ECC vs. CSM

Should I go to El Camino Community College District or College of San Mateo? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if ECC or CSM 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools
El Camino Community College District vs. College of San Mateo comparison
El Camino Community College District College of San Mateo College 3 College 4
El Camino Community College District College of San Mateo
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

ECC CSM
Location Torrance, CA San Mateo, CA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 19,944 7,512
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website elcamino.edu collegeofsanmateo.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

ECC CSM
Tuition (In State) $1,104 $1,288
Tuition (Out of State) $7,944 $9,408
Room & Board $17,784 $20,858
Avg Net Price $6,090 $6,344
Avg Grant Aid $8,529 $7,086
% Receiving Grant Aid 70% 64%

Admission

ECC CSM
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 27, 2025

Academics

ECC CSM
Student to Faculty Ratio 26:1 21:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (35%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)
  • Engineering Technology (5%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (19%)
  • Health Professions (17%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (12%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)

Outcomes

ECC CSM
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $36,400 $44,800
Making Student Loan Payments 25% 58%
Median Student Loan Debt N/A $7,000
Median Loan Payment N/A $72

Diversity

ECC CSM
% Men 47% 49%
% Women 53% 51%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 13% 28%
% Black 14% 3%
% Hispanic 51% 30%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 2%
% Two or More Races 5% 6%
% International 3% 6%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

ECC CSM
% In-State 92% 91%
% Out-of-State 0% 0%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • El Camino Community College District is larger than than CSM based on total student enrollment (19,944 students vs. 7,512 students)

ECC vs. CSM Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ECC or CSM?

  • College of San Mateo is 16.7% more expensive to attend than ECC for in-state tuition ($1,288.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 18.4% higher at CSM than El Camino Community College District ($9,408.00 vs. $7,944.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at El Camino Community College District than CSM ($6,090 vs. $6,344)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at El Camino Community College District are 17.3% lower than costs at College of San Mateo ($17,784 vs. $20,858)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at El Camino Community College District than College of San Mateo (70% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by El Camino Community College District students is 20.4% larger than aid received College of San Mateo ($8,529 vs. $7,086)

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

ECC vs. CSM Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • Graduates from College of San Mateo earn on average $8,400 more per year than ECC graduates after ten years. ($44,800 vs. $36,400)
  • More CSM graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former ECC students, three years after graduation. (58% vs. 25%)

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