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California State University-San Marcos: Campustwinspeak
Photo: Moshimoxh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

College · Catholic life on campus

California State University-San Marcos

  • LocationSan Marcos, CA
  • Type and sizePublic · 4-year · 15,431 students
Official website

California State University-San Marcos is not a Catholic college. This rating measures Catholic life on campus: campus ministry, priests, Mass and confession, student groups, and nearby parishes.

The university's student organization directory lists a Catholic Club under its religious organizations. No Catholic campus ministry, Newman center, or Mass schedule serving CSU San Marcos was confirmed on official pages.

Catholic churches nearby

Map of California State University-San Marcos, its Catholic center and nearby Catholic churches0.5 mi1 mi2 miSaint Mark Catholic Church: 2.0 mi1California State University-San Marcos (campus)N1 mi
CampusCatholic church (numbered below)Open a street map ›
  1. Saint Mark Catholic Church — 2.0 mi · 1147 Discovery Street, San Marcos

Within 3 miles, as mapped by OpenStreetMap contributors. The map may be incomplete. Confirm with the parish or diocese.

Catholic life scorecard

Each line is one thing we looked for. A check means yes, a half means partly, a dash means no. “Not enough information” means official sources did not say.

N/ACatholic life on campus: Not enough information. Official sources do not cover enough of this to grade it yet.

Catholic life on campus

Not enough information: official sources cover less than 60% of this area.

  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Catholic campus ministry serving this campus (Catholic center, campus ministry, or chaplaincy)Not enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Dedicated Catholic center or chapel on or next to campusNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Priest chaplain assigned to campus ministryNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Weekday Mass at the campus ministryNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Sunday Mass at the campus ministry or a campus chapelNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Scheduled confession at the campus ministryNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Partly: the school meets some of this item and earns part of the points.
    Catholic student groups and missionary outreach (e.g., FOCUS, Saint Paul's Outreach, Knights of Columbus, Bible studies)One (Only the Catholic Club is listed in the student organization directory.)
    Sources (1)
    1. Student Orgs Home | Student Organizations | CSUSMcsusm.edu/orgs · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Religious Catholic Club”
      The university's student organization directory lists a Catholic Club under Religious organizations.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Formation programs (retreats, OCIA/RCIA, service, small groups)Not enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Partly: the school meets some of this item and earns part of the points.
    Catholic church within walking distance (computed from OpenStreetMap)Within 3 milesComputed from OpenStreetMap church locations.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Published weekly schedule of Mass, confession, and adorationNot enough information: no verified Mass times are recorded.

Grades come from the documented indicators under the published rubric. “Not enough information” does not mean the school lacks it.

Strengths

  • A Catholic Club is listed among the university's registered student organizations.
    Sources (1)
    1. Student Orgs Home | Student Organizations | CSUSMcsusm.edu/orgs · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Religious Catholic Club”
      The university's student organization directory lists a Catholic Club under Religious organizations.

Concerns

None recorded.

Know something we missed? Suggest a correction.

Catholic clubs and student life

1 groups and regular activities · 0 on campus, 0 off campus, 1 location not published

Clubs and groups 1

  • Catholic Club
    Listed in the university's student organization directory under Religious organizations.
    csusm.edu

Everything listed is published by the school, its campus ministry, or the parish. Ask the campus minister what’s happening this semester.

My rating and notes

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Academic Excellence

DAcademic Excellence: Limited (grade D): 40 to 100 points out of 100 on what official sources document. Grades need sources for at least 60% of the checklist.
55 of 100
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.55%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.79%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.Not reported
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.24 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$8,419

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

Cost and value

Federal data, shown separately. Cost, debt, and earnings are never part of any grade.

Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
14,246
Total students15,431
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$10,229
Cost of attendance (per year)$21,649
Median federal debt at graduation$17,350
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
55%
First-year retention79%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$62,908
Admission rate95%
Students receiving Pell grants43%

Value index: 73 / 100 (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Local Church

Diocese of San Diego

The Most Reverend Michael Pham, Bishop of San Diego

Formal address: “Your Excellency”

Source: usccb.org, verified Oct. 7, 2026.

Diocese determined from the county, using the diocese’s county list (Wikipedia). Confirm with the diocese.

About this school’s data

Questions families ask

Is California State University-San Marcos a Catholic college?
No. California State University-San Marcos is not a Catholic college. Catholic School Compass rates the Catholic life on its campus instead.

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