California State University San Marcos
School info
3.6
Overall Quality
Reputation
3.5
Food
3.1
Clubs
3.3
Facilities
4
Internet
3.8
Location
3.7
Opportunities
3.5
Safety
4
Social
3.1
Happiness
3.7
Basic Information
Location
- San Marcos, CA
Institution Overview
- Public/Private: Public university
- Established: 1989; 35 years ago (1989)
- Founder: Bill W. Stacy, William A. Craven
Academic information
Key Area
- California Indian Culture and Sovereignty
- Health (including mental health
- migrant health
- indigenous medicine)
- Education (including parent engagement
- college and career preparation
- youth empowerment)
- Civic Learning and Action
- Environment (including healthy communities
- environmental justice)
Student and Staff Numbers
- Students: 13,469 (Fall 2022)
- Undergraduates: 12,917 (Fall 2022)
- Postgraduates: 552 (Fall 2022)
- Academic Staff: 854 (299 tenured or tenure-track)
- Administrative Staff: 1,204 (full-time) to 1,687 (total, including part-time)
Notable Alumni
- Mark Hoppus
- Kimberly Dark
- Robert C.
- Shaun White
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Students talk about this school
Good reviews
Overall 5
BEST university ever!! Great professors, course offerings, greek life, clubs, study abroad, and great dorms!! Highly recommend!!
Overall 5
LOVE LOVE LOVE this school!!
Overall 5
I love this campus. Theres no mistreatment implemented and even the clubs are very openminded. You get treated like family here.
Overall 5
CSUSM legit has the best staffs. Faculties, especially the advisors are great. They helped me figure out my classes for the next semester in one day and reassured my future would be successful. Need more people like that in this world
Overall 5
CSUSM may not be a league school, but theres a concurrent amount of intelligent students that could compete against the UCs and top CSU schools. The school is known to have minor classes for students who are below, which I think is great. They dont discriminate amongst those that lack ability.
Overall 5
Great staff and classmates
Overall 5
Loved my time here
Overall 4.9
GET INVOLVED! I am a commuter but if you are in clubs or in Greek life it feels like you live there because there is always activities to do! I love this school so much it was a perfect fit for me.
Overall 4.8
An amazing school with every resource you need to be successful! Everybody that works there seems to love their job and everybody that goes there seems to enjoy the atmosphere!
Overall 4.7
Great school! Only thing is that there isnt much food options on campus.
Bad reviews
Overall 1
Worst college EVER! This place had awful teachers, there are no classes that catered to anyone's preferences or anyone helpful!
Overall 1.3
I miss community college. Cal State San Marcos has been the biggest let down. Lack of classes, lack of attentive advisors, and no one seems to have an answer for anything. I came here from Palomar so excited to graduate on time but 2 years later I still cant find avaliable senior classes. So upsetting.
Overall 1.4
Avoid the Extended Learning Crim & Justice studies program. Its not worth the money. Worst experience of school in my life! Teachers cannot be held accountable and the class schedule makes it so you cant possibly hold a job at the same time.
Overall 1.6
I hate San marcos and I am transferring after my first semester there. The living situation puts too much pressure on individuals to get along with their roommates. The RAs did nothing about conflict The layout of the campus is horrible too.The school spirit is nonexistent and there are no opportunities to make friends.
Overall 1.7
Cal State San Marcos is a very small university which some people like and others may not. It is a very Liberal based school and the students there are not as friendly as you would think. I ended up transferring because there was not a lot on campus and greek life is also just a club and means nothing there. Its a gorgeous area just not the best.
Overall 1.8
Awful registration + no staff help. EVERYTHING full. Forget graduating in 4 years. Never any seats open even if you're a senior. It is almost like they want to slow graduating dates just for more money-so ppl take longer. No room for sudden life events, circumstances or mental health issues that would result in retaking a course. so horrible
Overall 1.8
This school is worth it if you have access to aid and resources. If you don't have either, you're surviving on your own. Getting academic advisors is a nightmare, and opportunities to excel are difficult.
Overall 1.8
If you were planning on attending CSUSM…I would advise you to look into other options. Academic advisors leave you to suffer with their lack of knowledge and willingness to help. My first year I spoke to an academic advisor whom ruined my degree planner. No appointments available to speak to one ever… Classes are always full when required too
Overall 1.8
CSUSM community college
Overall 1.9
Insane parking pass cost, rising tuitions every year, professors clearly not interested in instructing, professors complaining about wage increases for the dean, so few classes offered that every course has a waitlist, etc etc