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College of San Mateo

College of San Mateo

San Mateo, CA · City · 7,977 students
WebsiteScorecard
Application deadlines: Check the admissions site
$536
Average net priceYour net price
In-state · 2023-24
$0
$0
48–75
75–110
110+
By household income — tap a bar
59%
Graduation rate
Entered fall 2017 & 2018
31% typical
$54,172
Earnings 10 years on
Measured 2020 & 2021
$40,902 typical
Open admission
Acceptance rate
78% typical · not scored
Accredited by Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
About

Perched in the hills overlooking the San Francisco Bay, College of San Mateo (CSM) is a leading California community college celebrated for its exceptionally high transfer rates to top-tier four-year institutions, particularly the University of California system. The college is academically renowned for its rigorous programs in nursing, computer science, business administration, and digital media, which prepare students for both immediate workforce entry and competitive university transfers. Campus culture is driven by a diverse, ambitious, and career-focused student body that benefits from close ties to nearby Silicon Valley tech and healthcare industries. Setting CSM apart is its modern, state-of-the-art hilltop campus, complete with panoramic Bay views and distinctive scientific facilities such as a full-dome planetarium and a rooftop observatory.

Wikipedia:College of San Mateo (CSM) is a public community college in San Mateo, California. It is part of the San Mateo County Community College District. College of San Mateo is located at the northern corridor of Silicon Valley and situated on a 153-acre site in the San Mateo hills. The college currently serves approximately 15,000 day, evening and weekend students. The college offers 69 A.A./A.S. degree majors and 81 certificate programs.

Location
San Mateo, CA, 94402-3784 · City campus
✈
Nearest airport from college
SFO · San Francisco
6 mi away
Open in Google Maps
Cost & aid
Cost of attendance
In-stateOut-of-state
Tuition & fees$1,332$11,384
Books & supplies$1,971$1,971
Cost of attendance$10,837$47,587
Average net price$536Not published
Out-of-state prices
Tuition & fees$11,384
In-state: $1,332
Books & supplies$1,971
Cost of attendance$47,587
In-state: $10,837
Average net priceNot published
In-state: $536
How it’s made up · out-of-state, 2025-26
College of San Mateo’s own figures for 2025-2026, newer than the 2024-25 federal figures above, so the amounts differ.
Tuition$10,304
Fees$1,332
Housing$21,410
Food$6,585
Books & supplies$1,971
Personal expenses$3,996
Transportation$1,989
Total published by the school$47,587
Net price by family income · in-state students, 2023-24
$0–30k
$-1,310
$30–48k
$-902
$48–75k
$3,342
$75–110k
$6,342
Outcomes
Completion
Within 6 yrs
59%
Entered 2017–18
8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students
55% graduated · 12% transferred · 1% still enrolled · 33% left or unknown
Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021
6 yrs after entry$43,803
10 yrs after entry$54,172
Debt
Median at graduation$14,695
Monthly payment$156
Middle 50% owe$3.5k–$9.6k
90th percentile$14,475
Green marks a figure above the typical Associate's — high transfer: 31% graduate within 6 yrs, $40,902 earned 10 yrs after entry.
Admissions

No admissions data available for this college.

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Essay prompts

If College of San Mateo asks for supplemental essays, the prompts are in the school's application.

Student Body
Gender
Men 48%Women 52%
Who enrolls
Faculty ratio
24 : 1
Pell grant
11%
First-gen
51%
Family income
$20,282
Independent
39%
Veterans
1%
Age at entry
23.0
Part-time
73%
Race & ethnicity
White
23%
Hispanic
35%
Black
3%
Asian
23%
Two or more
6%
Non-resident
4%
NH/PI
2%
Unknown
3%
Varsity sports
CCCAA · EADA 2024-25
  • Baseball
    Men's
  • Basketball
    Men's · Women's
  • Beach Volleyball
    Women's
  • Cross Country
    Men's · Women's
  • Football
    Men's
  • Softball
    Women's
  • Swimming
    Men's · Women's
  • Track and Field (Outdoor)
    Men's · Women's
  • Volleyball
    Women's
  • Water Polo
    Men's · Women's
Institutional
Resources
Full-time faculty
41%
Faculty salary
$13,450/mo
Teaching spend
$6,125
per student
Federal loans
1%
Classification
Carnegie type
Associate's — high transfer
Undergraduate profile
Two-year, mostly part-time

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