San Marcos highlight
California State University San Marcos
CSUSM was established in 1989 and welcomed its first students in fall 1990 as the newest campus in the California State University system.
California State University, San Marcos was created by state legislation in 1989 and opened to its first class of juniors and seniors in the fall of 1990. It was designed to serve the growing North County San Diego region and the broader four-state area. Today it enrolls over 15,000 students in undergraduate and graduate programs across the sciences, engineering, business, arts and education.
The campus sits on 304 acres and serves students from throughout Southern California and beyond. CSUSM has become a hub for regional education and economic mobility, particularly for first-generation college students and those from underrepresented backgrounds in higher education. The university's presence in San Marcos has shaped the city as a knowledge economy center with strong community ties.
Universities anchor communities in ways that matter for family planning: they bring employers, create stable income, draw young adults establishing households and make education a central life milestone. For families in San Marcos and the surrounding area, having a university that grows with the city means planning for the years ahead when mortgages and dependents are concurrent financial demands.