1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [California State University-San Marcos](/school/california-state-university-san-marcos/) 4. / 5. Admissions & selectivity Admissions & selectivity Copy linkPrint brief # California State University-San Marcos Acceptance Rate & Admissions Updated October 1, 2026 [Overview](/school/california-state-university-san-marcos/)[Cost & aid](/school/california-state-university-san-marcos/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/california-state-university-san-marcos/outcomes/)Admissions[Majors](/school/california-state-university-san-marcos/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/california-state-university-san-marcos/similar/) **On this page**+ ## What is the acceptance rate at CSUSM? CSUSM’s reported acceptance rate is 95.1%. **Acceptance rate · Fall 2024** 95.1% Source: College Scorecard · Fall 2024 admissions. Acceptance rates can change from year to year; this figure does not predict the current or next admission cycle. First-year applicants and admitted students · CDS 2025-26 **Applicants** 20,881 **Admitted** 19,864 Source: California State University-San Marcos Common Data Set 2025-26, C1 · first-time, first-year students. How to interpret the acceptance rate California State University-San Marcos admits 95.1% of applicants, a rate well above the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size). The university is a broad-access public campus where most who apply receive an offer. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 20,881 first-year applicants and 19,864 admitted applicants, with 2,705 enrolling. ## What SAT and ACT scores do enrolled CSUSM students report? In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, California State University-San Marcos reported that 2% of its entering class submitted SAT scores. The middle half of those SAT submitters scored from 860 to 1113. Among entering students who submitted ACT scores, the middle half scored from 19 to 24. Most entering students did not submit SAT scores, so the SAT range describes a minority of the class. The ranges below describe enrolled students who submitted test scores at CSUSM. Use them as academic context, then check the university’s current testing policy for your application cycle. **2% of entering students submitted SAT scores** SAT: reported composite scores **25th percentile** 860 **Median** 1010 **75th percentile** 1113 CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. ACT: reported composite scores **25th percentile** 19 **Median** 21 **75th percentile** 24 CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. Source: California State University-San Marcos Common Data Set 2025-26, C9 · Enrolled first-time, first-year score submitters. ## Who enrolls at CSUSM? **Pell Grant recipients** 42.6% **Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group** 48.3% **First-year retention** 78.6% Retention source: College Scorecard; full-time first-year retention. About these student measures The entering-student group includes part-time entrants as well as other attendance patterns. California State University-San Marcos is a public university in San Marcos, California, serving 14,877 undergraduates. The university admitted 95.1% of applicants, a rate above the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 20,881 applicants, 19,864 admitted, and 2,705 enrolled first-year students. The student body reflects broad access: 42.6% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, and an estimated 48.3% of students enter as transfers or part-time students. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 6,519 transfer applicants, 5,410 admitted, and 2,154 enrolled. Applicants who are Pell-eligible or transferring from another institution will find a campus where their profile is common. At California State University-San Marcos, the first-year retention rate is 78.6%, below the peer median of 83.1% for comparable institutions. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the first-time full-time cohort is 54.6%, also below the peer median of 65.0%. Pell Grant recipients complete at a rate of 61.2%, which is 6.6 percentage points above the overall six-year rate. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported a retention rate of 79% for the first-time, full-time fall 2024 entering class. For the first-time, full-time fall 2019 entering class, the six-year graduation rate was 54.9%, and Pell recipients in that cohort graduated at a rate of 52.8%, below the overall rate. Enrolled students can expect a university where Pell Grant recipients graduate at a higher rate than the overall student body. Overall persistence and completion measures trail those of comparable institutions. ## Data & methodology Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/). Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Admission rates describe past applicants, not an individual’s chance of admission; confirm requirements and deadlines with the institution. Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).