Cerro Coso Community College vs. CSM

Should I go to Cerro Coso Community College or College of San Mateo? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Cerro Coso Community College or CSM is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Skyline College De Anza College Canada College Foothill College SMC City College of San Francisco Orange Coast College Chabot College DVC SRJC Fresno City College Laney College
Cerro Coso Community College vs. College of San Mateo comparison
Cerro Coso Community College College of San Mateo College 3 College 4
College of San Mateo
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 Cerro Coso Community College CSM
Location Ridgecrest, CA San Mateo, CA
Setting Rural Fringe Small City
Enrollment 4,919 7,512
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cerrocoso.edu collegeofsanmateo.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Cerro Coso Community College CSM
Tuition (In State) $1,380 $1,288
Tuition (Out of State) $9,510 $9,408
Room & Board $17,253 $20,858
Avg Net Price $11,826 $6,344
Avg Grant Aid $6,596 $7,086
% Receiving Grant Aid 74% 64%

Admission

 Cerro Coso Community College CSM
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - -
Admitted - -
Acceptance Rate Open Open
Enrolled % Open Open
Avg High School GPA - -
Typical High School Grades - -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores
Application Deadline Aug 20, 2025

Academics

 Cerro Coso Community College CSM
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 21:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (50%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (6%)
  • Health Professions (4%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (19%)
  • Health Professions (17%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (12%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)

Outcomes

 Cerro Coso Community College CSM
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $32,600 $44,800
Making Student Loan Payments - 58%
Median Student Loan Debt N/A $7,000
Median Loan Payment N/A $72

Diversity

 Cerro Coso Community College CSM
% Men 43% 49%
% Women 57% 51%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 46% 28%
% Black 4% 3%
% Hispanic 39% 30%
% Native American 2% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 2%
% Two or More Races 5% 6%
% International 0% 6%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

 Cerro Coso Community College CSM
% In-State 99% 91%
% Out-of-State 1% 0%

Campus

 Cerro Coso Community College CSM
Campus Housing No No
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No No
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • College of San Mateo is larger than than Cerro Coso Community College based on total student enrollment (7,512 students vs. 4,919 students)

Cerro Coso Community College vs. CSM Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cerro Coso Community College or CSM?

  • Cerro Coso Community College is 7.1% more expensive to attend than CSM for in-state tuition ($1,380.00 vs. $1,288.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1.1% higher at Cerro Coso Community College than College of San Mateo ($9,510.00 vs. $9,408.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at College of San Mateo than Cerro Coso Community College ($6,344 vs. $11,826)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cerro Coso Community College are 20.9% lower than costs at College of San Mateo ($17,253 vs. $20,858)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Cerro Coso Community College than College of San Mateo (74% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by College of San Mateo students is 7.4% larger than aid received Cerro Coso Community College ($7,086 vs. $6,596)

Which college is harder to get into, Cerro Coso Community College or CSM? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between CSM or Cerro Coso Community College .

Cerro Coso Community College vs. CSM Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Cerro Coso Community College or CSM? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between CSM and Cerro Coso Community College.

  • Graduates from College of San Mateo earn on average $12,200 more per year than Cerro Coso Community College graduates after ten years. ($44,800 vs. $32,600)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/