CSM vs. California Indian Nations College

Comparable Facts

Compare College of San Mateo in San Mateo, CA with California Indian Nations College in Palm Desert, California on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

College of San Mateo is larger than California Indian Nations College based on total student enrollment (9,901 students vs. 154 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• College of San Mateo is located in San Mateo, CA (Small City setting); California Indian Nations College is in Palm Desert, California (Small City setting).
• College of San Mateo is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. California Indian Nations College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: College of San Mateo 24:1; California Indian Nations College 6:1.

CSM vs. California Indian Nations College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, CSM or California Indian Nations College? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at College of San Mateo than California Indian Nations College ($5,831 vs. $17,737).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California Indian Nations College are 34.7% lower than at College of San Mateo ($20,446 vs. $31,288).
• California Indian Nations College is 481.3% more expensive for in-state tuition than CSM (about $6,411 more per year; $7,743.00 vs. $1,332.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 47% higher at CSM than at California Indian Nations College (about $3,641 more per year; $11,384.00 vs. $7,743.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at California Indian Nations College than at College of San Mateo (100% vs. 80%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by California Indian Nations College students is 22.2% larger than aid received by College of San Mateo students ($5,360 vs. $4,386).

CSM vs. California Indian Nations College Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, CSM or California Indian Nations College? Typical SAT and ACT scores (midpoint estimates from the mid-50% ranges in the table above), enrolled-tester score ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between California Indian Nations College and CSM.

• Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: CSM - Open admission; California Indian Nations College - Open admission.

CSM vs. California Indian Nations College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for CSM and California Indian Nations College? Where federal data is available for both schools, the bullets below compare graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt using the same College Scorecard / IPEDS fields as the comparison table. If a metric is missing for one school, that school is noted separately.

• Graduates from College of San Mateo have median earnings of about $44,800 about ten years after starting college (College Scorecard). Comparable earnings data is not available for California Indian Nations College.

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.