Home Schools CSU San Marcos
Public Institution

California State University-San Marcos

San Marcos, CA csusm.edu 14,174 students

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
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 Compare across schools →
91
$103,799/yr High 33.2x
Computer Science Compare across schools →
85
$60,645/yr Very High 34.6x
Accounting Compare across schools →
84
$63,366/yr Very High 25.3x
Finance Compare across schools →
83
$54,408/yr Very High 27.2x
Business Administration Compare across schools →
76
$49,543/yr High 22.9x
Business 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 Compare across schools →
62
$49,734/yr High 22.4x
Social Sciences 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 Compare across schools →
59
$38,527/yr High 23.8x
Management Information Systems Compare across schools →
57
$55,102/yr Very High 16.8x
Biochemistry Compare across schools →
54
$57,682/yr High 17.6x
Political Science 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 Compare across schools →
48
$31,184/yr High 15.1x
Health & Physical Education Compare across schools →
48
$26,203/yr Moderate 19.6x
Sociology Compare across schools →
47
$34,541/yr High 15.6x
Psychology Compare across schools →
46
$31,355/yr High 16.6x
Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Compare across schools →
44
$40,875/yr High 12.2x
Teacher Education Compare across schools →
40
$29,055/yr High 8.4x
Natural Resources & Conservation Research Compare across schools →
39
$37,364/yr High 11.1x
Physiology Compare across schools →
39
$36,889/yr High 10.9x
English Compare across schools →
39
$29,638/yr Very High 15.6x
Romance Languages Compare across schools →
37
$29,329/yr Very High 14.2x
Liberal Arts & 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 Compare across schools →
31
$27,741/yr High 12.3x
Communication Disorders Compare across schools →
23
$22,567/yr High 6.3x