Quad

Key differences on Students & campus

  1. 1

    California State University-San Marcos has 10 pts more first-gen students than Cleveland State (48% vs. 38%)

    First-generation students
  2. 2

    California State University-San Marcos has 1.7× as many undergrads as Cleveland State

    Undergrads
  3. 3

    California State University-San Marcos is more diverse (index 0.66 vs. 0.64)

    Diversity index

Students

Students & campus

Who's on each campus, how many get Pell Grants or are the first in their family, and campus life.

Who's on campus

Undergrads
California State University-San Marcos15.6K
Cleveland State9K
Pell Grant share
California State University-San Marcos43%
Cleveland State41%
First-gen share
California State University-San Marcos48%
Cleveland State38%
Diversity index
California State University-San Marcos0.66
Cleveland State0.64

Who they are

Men
California State University-San Marcos43%
Cleveland State46%
Part-time students
California State University-San Marcos17%
Cleveland State17%
Students 25 and older
California State University-San Marcos18%
Cleveland State19%

Race & ethnicity

California State University-San Marcos
Cleveland State
  • White
  • Asian
  • Hispanic/Latino
  • Black
  • Two or more
  • International
  • Other/unknown

Where they're from

First-years from in state
California State University-San Marcos97%
Cleveland State94%
First-years from other states
California State University-San Marcos2%
Cleveland State6%
First-years from abroad
California State University-San Marcos1%
Cleveland State0%
New transfer students this fall
California State University-San Marcos2,162
Cleveland State1,078
Transfers, share of new undergraduates
California State University-San Marcos45%
Cleveland State41%

Campus

California State University-San Marcos
Large suburbNCAA D-II · California Collegiate Athletic AssociationROTCStudy abroadUndergrad research
Cleveland State
Large cityNCAA D-I · Horizon LeagueROTCStudy abroad

All student numbers in the table

Sources:California State University-San Marcos Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2025;College Scorecard, most recent release;College Scorecard, Fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part C, residence of first-time students), Fall 2024;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part A, enrollment by level), Fall 2024;IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD), 2025–26;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26;College Scorecard, Fall 2024About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why