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333 S Twin Oaks Valley Rd
San Marcos, CA 92096-0001
p. 760-750-4000
w. www.csusm.edu

California State University-San Marcos

San Marcos, CA

California State University-San Marcos Rating: 3.4/5 (9 votes)

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Information Summary

Ranks 64th in California and 978th overall
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California State University-San Marcos Introduction

Established through a legislative action in 1989, California State University-San Marcos was intended to represent a new generation of Cal State institutions. It was the first completely new campus in the United States in more than twenty years. It received full accreditation in 1993, three years ahead of schedule. Since then, major construction and focused enrollment have made it one of Cal State’s fastest growing campuses statewide. Also referred to as CSUSM or Cal State San Marcos, it is a public, coeducational University and one of the 23 campuses of the California State University system.

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California State University-San Marcos Academics

CSU San Marcos is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. It also holds several academic and discipline based accreditations. The institute offers more than 40 undergraduate programs, 10 graduate programs and 1 Doctorate in Education to the students. CSUSM is home to three colleges: Arts & Sciences, Business Administration, and Education. The majority of students study in the College of Arts and Sciences. San Marcos also houses a Health and Human Services division that includes a nursing program and a kinesiology program.

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Most Popular Fields of Study

The top 5 fields of study completed at California State University-San Marcos.
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Unique Programs

The Native Studies minor focuses on native populations of the United States and Mexico in a global context. The program focuses on four areas: culture, history, society, and the environment. Faculty in anthropology, history, arts, and biology all contribute to the development of this minor. Students have access to the eighteen reservations located in San Diego County and other local experts. Graduates may go on to work in the fields of government and education.

The Film Studies program emphasizes the areas of film production, film history, interpretation, use, and filmmaking. Particular attention is paid to the interaction of production and interpretation, adding a unique slant to the program’s curriculum. In addition to analyzing numerous films, students will have the opportunity to create one small film as a member of a team.

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California State University-San Marcos Admissions

Freshman students seeking admission to CSUSM must be a high school graduate or have completed a GED. Applicants must send their completed application form, official transcripts, and their SAT or ACT score. Getting a transfer to the institute is also very easy; and transfer students must send official transcripts from all previous institutes. International students are also encouraged to apply for admission, but they must meet the required admission criteria. Students whose native language is not English must take the English language proficiency test.

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Financial Aid

The Financial Aid office at Cal State San Marcos requires scholarship applicants to fill out only one application each year, accompanied by an essay. This application is applied to all available scholarships, which are competitive and based on a variety of factors including academic success, particular talents, need, or the interests of the scholarship donor. Applicants seeking financial aid must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. CSUSM offers financial aid in the form of grants, scholarships or loans.

The federal and state grants offered at CSUSM are Pell Grant, Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG), Science & Math Access to Retain Talent Grant (SMART), Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG), Cal Grants, and State University Grant (SUG). Loans are the type of financial assistance that must be returned with interest, and they include Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Direct Subsidized Loan, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, and Federal Parent Loan.

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Student Financial Aid Details

How many students use Financial Aid, and how much do they use?
California State University-San Marcos 3868th for the average student loan amount.
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Effective as of 2010-09-21
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California State University-San Marcos Students

Associated Students, Inc. is a non-profit Cal State San Marcos student organization, governed by students who are elected annually and who are recognized as the voice of San Marcos’ student body. ASI offers programming such as speakers, festivals, and cookouts, as well as athletic programs, student services, and service opportunities. Cal State San Marcos is also home to over 60 student organizations, including social and academic clubs. Students are encouraged and motivated to start their own clubs due to the small size of the student body. Some of the on-campus student organizations are Association of People for Evolutionary Science (APES), CSUSM Math Club, CSUSM Line Dance/ Swing Club, and Cougar Dancers.

Greek life has a strong presence on the campus. There are several fraternities and sororities such as Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Pi Sigma, Alpha Xi Delta, Gamma Sigma Alpha, Greek Leadership Council, Order of Omega, and Zeta Beta Tau. The Pride is the school newspaper that includes all the latest information and news about the University.

Campus Facilities:

The Cal State San Marcos Library houses 250,000 volumes and 17,500 electronic titles with subscriptions to 800 print periodicals and 11,000 electronic journals. The library is also accessible online; and there is always someone available to help you. The institute also offers onsite housing options to more than 600 students. The University Village apartments offer either a 4-bedroom or a 2-bedroom suite. Each suite has private bedrooms for each student and residents are welcome to live there year-round. The residence halls are equipped with modern facilities such as fully-furnished, air conditioned rooms, modern kitchens, high-speed internet, lounge with large screen TV, onsite laundry facilities, game room with pool table and picnic areas.

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Student Enrollment Demographics

How many students are enrolled at California State University-San Marcos?
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Student Graduation Demographics

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Athletics

Cal State San Marcos’s athletic department sponsors ten men’s and women’s teams that participate in golf, cross country, track & field, soccer, softball, and baseball. The sports teams are nicknamed as Cougars. The Cougar athletic teams compete as independents in Region II of the NAIA. The University also has a surf team that participates in the National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA). The sports facilities at Cal State San Marcos include Clarke Field House & University Student Union, Mangrum Track & Soccer Field, CSUSM Softball Field, and CSUSM Baseball Field.

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Local Community

San Marcos is a beautiful city surrounded by green, rolling hills. The population is just over 60,000. The Historical Society and Museum offer visitors a chance to learn about the history of San Marcos, while Jacks Pond and the Wildlife Discovery Center cater to those inclined toward the outdoors. Entertainment includes an 18-hole golf course, public lake, and an 18-theatre cinema.

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Bibliography

  • California State University-San Marcos. 2011.
  • The College Buzz Book, Vault Inc., 2006. Print.

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Campus Crime Statistics

Ranks 5th in California and 77th overall on StateUniversity.com‘s Safe School Index
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Shelby 9 months ago Shelby


I would never attend this univeristy. The parking authority there only cares about one thing, making as much money as possible. They practice predation when it comes to issuing parking tickets. Even when a person is obviously disabled, they issue parking tickets. They only care about the letter of the law, not the spirit of the law. They issued my friend a ticket for parking in a handicapped parking space for 10 minutes, while he helped me, a disabled person, into the apartments. Even when you present them with a disabled parking placard, they will not dismiss the ticket. There tickets are $421...watch out disabled people if you have forgotten your placard, or if you have allowed a temporary one to not be renewed. THE PARKING ADJUDICATION/AUTHORITY DOES NOT CARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also, if you are a teacher or education professional, do not atttend their AP Summer Institutes, unless you are staying off campus. The village apartments did not even have toilet paper. Luckily, one of my out-of-state roommates rented a car, and we were able to get toilet paper, hand soap, etc. No hand soap, no paper towels even. Despite the fact that the website failed to mention that if you stayed in their village apartments, you would need to bring paper towels, hand soap, toilet paper, plus what you would take with you to a hotel. They rent their aparments to non-students during the summer, and they ran around at night screaming and shouting. It was the worst educational conference I have ever attended in my 16 years of teaching. Though they call themselves San Diego North, they are at least a half hour from the beach. So, those coming from out-of-state hoping to see the ocean, it is not as close as it is made out to be.

j franklin over 1 year ago j franklin


Army ROTC is now offered through CSUSM's partnership with the San Diego County Army ROTC program that includes SDSU, USD, UCSD, and PLNU.

barbara conjonte almost 2 years ago barbara conjonte


The Parking Administration and especially P. Garcia, the adjudicator, are the reason I will never park at or attend another class at CSUSM. Although I purchased ample parking permits and displayed them correctly on my dashboard, Garcia deemed that I should pay $100.00 because the parking attendant said one paid permit wasn't seen and the other had the date marked with a permanent marker instead of being scratched off. I spent hours filling out forms asking that these tickets be excused and sent about $25.00 worth of prepaid permits to the adjudicator thinking that common sense and fairness would prevail. They didn't!

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