California State University San Marcos (CSUSM)is a dynamic public university of the 23-campus California State University system. Founded in 1989, the university is located in the scenic hills of inland northern San Diego County. In 1990, CSUSM admitted its first graduate students and began accepting undergraduate students in 1995. As of Fall 2024, it is home to approximately 15,431 students (14,246 undergraduate, 1,185 graduate).

The University consists of four faculties: Business Administration; Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics; Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences; and Education, Health and Human Services. CSUSM offers 43 bachelor's, 24 master's and doctoral programs in partnership with UC San Diego.

The 304-acre main campus was designed with a focus on student success and safety and is consistently recognized as one of the safest college towns in the US. Its modern facilities include the Kellogg Library, Craven Hall, the Sports Center, student residences (University Village Apartments, the Quad, North Commons) and the Sprinter train line for easy transportation. The extension campus in Temecula offers undergraduate and graduate programs in nursing, business administration, criminology, kinesiology and software engineering.

Campus life is very vibrant: More than 100 student clubs, student newspaper The Cougar Chronicle and the University Student Union, which houses cultural centers, a variety of dining options and recreational spaces. With initiatives such as the new student residences Black Oak Hall and Kwilla Dining, the university is showing leadership in collaboration with local communities and student welfare.

In sports, the CSUSM Cougars compete in 13 divisions of the California Collegiate Athletic Association in NCAA Division II. The athletics program began in 1998 and includes basketball, baseball, softball, golf, football, soccer, track and field and volleyball. 

Featured Departments: Business Administration, Criminology and Justice Studies, Psychology, Biological Sciences, Nursing, Kinesiology, Biotechnology, Software Engineering

Ranking: U.S. News & World Report 2025 - Regional Universities in the Western Region: 22nd place

Location: San Marcos, California, USA; additional campus: Temecula, California

Year of Establishment: 1989