CSM vs. Las Positas College

Should I go to College of San Mateo or Las Positas College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if CSM or Las Positas College 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.
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College of San Mateo vs. Las Positas College comparison
College of San Mateo Las Positas College College 3 College 4
College of San Mateo
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Overview

 CSM Las Positas College
Location San Mateo, CA Livermore, CA
Setting Small City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 7,512 6,724
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website collegeofsanmateo.edu laspositascollege.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 CSM Las Positas College
Tuition (In State) $1,288 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $9,408 $8,112
Room & Board $20,858 $23,076
Avg Net Price $6,344 $5,342
Avg Grant Aid $7,086 $5,959
% Receiving Grant Aid 64% 56%

Admission

 CSM Las Positas College
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 1, 2025

Academics

 CSM Las Positas College
Student to Faculty Ratio 21:1 20:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (19%)
  • Health Professions (17%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (12%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (49%)
  • Work and Family Studies (14%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (5%)
  • General Studies (4%)

Outcomes

 CSM Las Positas College
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $44,800 $41,700
Making Student Loan Payments 58% 41%
Median Student Loan Debt $7,000 N/A
Median Loan Payment $72 N/A

Diversity

 CSM Las Positas College
% Men 49% 47%
% Women 51% 53%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 28% 41%
% Black 3% 5%
% Hispanic 30% 29%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 2% 1%
% Two or More Races 6% 6%
% International 6% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 CSM Las Positas College
% In-State 91% 95%
% Out-of-State 0% 0%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • College of San Mateo is larger than than Las Positas College based on total student enrollment (7,512 students vs. 6,724 students)

CSM vs. Las Positas College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, CSM or Las Positas College?

  • College of San Mateo is 16.7% more expensive to attend than Las Positas College for in-state tuition ($1,288.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 16% higher at CSM than Las Positas College ($9,408.00 vs. $8,112.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Las Positas College than CSM ($5,342 vs. $6,344)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at College of San Mateo are 10.6% lower than costs at Las Positas College ($20,858 vs. $23,076)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at College of San Mateo than Las Positas College (64% vs. 56%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by College of San Mateo students is 18.9% larger than aid received Las Positas College ($7,086 vs. $5,959)

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

CSM vs. Las Positas College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, CSM or Las Positas College? 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 Las Positas College and CSM.

  • Graduates from College of San Mateo earn on average $3,100 more per year than Las Positas College graduates after ten years. ($44,800 vs. $41,700)
  • More CSM graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Las Positas College students, three years after graduation. (58% vs. 41%)

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