California State University, San Marcos (CSUSM), founded in 1989 as the 21st campus of the California State University system, is a public university located on a scenic 304-acre hillside in northern San Diego County. Accredited by WSCUC and ABET, CSUSM enrolls approximately 15,400 students (fall 2024), offering 43 bachelor’s, 24 master’s, 8 credential programs, and a joint doctoral program with UC San Diego.
Organized into four colleges—Business Administration; Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (CSTEM); Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences; and Education, Health and Human Services—CSUSM highlights programs in business, nursing, psychology, biology, education, and computer science. It maintains a 24:1 student-to-faculty ratio and emphasizes hands-on, student-centered learning, including internships, undergraduate research, learning communities, and community partnerships.
CSUSM’s mission underscores academic excellence, public service, and solving real-world problems, enhanced by its recognition as a Carnegie-classified “community engaged” university. Noted for its support of veterans, first-generation and Hispanic students—it became an HSI in 2010—CSUSM has earned multiple diversity awards and ranks highly in student social mobility |