What California State University-San Marcos costs

San Marcos, California · Public · 14,877 undergrads

California State University-San Marcos' in-state sticker price was $23,131 a year in 2024-25 (College Scorecard). In-state students with federal aid paid $10,939 on average after grants; families earning under $30,000 paid $7,618. Out-of-state students pay $13,320 more in tuition.

What does California State University-San Marcos cost?

$10,939 a year in-state

Out of state: about $24,259 a year

What in-state students who got federal aid paid on average after grants, 2024-25. The in-state sticker price, with housing and food, is $23,131.

Your home state

Tap your family income:

Average paid after grants by family income
under $30,000	$7,618
$30,000–$48,000	$7,756
$48,000–$75,000	$9,457
$75,000–$110,000	$12,320
over $110,000	$20,770

Sticker, in-state

$23,131

In-state, with aid

$10,939

Out-of-state tuition is $21,774 a year, against $8,454 in state. The out-of-state figure adds that $13,320 to the in-state average. Out-of-state students usually get less aid, so many pay more.

Own a business or have divorced parents? Run California State University-San Marcos's own calculator.

Net price 2024-25, College Scorecard.

By family income

In-state families who got federal aid, average paid per year after grants, 2024-25.

Family income	In-state, average paid	Out of state, estimate
Under $30,000	$7,618	$20,938
$30,000–$48,000	$7,756	$21,076
$48,000–$75,000	$9,457	$22,777
$75,000–$110,000	$12,320	$25,640
Over $110,000	$20,770	$34,090

The out-of-state estimate is the in-state average plus the $13,320 more in tuition that California State University-San Marcos charges students from other states. Out-of-state students usually get less aid, so many pay more.

Run California State University-San Marcos' own calculator

For in-state families earning under $30,000, grants took 67% off California State University-San Marcos's sticker price.

Business owner, divorced parents, or savings? The averages can't see that; California State University-San Marcos' own calculator can.

Got an aid offer? See how to compare aid offers and ask for more.

Compared with colleges people also look at

For families earning $48,000–75,000, California State University-San Marcos cost more than California State University-San Bernardino, California State University-Fresno and San Francisco State University.

College	Families earning $48–75k	All aided students
California State University-San Marcos	$9,457	$10,939
California State University-San Bernardino	$3,156	$3,946
California State University-Fresno	$4,466	$5,418
San Francisco State University	$8,572	$9,803

Public colleges: in-state students.

The sticker price

$8,454

Tuition, in state, 2025-26

$21,774

Tuition, out of state, 2025-26

$23,131

Full sticker price, tuition, housing, food, books

Out-of-state students pay $13,320 more in tuition at California State University-San Marcos and usually get less aid.

Aid and debt

47%

of undergrads get a Pell Grant, the federal grant for lower-income students.

$11,123

average grant for students who got aid.

27%

of undergrads take a federal loan.

$16,000

median federal debt at graduation.

Questions people ask

How much does California State University-San Marcos cost for a family earning $25,000?

In-state families earning under $30,000 paid $7,618 a year on average after grants in 2024-25 (students who got federal aid). The sticker price is $23,131. Your own price depends on your family's finances; California State University-San Marcos's net price calculator gives a personal estimate.

How much does California State University-San Marcos cost for a family earning $40,000?

In-state families earning $30,000–$48,000 paid $7,756 a year on average after grants in 2024-25 (students who got federal aid). The sticker price is $23,131. Your own price depends on your family's finances; California State University-San Marcos's net price calculator gives a personal estimate.

How much does California State University-San Marcos cost for a family earning $60,000?

In-state families earning $48,000–$75,000 paid $9,457 a year on average after grants in 2024-25 (students who got federal aid). The sticker price is $23,131. Your own price depends on your family's finances; California State University-San Marcos's net price calculator gives a personal estimate.

How much does California State University-San Marcos cost for out-of-state students?

Out-of-state tuition at California State University-San Marcos is $21,774 a year, against $8,454 for in-state students in 2025-26. In-state students who got federal aid paid $10,939 on average after grants in 2024-25. Adding the $13,320 tuition gap gives about $24,259 a year from out of state. Out-of-state students usually get less aid, so many pay more.

Where these numbers come from

Admit rate and applicants: IPEDS, fall 2024 (checked Oct 31, 2026)
Cost, pay and debt: College Scorecard, 2024-25 (checked Oct 31, 2026)

Updated Oct 31, 2026Spot a mistake?How we get our numbers