CSUSM College of Business

What CSUSM College of Business does

California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) is a public university within the California State University system, founded in 1989 and headquartered in San Marcos, California, in North San Diego County. The university serves more than 17,000 students across undergraduate, graduate, transfer, American Indian, military-affiliated, and international segments, delivered through its main San Marcos campus plus regional campuses in Temecula and Chula Vista. CSUSM is operationally organized around multiple academic colleges and specialized centers, most notably the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center (CICSC), the first such center in California, which advances tribal sovereignty through research, education, and cultural preservation in partnership with 18+ federally recognized tribes.

The institution's core technology and services platform includes the Canvas-based Cougar Courses LMS, Microsoft 365, Zoom, Blackboard Ally for accessibility (supporting WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance), the CSUSM Mobile App with digital campus ID, and an enterprise technology division (IITS) that provides identity management, single sign-on, web services, and academic technology support. Supporting software for academic use includes SAP, MATLAB, SPSS, ArcGIS, Adobe Creative Cloud, Autodesk, and Wolfram Mathematica. Specialized academic offerings span business, nursing, engineering, criminology, the CSU Shiley Haynes Institute of Palliative Care, and a Gold-rated STARS sustainability program.

CSUSM's business model is a hybrid of state appropriations, tuition and fees (with 71% of students receiving financial aid and 58% graduating debt-free), private donations and endowments (including a historic $3M gift from the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation), and research grants from foundations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Henry Luce Foundation, and W.M. Keck Foundation. The university's go-to-market relies on direct-to-consumer admissions marketing, community-led recruitment through tribal partnerships and community colleges, and social mobility positioning emphasizing affordable education and career outcomes, with 8 in 10 graduates remaining in the region.

Name

CSUSM College of Business

Legal name

California State University San Marcos

Website

https://csusm.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

California State University San Marcos is a public CSU-system university serving 17,000+ students across Southern California, recognized for #1 national social mobility ranking and leading Indigenous education through the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Business and Secretarial Schools (61141), Business and Secretarial Schools (611410)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Undergraduate Business Schools (BBA/BSBA Programs) (EDAHAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Graduate business education
• Tribal education programs
• Public university tuition

Headquarters

HQ city

San Marcos

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: State-supported tuition and fees for undergraduate and graduate students, with 71% of students receiving financial aid
2. State Funding: California State University system funding as a public university
3. Private Donations and Endowments: Major endowment from Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation ($3M), Epstein Family Foundation match ($1M), and various foundation grants
4. Research Grants: Funding from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Henry Luce Foundation, Newman's Own Foundation, W.M. Keck Foundation, CSU system initiatives

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CSUSM College of Business is part of California State University San Marcos, a public university offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs, certificates, and continuing education. The institution delivers instruction via Canvas LMS, supports students through a comprehensive accessibility program and mobile campus app, and operates specialized centers including the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center (CICSC) and the CSUSM Sustainability Program. Revenue is generated from tuition, state funding, philanthropic gifts, and research grants.

Product overview

CSUSM is a comprehensive public university offering educational programs across multiple colleges. The institution provides technology-enabled educational services through its IITS division, which supports learning management, accessibility, web services, and academic technology. Notable specialized centers include the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center (CICSC), which focuses on tribal sovereignty research and Native student success. The university operates sustainability programs with STARS Gold certification and provides campus services including digital ID, mobile applications, and various software tools for academic purposes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center (CICSC): A center dedicated to advancing tribal sovereignty through transformational education, groundbreaking research, and cultural preservation, established in 2009 as the first of its kind in California
• CSUSM Sustainability Program
• CSU Shiley Haynes Institute of Palliative Care at CSUSM

Products and services

• Undergraduate and Graduate Degree Programs Bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs across multiple colleges including Business, Nursing, Engineering, Criminology, and other academic majors. Designed for traditional college-age students, transfer students, graduate students, and continuing learners.
• Extended Learning (Continuing Education and Certificates) Extended Learning division providing online and continuing education programs, professional certificates, and credit courses accessible beyond traditional degree pathways.
• California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center (CICSC) Research and cultural center advancing tribal sovereignty through transformational education, groundbreaking research, and cultural preservation. Serves Native students and builds partnerships with Tribal communities across California.
• Campus Sustainability Program University sustainability initiative with STARS Gold rating providing zero waste programs, energy management, sustainable food, green buildings, and inclusive sustainability frameworks.
• CSU Shiley Haynes Institute of Palliative Care at CSUSM Institute focused on palliative care education and training, serving healthcare professionals and students.
• California Indigenous Futures Fund Endowment fund advancing American Indian and Alaska Native student success through the CICSC at CSUSM.
• Transfer Success Programs (ADT and TSP) Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) and Transfer Success Pathway (TSP) partnerships with community colleges including Palomar College, providing smooth credit transfer pathways for students completing bachelor's degrees.

Quantifiable outcome

• 58% of students graduate with zero education loan debt
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration15 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel NationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025Historic $3 million endowment gift to CICSC for Indigenous education, the largest single gift in CSUSM's history, dedicated to advancing success of American Indian and Alaska Native students through the California Indigenous Futures Fund
• Soboba Band of Luiseño IndianscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 April 2019MOU partnership supporting tribal community educational initiatives and student pathways
• Noli Indian SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 May 2017Educational pathway development MOU focused on increasing young American Indians attending college through campus visits and student mentoring
• Sherman Indian High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2017Regular campus visits and student mentoring, educational pipeline and curriculum partnerships
• Santa Ysabel Band of Diegueno IndianscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 January 2007Partnership formed in 2007 to increase number of young American Indians attending college, including MOU signing ceremony
• Southern California Tribal Chairmen's AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in creating Land Acknowledgement Toolkit, used regionally and beyond
• American Indian Recruitment ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for American Indian student recruitment
• North County Higher Education Alliance (NCHEA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional alliance supporting higher education access in North County San Diego
• Native American Research Center for Health (NARCH)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research partnership in health disparities affecting Native communities
• American Indian Chamber of Commerce CA (AICCCAL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChamber partnership supporting Native American business education and career development
• California Indian Museum and Cultural CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood sovereignty toolkit development partnership addressing nutrition security for Tribal communities
• San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNative Studies Model Curriculum development and implementation
• California Indian Legal ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraditional regalia rights advocacy partnership
• Palomar College AIS DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShared resources and joint initiatives between AIS departments

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• San Diego State University: Direct CSU-system peer located in the same San Diego region. SDSU's Fowler College of Business is one of the most established business schools in the CSU system and competes for the same student pool as CSUSM's College of Business, with a deeper employer network and alumni base.
• Cal State Fullerton: Direct CSU-system peer with the largest business school in the CSU system, serving a similarly diverse Southern California population. Direct competition for transfer, first-generation, and working-adult students.
• Cal State Northridge: CSU-system peer located in the Los Angeles area with a similarly diverse student population, including strong first-generation and transfer student pipelines. Comparable scale and mission, with overlapping recruitment in Southern California.
• Cal State San Bernardino: CSU-system peer with a comparable student demographic profile and similar focus on social mobility. Competes for Inland Empire students and shares challenges around state funding dependency and tuition pricing constraints.
• Cal State Long Beach: Direct CSU-system peer with a large College of Business and similarly diverse student body, competing for transfer students and regional employer placement in Southern California. Comparable in mission, scale, and tuition structure.

Regional players

• National University: San Diego-headquartered private nonprofit university with a School of Business and Management. Competes for working-adult, military-affiliated, and transfer students in the same regional market, particularly through flexible online and hybrid formats.
• Point Loma Nazarene University: Private Christian university in San Diego with a Fermanian School of Business. Competes for the same regional student market as CSUSM, particularly for students seeking smaller classes and a faith-based environment, and shares local employer placement networks.
• University of San Diego: Private Catholic university in the same San Diego region with a School of Business. While it charges significantly higher tuition, it competes for the same regional employer pipeline, internships, and top students, and offers an alternative business education option in the San Diego market.

Broad incumbents

• UC Riverside: UC campus in the Inland Empire region with a School of Business. Competes for top California students in the broader region, particularly in tech and logistics, and shares the public-university affordability positioning with CSUSM.
• UC San Diego: Major public research university in the same region with the Rady School of Management. Competes for the highest-achieving students and is the dominant brand for technical and STEM business talent in the San Diego market, particularly in biotech and tech employer pipelines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CSUSM
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/csusm
• Facebookfacebook.com/csusm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/csusmcollegofbusinessadministration
• Instagraminstagram.com/csusm

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CSUSM College of Business