CSU San Marcos vs Albany State
California State University-San Marcos (CSUSM) and Albany State University (ASU) are two distinct institutions of higher learning with unique characteristics. CSUSM, located in the vibrant city of San Marcos, California, boasts an acceptance rate of 78%, while ASU, situated in the historic city of Albany, Georgia, has an acceptance rate of 63%. Both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate and graduate programs, with popular majors at CSUSM including Business Administration, Psychology, and Criminal Justice, and popular majors at ASU including Business Administration, Education, and Social Work. While CSUSM's student body is predominantly Hispanic (38%) and White (31%), ASU's student body is predominantly Black (83%). Additionally, CSUSM has a higher graduation rate (62%) compared to ASU (48%). To help you make an informed decision about your higher education journey, we have compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these differences and
|
![]() Albany State University |
![]() California State University-San Marcos |
---|---|---|
Overview |
||
Location | Albany, Georgia | San Marcos, California |
Campus setting | City: Small | Suburb: Large |
College type | 4 year | 4 year |
Control/business model | Public | Public |
Calendar system | Semester | Semester |
Degrees offered | Undergraduate and Graduate | Undergraduate and Graduate |
Students retention rate | 65.0% | 79.0% |
![]() |
No | No |
Religious affiliation | ||
|
||
Admission |
||
Acceptance rate | 73.0% | 93.3% |
Application fees |
Undergraduate:
$25
Graduate:
$25
|
Undergraduate:
$70
Graduate:
$70
|
SAT range | 740 - 900 | N/A |
ACT range | 15 - 18 | N/A |
Students submitting SAT score | 46.0% | |
Students submitting ACT score | 26.0% | |
Total number of applicants | 7,655 | 13,986 |
Total number of admissions given out | 5,590 | 13,049 |
Admitted students who chose to enroll | 1,443 | 2,413 |
Yield rate | 25.8% | 18.5% |
Test scores (SAT/ACT) | N/A | |
High school GPA | N/A | Required |
Recommendation letters | N/A | Not required |
High school transcript | N/A | Not required |
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) | N/A | Not required |
|
||
Tuition and Fees |
||
Sticker price |
In state:
$24,718
Out of state:
$36,098
|
In state:
$22,366
Out of state:
$34,246
|
Average net price | $14,359 | $14,296 |
Tuition |
In state:
$4,146
Out of state:
$15,526
|
In state:
$5,742
Out of state:
$17,622
|
Room & board |
Room/dormitory:
$5,670
Meal plan:
$3,950
|
|
Available payment plans |
|
|
|
||
Financial Aid |
||
Students receiving financial aid
(Grants & scholarships) |
93.0%
Average amount $6,872 |
70.0%
Average amount $9,298 |
Students receiving federal student loan |
70.0%
Average amount $5,453 |
22.0%
Average amount $4,734 |
Students taking out private loans |
2.0%
Average amount $7,233 |
1.0%
Average amount $12,988 |
|
||
Students and Campus |
||
Undergraduate students |
5,824
Men 26.1% Women 73.9% |
14,963
Men 38.4% Women 61.6% |
Graduate students |
473
Men 18.2% Women 81.8% |
1,292
Men 28.4% Women 71.6% |
Racial/ethnic diversity |
Low
|
Moderate
|
Out-of-state students | 15.7% | 1.5% |
International students | 0.6% | 3.4% |
Campus local/setting | City: Small | Suburb: Large |
Dormitory capacity | 2,425 | 1,547 |
First year students are required to live on campus? | No | No |
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from | Georgia Florida Alabama South Carolina Texas | California Colorado Washington Virginia Arizona |
|
||
Academics |
||
Popular study areas |
|
|
Students to faculty ratio | 20:1 | 25:1 |
Institutional accreditation | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges | Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission |
|
||
Outcome |
||
Graduation rate | 23.9% | 59.2% |
Dropout rate | 29.8% | 33.6% |
Transferred out | 43.2% | 2.6% |
Alumni salary by major (Top 10) |
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
Educational Administration and Supervision (First Professional Degrees)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees)
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees)
Social Work (Master's Degrees)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Master's Degrees)
Public Administration (Master's Degrees)
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
|
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees)
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
Education, General (Master's Degrees)
Physics (Bachelor's Degrees)
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
|
Compare Similar Colleges
The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing
statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you
don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page.
There, you can search for the
specific colleges and initiate your comparison.






































































































































