CSM vs. CMC

Deciding between College of San Mateo and Copper Mountain Community College? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

College of San Mateo

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

  • Overview

  • Location
  • CSM San Mateo, CA
  • CMC Joshua Tree, CA
  • Setting
  • CSM Small City
  • CMC Distant Rural
  • Total enrollment
  • CSM 9,901
  • CMC 2,019
  • Type
  • CSM Public 2 Year
  • CMC Public 2 Year
  • National Ranking
  • CSM
  • CMC
  • Religious Affiliation
  • CSM -
  • CMC -
  • Status
  • CSM Non-profit
  • CMC Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • CSM
  • CMC

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • CSM $1,332
  • CMC $1,390
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • CSM $11,384
  • CMC $13,570
  • Room & Board
  • CSM $31,288
  • CMC $22,086
  • Average Net Price
  • CSM $5,831
  • CMC $9,827
  • Average Grant Aid
  • CSM $4,386
  • CMC $7,478
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • CSM 80%
  • CMC 93%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • CSM -
  • CMC -
  • Admitted
  • CSM -
  • CMC -
  • Acceptance Rate
  • CSM Open
  • CMC Open
  • Enrolled
  • CSM Open
  • CMC Open
  • Typical SAT score
  • CSM
  • CMC
  • Typical ACT score
  • CSM
  • CMC
  • Average High School GPA
  • CSM -
  • CMC -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • CSM -
  • CMC -
  • Admissions Standards
  • CSM Unavailable
  • CMC Unavailable
  • Applicant Competition
  • CSM
  • CMC
  • ACT Range
  • CSM
  • CMC
  • SAT Range
  • CSM
  • CMC
  • Submit Test Scores
  • CSM Open admission
  • CMC Open admission
  • Application Deadline
  • CSM
  • CMC

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • CSM 24:1
  • CMC 18:1
  • Popular Majors
  • CSM
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (19%)
    • Health Professions (17%)
    • Business (12%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (12%)
    • Social Sciences (10%)
  • CMC
    • Health Professions (30%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (28%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (9%)
    • Business (9%)
    • Social Sciences (6%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • CSM -
  • CMC -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • CSM $44,800
  • CMC $33,000
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • CSM 58%
  • CMC 28%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • CSM $7,000
  • CMC N/A
  • Median Loan Payment
  • CSM $72
  • CMC N/A

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • CSM 48%
  • CMC 36%
  • % Women
  • CSM 52%
  • CMC 64%
  • Racial Diversity
  • CSM Very High
  • CMC High
  • HBCU
  • CSM No
  • CMC No
  • % White
  • CSM 28%
  • CMC 52%
  • % Asian
  • CSM 24%
  • CMC 4%
  • % Black
  • CSM 3%
  • CMC 5%
  • % Hispanic
  • CSM 30%
  • CMC 27%
  • % Native American
  • CSM 0%
  • CMC 1%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • CSM 2%
  • CMC 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • CSM 6%
  • CMC 7%
  • % International
  • CSM 6%
  • CMC 0%
  • % Unknown Race
  • CSM 1%
  • CMC 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • CSM 91%
  • CMC 90%
  • % Out-of-State
  • CSM 0%
  • CMC 0%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • CSM No
  • CMC No
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • CSM No
  • CMC No
  • Meal Plan
  • CSM No
  • CMC No
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • CSM Yes
  • CMC No
  • Daycare Facility
  • CSM Yes
  • CMC No

Comparable Facts

Compare College of San Mateo in San Mateo, CA with Copper Mountain Community College in Joshua Tree, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

College of San Mateo is larger than CMC based on total student enrollment (9,901 students vs. 2,019 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • College of San Mateo is located in San Mateo, CA (Small City setting); Copper Mountain Community College is in Joshua Tree, CA (Distant Rural setting).
  • College of San Mateo is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Copper Mountain Community College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: College of San Mateo 24:1; Copper Mountain Community College 18:1.

CSM vs. CMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, CSM or CMC? 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 CMC ($5,831 vs. $9,827).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Copper Mountain Community College are 29.4% lower than at College of San Mateo ($22,086 vs. $31,288).
  • Copper Mountain Community College is 4.4% more expensive for in-state tuition than CSM (about $58 more per year; $1,390.00 vs. $1,332.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 19.2% higher at CMC than at College of San Mateo (about $2,186 more per year; $13,570.00 vs. $11,384.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Copper Mountain Community College than at College of San Mateo (93% vs. 80%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Copper Mountain Community College students is 70.5% larger than aid received by College of San Mateo students ($7,478 vs. $4,386).

CSM vs. CMC Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, CSM or CMC? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between CMC 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; CMC - Open admission.

CSM vs. CMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for CSM and CMC? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Graduates from College of San Mateo earn a median of about $11,800 more per year than CMC graduates about ten years after starting college ($44,800 vs. $33,000), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • More CSM graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former CMC students, three years after graduation. (58% vs. 28%)

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.