College of San Mateo
San Mateo, California · Also known as CSM · Website
$54,172
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$54,172
median earnings, 10 years after starting
College of San Mateo is a public 2-year college in San Mateo, California with 7,977 undergraduates. Its average net price after grants is $536 a year (tuition and fees $1,332 in-state, $11,384 out-of-state). 61% of students finish within 3 years. Former students earn a median $54,172 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $14,695 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$536
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$1,332
Out-of-state $11,384
Admission rate
Open
Completion rate
61%
Within 3 years, US 58%
Median debt
$14,695
About $156 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$54,172
Rank 1,164 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $536
- Tuition in-state
- $1,332
- Tuition out-of-state
- $11,384
- Cost of attendance
- $10,837
- Students with a need-based grant
- 11%
- Students with federal loans
- 0.6%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- -$1,310
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- -$902
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $3,342
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $6,342
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $1,324 in 2015-16 to $1,332 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- Open admission
- Undergraduates
- 7,977
- Part-time students
- 73%
- Women
- 52%
- Students per teacher
- 24
- Completion rate
- 61%
- Retention rate
- 73%
- Highest degree
- Associate's degree
- Programs
- 90
- Other
- Hispanic-serving, Open admission
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 1,164 of 5,094 US colleges and 140 of 494 in California (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | CA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $536 | $20,161 | $7,702 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $1,332 | $8,086 | $4,656 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | - | 76% | 79% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 61% | 64% | 38% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 73% | 80% | 64% | 75% |
| Median debt | $14,695 | $11,537 | $10,417 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $43,803 | $36,048 | $33,563 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $54,172 | $41,472 | $38,555 | $40,813 |
Same kind: US public 2-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 56% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 67% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
90 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Sciences, GeneralOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 154 | Withheld | Withheld | $52,619 | $43,146 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 126 | Withheld | Withheld | $72,390 | $48,733 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesCertificate | Certificate | 95 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Psychology, GeneralOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 66 | Withheld | Withheld | $49,708 | $39,288 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's | Associate's | 51 | $14,715 | Withheld | $144,794 | $80,813 |
| Communication and Media StudiesOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 45 | Withheld | Withheld | $65,120 | $43,243 |
| EconomicsOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 43 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $53,068 |
| MathematicsOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 39 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $59,929 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsAssociate's | Associate's | 37 | Withheld | Withheld | $55,857 | $46,706 |
| Computer ScienceOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 25 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $62,283 |
| Biology, GeneralOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 24 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $44,758 |
| Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming ServicesOnlineCertificate | Certificate | 23 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $26,307 |
| PhysicsOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 23 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $63,321 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 19 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $44,589 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital CommunicationOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 18 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $36,074 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessAssociate's | Associate's | 17 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $40,162 |
| SociologyOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 15 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $44,144 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, GeneralOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 15 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Computer ProgrammingOnlineCertificate | Certificate | 14 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $56,556 |
| Political Science and GovernmentOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 14 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $45,147 |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 13 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $36,134 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessCertificate | Certificate | 12 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsCertificate | Certificate | 12 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsCertificate | Certificate | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Graphic CommunicationsAssociate's | Associate's | 10 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $36,221 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of San Mateo and California on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in California
- Homes: Homes for sale in California
Questions and answers
How much does College of San Mateo cost?
$536 a year is the average net price at College of San Mateo after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $1,332 for in-state students and $11,384 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $10,837. Families earning under $30,000 pay -$1,310 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at College of San Mateo?
College of San Mateo has open admission: it accepts students who meet its basic requirements, such as a high school diploma.
How much do College of San Mateo graduates earn?
$54,172 a year is the median pay of former College of San Mateo students who work, 10 years after they started ($43,803 after 6 years). That ranks 1,164 of 5,094 US colleges and 140 of 494 in California.
How much student debt do College of San Mateo graduates have?
$14,695 is the median federal student loan debt of College of San Mateo graduates, about $156 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 0.6% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at College of San Mateo?
61% of first-time, full-time students at College of San Mateo finish within 3 years. 73% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 2-year colleges is 38%.
What are the most popular majors at College of San Mateo?
Social Sciences, General (154 associate's graduates), Business Administration, Management and Operations (126 associate's graduates), Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (95 certificate graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 90 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.