CSM vs. SMC

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

 CSM SMC
Location San Mateo, CA Santa Monica, CA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 7,512 22,375
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website collegeofsanmateo.edu smc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 CSM SMC
Tuition (In State) $1,288 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $9,408 $9,048
Room & Board $20,858 $11,556
Avg Net Price $6,344 $6,656
Avg Grant Aid $7,086 $4,650
% Receiving Grant Aid 64% 64%

Admission

 CSM SMC
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 30, 2025

Academics

 CSM SMC
Student to Faculty Ratio 21:1 26:1
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 (69%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (4%)

Outcomes

 CSM SMC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $44,800 $39,000
Making Student Loan Payments 58% 45%
Median Student Loan Debt $7,000 $6,500
Median Loan Payment $72 $67

Diversity

 CSM SMC
% Men 49% 44%
% Women 51% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 28% 26%
% Black 3% 9%
% Hispanic 30% 38%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 2% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 4%
% International 6% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 CSM SMC
% In-State 91% 76%
% Out-of-State 0% 0%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Santa Monica College is larger than than CSM based on total student enrollment (22,375 students vs. 7,512 students)

CSM vs. SMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, CSM or SMC?

  • College of San Mateo is 16.7% more expensive to attend than SMC for in-state tuition ($1,288.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 4% higher at CSM than Santa Monica College ($9,408.00 vs. $9,048.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at College of San Mateo than SMC ($6,344 vs. $6,656)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Monica College are 80.5% lower than costs at College of San Mateo ($11,556 vs. $20,858)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at College of San Mateo as Santa Monica College (64% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by College of San Mateo students is 52.4% larger than aid received Santa Monica College ($7,086 vs. $4,650)

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

CSM vs. SMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, CSM or SMC? 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 SMC and CSM.

  • Graduates from College of San Mateo earn on average $5,800 more per year than SMC graduates after ten years. ($44,800 vs. $39,000)
  • Santa Monica College students graduate with a $500 lower median federal student loan debt than CSM graduates. ($6,500 vs. $7,000)
  • SMC graduates are paying $5 less per month on federal student loans than CSM graduates. ($67 vs. $72)
  • More CSM graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SMC students, three years after graduation. (58% vs. 45%)

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