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Rancho Santa Fe street view 2013Photo: Tuxyso · CC BY-SA 3.0
Colleges in and near Rancho Santa Fe

California State University-San Marcos is 7.6 miles from Rancho Santa Fe

No college sits inside Rancho Santa Fe’s boundary, but California State University-San Marcos’s campus in San Marcos, with 14,549 students on campus, is 7.6 miles from the center of town, and Palomar College is 8.6 miles away in San Marcos. About 1% of Rancho Santa Fe’s residents are enrolled in college, below California (8%).

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Rancho Santa Fe. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
12
94,815 students on campus
Nearest college
7.6 mi
California State University-San Marcos
Residents in college
1%
Below CA (8%)
Nearest community college
8.6 mi
Palomar College · $1,354 tuition
Nearest public university
7.6 mi
California State University-San Marcos · $8,082 in-state
Median household income
$176K
prices below start here

What stands out about college from Rancho Santa Fe

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A university 7.6 miles awayCalifornia State University-San Marcos has 14,549 students on campus in San Marcos, 55% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at California State University-San MarcosLiving in California, California State University-San Marcos charges $8,082 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $20,682. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 8.6 miles awayPalomar College in San Marcos: tuition and fees $1,354 a year for California residents.Students are 1% of residentsBelow California (8%). The Census counts anyone enrolled, including part-time and online students.
Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Rancho Santa Fe

Seven private colleges within 14.2 miles, two public colleges within 10.5 miles, and three community colleges.

5 mi10 mi15 miUniversity of California-San DiegoCalifornia State University-San MarcosPalomar CollegeRancho Santa Fe
University or collegeCommunity college
California State University-San MarcosUniversity or college · Public · 14,549 on campus · 7.6 mi · San Marcos95%admitted$10knet price55%graduate$63kearningsPima Medical Institute-San MarcosUniversity or college · For-profit · 630 on campus · 8 mi · San Marcos$27knet price71%graduate$39kearningsEarnings are reported for all 13 campuses that file with it.Palomar CollegeCommunity college · Public · 13,825 on campus · 8.6 mi · San Marcos$6knet price38%graduate$42kearningsTuition and fees: $1,354 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.University of St. Augustine for Health SciencesUniversity or college · For-profit · 4,158 on campus · 8.9 mi · San Marcos$79kearningsGraduate students only; the Scorecard reports no undergraduate figures.San Diego Miramar CollegeCommunity college · Public · 8,368 on campus · 9.2 mi · San Diego$3knet price48%graduate$48kearningsTuition and fees: $1,146 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.John Paul the Great Catholic UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 298 on campus · 9.4 mi · Escondido80%admitted$35knet price64%graduate$57kearningsDesign Institute of San DiegoUniversity or college · For-profit · 107 on campus · 10.2 mi · San Diego100%admitted$44knet price80%graduate$47kearningsUniversity of California-San DiegoUniversity or college · Public · 42,066 on campus · 10.5 mi · La Jolla27%admitted$12knet price86%graduate$85kearningsAlliant International University-San DiegoUniversity or college · For-profit · 1,412 on campus · 10.7 mi · San Diego · mostly online0%admitted$67kearnings66% of its students study only online; price, graduation and earnings count them too.Westminster Theological Seminary in CaliforniaUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 101 on campus · 11 mi · EscondidoGraduate students only; the Scorecard reports no undergraduate figures.MiraCosta CollegeCommunity college · Public · 5,946 on campus · 12.9 mi · Oceanside$7knet price41%graduate$44kearningsTuition and fees: $1,158 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.National UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 3,355 on campus · 14.2 mi · San Diego · mostly online$23knet price43%graduate$68kearnings83% of its students study only online; price, graduation and earnings count them too.

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at Over $110k, where Rancho Santa Fe’s median household income ($175,792) falls.

San Diego Miramar College9.2 mi · San Diego · sticker $17,126 · tuition $1,146$11,600a year
Palomar College8.6 mi · San Marcos · sticker $14,360 · tuition $1,354$12,642a year
MiraCosta College12.9 mi · Oceanside · sticker $15,531 · tuition $1,158$12,855a year
California State University-San Marcos7.6 mi · San Marcos · sticker $21,649$18,734a year
University of California-San Diego10.5 mi · La Jolla · sticker $38,701$28,785a year
John Paul the Great Catholic University9.4 mi · Escondido · sticker $52,367$38,282a year
Pima Medical Institute-San Marcos8 mi · San Marcos · sticker $32,210—a year
Design Institute of San Diego10.2 mi · San Diego · sticker $55,911—a year
National University14.2 mi · San Diego · mostly online · sticker $33,978—a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Rancho Santa Fe: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k$100k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →California State University-San MarcosPalomar CollegeSan Diego Miramar CollegeUniversity of California-San DiegoMiraCosta College
University of California-San Diego86% graduate$85k earnings$16k typical debt
California State University-San Marcos55% graduate$63k earnings$17k typical debt
Palomar College38% graduate$42k earnings
San Diego Miramar College48% graduate$48k earnings$7k typical debt
MiraCosta College41% graduate$44k earnings$9k typical debt
National University43% graduate$68k earnings$25k typical debt
Pima Medical Institute-San Marcos71% graduate$39k earnings*$10k typical debt
John Paul the Great Catholic University64% graduate$57k earnings$27k typical debt
Design Institute of San Diego80% graduate$47k earnings$37k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: Pima Medical Institute-San Marcos (13).

Questions about college near Rancho Santa Fe

Is Rancho Santa Fe a college town?

No. About 1 of every 100 Rancho Santa Fe residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), below California (8). The nearest campus, California State University-San Marcos, is 7.6 miles away in San Marcos.

What colleges are near Rancho Santa Fe?

12 colleges are within 15 miles. The largest: the University of California-San Diego (10.5 miles, 42,066 students on campus), California State University-San Marcos (7.6 miles, 14,549) and Palomar College (8.6 miles, 13,825).

What is the closest community college to Rancho Santa Fe, and what does it cost?

Palomar College in San Marcos, 8.6 miles away. Tuition and fees are $1,354 a year for California residents; the federal net price, $5,763, counts housing and food at full cost.

How much does California State University-San Marcos cost if we live in California?

Tuition and fees are $8,082 a year in-state and $20,682 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $6,230 (under $30,000 income) to $18,734 (over $110,000), housing and food included.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Rancho Santa Fe. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →