San Marcos, California · Public
Political Science and Government at California State University-San Marcos
Use this school-and-field page as a fit screen, not a department ranking. It combines the 1.6% reported program-share signal, $10,229 school-wide net price, and $62,908 school-wide ten-year earnings before you compare peer schools. The enrollment proxy is about 235 students when that share is applied to current enrollment.
Program snapshot
1.6% reported share makes this a focused program signal in federal data.
This major
- Program signal
- 1.6%
- Enrollment proxy
- ~235
- Schools with reported signal
- 1,174
Admissions
- Acceptance rate (school)
- 95.1%
- Graduation rate
- 54.6%
Cost
- Avg net price (school)
- $10,229/yr
- 4-year cost (est.)
- $40,916
- Median debt
- $17,350
Outcomes
- Median earnings 10y
- $62,908/yr
- ROI grade (school)
- A
College Scorecard reports school-wide earnings and price, not per-major outcomes for individual colleges. Program share is a concentration signal, not a promise of department quality. Use it as a proxy, then verify department-level outcomes with the school.
Evidence used here: federal program-share data (1.6%), school-wide average net price ($10,229), school-wide ten-year median earnings ($62,908), and peer averages from 1,174 schools reporting a positive signal in this field. Evidence not included: department-level salary, placement rate, course quality, licensure eligibility, certification, or exam pass-rate outcomes.
Value among peer schools
Compared with 1,174 schools that report this field.
The answer is a value-screen grade of A, not a verified department verdict. The reported share is below the national average concentration; the school-wide net price is lower than the peer average ($9,365 below), and ten-year median earnings are higher than the peer average ($5,951 above). Together, those evidence points place California State University-San Marcos in the top 10% ROI position within this field set.
See the national program hub →Comparable programs
Peer schools below also report a positive program-share signal and are sorted by value grade.
College of San Mateo San Mateo, CA · 1.6% reported share · $536 net A+ Skyline College San Bruno, CA · 0.6% reported share · $1,738 net A+ Imperial Valley College Imperial, CA · 0.2% reported share · $1,115 net A+ 
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College New York, NY · 1.2% reported share · $3,033 net A+ 
Irvine Valley College Irvine, CA · 0.3% reported share · $2,090 net A+ 
Hartnell College Salinas, CA · 0.4% reported share · $2,039 net A+ CUNY Hunter College New York, NY · 1.9% reported share · $2,984 net A+ Questions about this program
How big is the program signal?
Political Science and Government accounts for 1.6% of reported programs at California State University-San Marcos, which is bigger than 63% of schools in this field set and below the national average concentration. The enrollment proxy is about 235 students when that share is applied to current enrollment.
How should I read the cost number?
California State University-San Marcos's average net price is $10,229 per year, about $40,916 over four years. That is $9,365 below the $19,594 peer average, before your own aid package changes the final bill.
Are the earnings major-specific?
No. The $62,908 median earnings figure is school-wide ten years after entry. It is $5,951 above the $56,957 average among schools reporting this field, so treat it as an outcomes proxy rather than a department guarantee.
What should I compare next?
Start with program share, net price after aid, graduation rate, location, and whether the department publishes placement or licensure outcomes. EduGradify ranks California State University-San Marcos #112 of 1,174 schools in this field set by school-wide ROI proxy.