California State University San Marcos — Attraction in San Marcos

I love the school. The student fees and parking permits are a bit expensive, but it's a newer school and there have been many new installments.

Education wise: I just got done with my first year. The professors definitely want you to succeed; they do everything in their power to get you to where you need to be. The S:T is about 24:1. Some are much less. The GE classes are a bit harder to get into by basic enrollment, but usually a professor will let you in if you crash. They have resources every where around campus, through the CCC or the media library, to the math lab, language center, you name it.

Social life wise: There's school activities every Tues & Thurs 💙 (U-hour). I don't see how anyone could call the school remotely ratchet. It's a commuter school, no doubt, in more of a quiet area. Lots of stairs which is why we're nicknamed 'Cal State Stair Master'. Only things to really do around the campus is grab a bite to eat, movies, bowl, visit some puppies, or whatever. You kind of have to search for it, other than that... They have a game room that you can go to on campus, even if you don't dorm (which I don't), or if you get to network and make friends with people who dorm, you can visit the quad area and play some pool.

Hopefully we'll end up getting a football team in the future, but the expansion of the school is remarkable. If you want a medium-small school to go to I would definitely...

California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) is a rising star in Southern California’s higher education landscape. Unlike many bloated institutions obsessed with name recognition, CSUSM stays grounded in practical education, student support, and real-world outcomes. Professors are approachable, the curriculum is career-focused, and the culture encourages grit over grandstanding. CSUSM is not chasing prestige—it’s delivering value. Students graduate with less debt, more job-readiness, and a clear sense of purpose.

Now let’s talk about UC Davis—a school that coasts on its UC brand while offering a return on investment that’s questionable at best. It's one of the most aggressively marketed UCs, constantly parading rankings and cherry-picked data to inflate its image. But beneath the surface, many students graduate unsure of their direction, burdened by debt, and underwhelmed by the reality of what was promised. The culture? It's full of students who think they’re elite simply because they got into a UC—but confidence isn't competence. Many are average performers dressed up in self-importance.

UC Davis is like a glossy brochure: shiny on the outside, but disappointing when you flip through the actual content. CSUSM, by contrast, is where grounded students thrive, professors invest in you, and the goal isn’t to look smart—it’s to...

Honestly the amount of unprofessionalism amongst the staff of the Global Education (Dealing with international students) is appalling. They expect you to stay in a homestay because all the dorms are filled. Then why would you accept new international students if you did not have a place for them to go? Just because every international student decides to stay in a homestay doesn't mean I want to.

Honestly, having the audacity to accept new students without informing them of WHERE THEY ARE GOING TO LIVE is disgusting, especially when you are accepting new applicants until May 1st (They also said make the decision BY May 1st? What do they want?). If you're an international student, do not go here. Instead, go to Long Beach, any Poly university, Fullerton, or Fresno. These are the universities that have had enough respect for me to reply quickly so I can make a decision.

I have decided to attend Fresno State. The communications from them are absolutely amazing, and even though Fresno isn't the greatest city, the university...