| Location: | Southwest |
| Setting: | Large Town Setting |
| Type: | Public |
| Size: | Large (5,000 to 10,000 Undergrad) |
| Nickname: | Cal State San Marcos |
California State University San Marcos offers the ambiance of a small, personal campus with the unequaled value of the California State University. Students benefit from the latest equipment and facilities, a superb faculty that enjoys teaching, and a rigorous academic program that prepares students for a successful life.
Founded in 1989, CSU San Marcos is located on a 304-acre hillside overlooking the city of San Marcos. It is fifteen miles east of the ocean; just thirty miles north of downtown San Diego. Students are able to enjoy the resources of a major metropolitan area while escaping many of the stresses of urban life.
In less than two decades, the campus has distinguished itself. CSU San Marcos’ programs in teacher education are renowned for their school and community collaboration. The College of Business Administration receives national attention for the “Senior Experience” Program, which takes teams of students off campus for projects with companies and organizations. Programs in the sciences and in visual and performing arts are regionally acclaimed for academic rigor, innovation, and career preparation.
The campus is poised for continued growth, adding new academic programs and facilities over the next few years.
California State University San Marcos (also CSUSM or Cal State San Marcos) is a campus of the California State University (CSU) system located in San Marcos, California, a suburban town in north San Diego County. It was founded in 1989 as the 20th CSU campus and was the first after nearly 30 years. The first class was admitted in 1990.
Efforts by community and political leaders to attract a state university to North County date back to 1968. In 1978, state legislator William A. Craven (1921-1999) won state funding for a North County satellite campus of San Diego State University. In 1989, Gov. George Deukmejian signed another Craven bill which established a CSU campus in San Marcos.
The state purchased land in San Marcos, including the former Prohoroff Poultry Farms chicken ranch. The hillside site lies approximately 8 miles (13 km) due east of the Pacific Ocean and 35 miles (40 km) due north of downtown San Diego. Today the campus comprises 304 acres (123 ha).
Bill Stacy was appointed president in June 1989. During the 1989-1990 academic year, Stacy hired 12 "Founding Faculty," who played an important role in the university's early years and today are memorialized in Founders Plaza.
CSUSM admitted upper division students and held classes from September 1990 through August 1992 in rented facilities in a San Marcos business park, alongside the North County campus of San Diego State. Groundbreaking for the permanent campus occurred on February 23, 1990. Classes began at the current campus in August 1992. Craven Hall was the third instructional building opened in December 1992, and the largest building up to that time at .
Since 1992, the campus has been growing steadily. Major additions over the subsequent decade include the Foundation Classroom Buildings (December 1996), University Hall (1998), a second Science building (August 2002) and the Arts building (August 2002). The largest building to date is Kellogg Library, opened January 2004 with nearly . The most recent addition is Markstein Hall (January 2006), home of the College of Business Administration.
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| Percent of Students International: | 2% |
| On-Campus Housing Available: | Yes |
| Percent of Students Living On-Campus: | 8% |
| Freshman Students Required to Live on Campus: | No |
| Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) | In-State | Out-of-State | |
Published Tuition and Fees: |
$ 3,062 | $ 13,232 | |
Average Tuition for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 0 | $ 10,170 | |
Required Fees for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 3,062 | $ 3,062 | |
| Financial Aid | Avg. Amount Received | % of Students Receiving Aid | |
Federal Grants: |
$ 2,971 | 22% | |
State and Local Grants: |
$ 2,098 | 31% | |
Institutional Grants: |
$ 2,193 | 23% | |
Student Loans: |
$ 2,553 | 26% | |
Any Aid: |
49% |
| Acceptance Rate: | 36% (Highly Selective) |
| Test Scores | |
| SAT Scores: | |
| % of Students Submitting SAT Scores: | 95% |
| Bottom 25th Percentile: | Verbal: 430, Math: 450 |
| Top 75th Percentile: | Verbal: 540, Math: 550 |
| ACT Scores: | |
| % of Students Submitting ACT Scores: | 22% |
| Bottom 25th Percentile: | Composite: 17, Verbal: 16, Math: 17 |
| Top 75th Percentile: | Composite: 22, Verbal: 22, Math: 24 |
| Application Fee: | $ 55.00 |
| Formal Demonstration of Competencies: | Not Required |
| High School Diploma or Equivalent: | Required |
| High School GPA: | Required |
| High School Rank: | Not Required |
| High School Record: | Not Required |
| Recommendations: | Not Required |
| TOEFL: | Required |
| Test Scores: | Required |
