr | Moderate | 19.6x |
| Sociology Compare across schools → |
47
|
$34,541/yr | High | 15.6x |
|
Psychology
Psychology, General Compare across schools → |
46
|
$31,355/yr | High | 16.6x |
|
Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology Compare across schools → |
44
|
$40,875/yr | High | 12.2x |
|
Teacher Education
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods Compare across schools → |
40
|
$29,055/yr | High | 8.4x |
|
Natural Resources & Conservation Research
Natural Resources Conservation and Research Compare across schools → |
39
|
$37,364/yr | High | 11.1x |
|
Physiology
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences Compare across schools → |
39
|
$36,889/yr | High | 10.9x |
|
English
English Language and Literature, General Compare across schools → |
39
|
$29,638/yr | Very High | 15.6x |
|
Romance Languages
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics Compare across schools → |
37
|
$29,329/yr | Very High | 14.2x |
|
Liberal Arts & Humanities
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Compare across schools → |
36
|
$29,341/yr | Low | 16.9x |
| History Compare across schools → |
36
|
$22,407/yr | High | 12.9x |
|
Visual & Performing Arts
Visual and Performing Arts, General Compare across schools → |
31
|
$27,741/yr | High | 12.3x |
|
Communication Disorders
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services Compare across schools → |
23
|
$22,567/yr | High | 6.3x |
More Colleges in California
Top-scored 4-year colleges and universities elsewhere in California, ranked by average DegreeOutlook Score across their programs.
California State University Maritime Academy
Vallejo, CA
5 programs
69/100
Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, CA
3 programs
69/100
National University
San Diego, CA
20 programs
64/100
Menlo College
Atherton, CA
4 programs
61/100
California State University-East Bay
Hayward, CA
22 programs
60/100
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA
50 programs
59/100
Loma Linda University
Loma Linda, CA
3 programs
58/100
DeVry University-California
Ontario, CA
12 programs
58/100