CCC vs. CSM

Deciding between Contra Costa College and College of San Mateo? 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

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • CCC San Pablo, CA
  • CSM San Mateo, CA
  • Setting
  • CCC Large Suburban
  • CSM Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • CCC 6,538
  • CSM 9,901
  • Type
  • CCC Public 2 Year
  • CSM Public 2 Year
  • National Ranking
  • CCC
  • CSM
  • Religious Affiliation
  • CCC -
  • CSM -
  • Status
  • CCC Non-profit
  • CSM Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • CCC
  • CSM

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • CCC $1,312
  • CSM $1,332
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • CCC $10,320
  • CSM $11,384
  • Room & Board
  • CCC $23,238
  • CSM $31,288
  • Average Net Price
  • CCC $11,384
  • CSM $5,831
  • Average Grant Aid
  • CCC $5,652
  • CSM $4,386
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • CCC 84%
  • CSM 80%

  • Admissions

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

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • CCC 22:1
  • CSM 24:1
  • Popular Majors
  • CCC
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (22%)
    • Health Professions (15%)
    • General Studies (11%)
    • Business (10%)
    • Work and Family Studies (9%)
  • CSM
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (19%)
    • Health Professions (17%)
    • Business (12%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (12%)
    • Social Sciences (10%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • CCC -
  • CSM -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • CCC $37,000
  • CSM $44,800
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • CCC 28%
  • CSM 58%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • CCC N/A
  • CSM $7,000
  • Median Loan Payment
  • CCC N/A
  • CSM $72

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • CCC 40%
  • CSM 48%
  • % Women
  • CCC 60%
  • CSM 52%
  • Racial Diversity
  • CCC Very High
  • CSM Very High
  • HBCU
  • CCC No
  • CSM No
  • % White
  • CCC 10%
  • CSM 28%
  • % Asian
  • CCC 19%
  • CSM 24%
  • % Black
  • CCC 21%
  • CSM 3%
  • % Hispanic
  • CCC 39%
  • CSM 30%
  • % Native American
  • CCC 0%
  • CSM 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • CCC 1%
  • CSM 2%
  • % Two or More Races
  • CCC 6%
  • CSM 6%
  • % International
  • CCC 3%
  • CSM 6%
  • % Unknown Race
  • CCC 1%
  • CSM 1%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • CCC 92%
  • CSM 91%
  • % Out-of-State
  • CCC 0%
  • CSM 0%

  • Campus

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

Comparable Facts

Compare Contra Costa College in San Pablo, CA with College of San Mateo in San Mateo, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

College of San Mateo is larger than CCC based on total student enrollment (9,901 students vs. 6,538 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Contra Costa College is located in San Pablo, CA (Large Suburban setting); College of San Mateo is in San Mateo, CA (Small City setting).
  • Contra Costa College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. College of San Mateo is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Contra Costa College 22:1; College of San Mateo 24:1.

CCC vs. CSM Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, CCC or CSM? 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 CCC ($5,831 vs. $11,384).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Contra Costa College are 25.7% lower than at College of San Mateo ($23,238 vs. $31,288).
  • College of San Mateo is 1.5% more expensive for in-state tuition than CCC (about $20 more per year; $1,332.00 vs. $1,312.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 10.3% higher at CSM than at Contra Costa College (about $1,064 more per year; $11,384.00 vs. $10,320.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Contra Costa College than at College of San Mateo (84% vs. 80%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Contra Costa College students is 28.9% larger than aid received by College of San Mateo students ($5,652 vs. $4,386).

CCC vs. CSM Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, CCC or CSM? 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 CSM and CCC.

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

CCC vs. CSM Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for CCC and CSM? 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 $7,800 more per year than CCC graduates about ten years after starting college ($44,800 vs. $37,000), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • More CSM graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former CCC 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.