California State University, San Marcos

Founded in 1988, California State University-San Marcos (CSUSM) is one of the younger universities in the 23-member California State University system, located in the city of San Marcos in the far south of California.

The university has grown rapidly in its short history and today there are more than 15,000 students enrolled at CSUSM. With 68 bachelor’s programs to choose from as well as 11 master’s program, there are plenty of opportunities for students although Business Administration is by far the most popular choice of undergraduate major.

As well as having an ethnically diverse student population, CSUSM has developed the prospects and opportunities of the students with more than half of CSUSM graduates becoming the first in their families to hold a college degree.

The 304-acre main campus is just an hour from the US-Mexico border and close to some of the best beaches in California. Among the notable buildings on campus are the Kellogg Library, one of the largest in the California State University system, the new 1,400-seat Sports Center which is the home of the university volleyball team, and the iconic Craven Hall, named after Senator William Craven who helped to found the university.

In addition to this, there is a branch campus in the city of Temecula, which hosts a small range of bachelor’s and master’s degree courses and is just a short drive north of the main campus.

Although the university is still relatively young, famous alumni include professional snowboarder Shaun White, Blink-182 member Mark Hoppus, and Member of the California State Assembly Rocky Chavez.