Business/Commerce, General: California State University-San Marcos vs New York University

Side-by-side ROI comparison · Bachelor's Degree
Return on Investment
10-year earnings ÷ tuition · higher is better
New York University
New York, NY
In-State
19.6x
$30,956 tuition
4.1x
$241,752 tuition
Out-of-State
7.7x
$78,476 tuition
4.1x
$241,752 tuition
$605,400 10-yr earnings · Public
$990,817 10-yr earnings · Private nonprofit

Head-to-Head

California State University-San Marcos New York University
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 19.6x 4.1x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 7.7x 4.1x
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $30,956 $241,752
Year 1 Earnings $46,958 $77,828
10-Year Earnings $605K $991K
Median Debt $20,951 $19,500
Debt-to-Earnings Ratio 5.4 months 3.0 months
DegreeWorth Score (In-State) 73/100 62/100
Acceptance Rate 95.7% 9.4%

Both programs have high AI automation risk (46% task exposure) — the same career paths apply to Business/Commerce, General graduates regardless of school. See full AI analysis →

ROI Breakdown

How tuition costs translate into long-term earnings for Business/Commerce, General graduates.

California State University-San Marcos New York University
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $30,956 $241,752
4-Year Tuition (Out-of-State) $78,476 $241,752
10-Year Projected Earnings $605K $991K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 19.6x 4.1x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 7.7x 4.1x
5-Year Salary Growth +45% +76%

"Earnings Multiple" = projected 10-year earnings ÷ 4-year tuition. Higher is better. Not a discounted financial ROI.

AI Disruption Scenarios

Both schools share identical AI exposure for Business/Commerce, General (same career paths). The score differences below reflect how each school's earnings and ROI hold up under stress.

California State University-San Marcos New York University
Optim. Base Pessim. Optim. Base Pessim.
10-Year Earnings $616K $605K $547K $1,036K $991K $834K
Earnings Multiple (IS) 19.9x 19.6x 17.7x 4.3x 4.1x 3.4x
DegreeWorth Score 74 73 68 63 62 57

For the full AI analysis of Business/Commerce, General career paths, see the California State University-San Marcos or New York University program pages.

Earnings Trajectory Comparison

Projected annual earnings for Business/Commerce, General graduates. Year 1 uses actual reported data.

Tuition Gap (In-State)
$210,796
California State University-San Marcos saves you this
Year 1 Earnings Gap
$30,870/yr
New York University grads earn more
ROI Range (In-State)
19.6x / 4.1x
Out-of-state: 7.7x / 4.1x

Career Paths

Business/Commerce, General graduates from both schools map to the same career paths. Differences in earnings reflect school prestige, location, and employer networks.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Chief executives $206,420 22,200 +4.3% 56%
Sales managers $138,060 49,000 +4.7% 45%
Managers, all other $136,550 106,700 +4.5% 47%
Industrial production managers $121,440 17,100 +1.9% 34%
Administrative services managers $108,390 23,200 +4.6% 39%
Construction managers $106,980 46,800 +8.7% 44%
Facilities managers $104,690 13,200 +3.8% 48%
General and operations managers $102,950 308,700 +4.4% 48%
Want to compare different schools or majors? Try the freeform comparison tool →

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for Business/Commerce, General: California State University-San Marcos or New York University?
California State University-San Marcos scores 73/100 while New York University scores 62/100. California State University-San Marcos has significantly lower tuition, which drives its higher ROI. The best choice depends on whether you prioritize raw earnings or return on investment.
Which school has better ROI for Business/Commerce, General?
California State University-San Marcos has an in-state earnings multiple of 19.6x vs New York University's 4.1x. That means California State University-San Marcos grads earn more per dollar spent on tuition. The $210,796 tuition gap is the biggest driver of this difference.
How do California State University-San Marcos and New York University compare on Business/Commerce, General earnings?
Year 1 median earnings are $46,958 at California State University-San Marcos vs $77,828 at New York University. Over 10 years, the projected totals are $605,400 vs $990,817 — a difference of $385,417.
How much does Business/Commerce, General cost at each school?
Four-year in-state tuition is $30,956 at California State University-San Marcos and $241,752 at New York University. Median debt at graduation is $20,951 vs $19,500. Both programs lead to the same Business/Commerce, General career paths — the cost difference is the main factor in ROI.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2025.