IVC vs. CSM

Comparable Facts

Compare Imperial Valley College in Imperial, 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 IVC based on total student enrollment (9,901 students vs. 8,873 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Imperial Valley College is located in Imperial, CA (Rural Fringe setting); College of San Mateo is in San Mateo, CA (Small City setting).
• Imperial Valley 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: Imperial Valley College 31:1; College of San Mateo 24:1.

IVC vs. CSM Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, IVC 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 Imperial Valley College than CSM ($1,890 vs. $5,831).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Imperial Valley College are 70.7% lower than at College of San Mateo ($9,153 vs. $31,288).
• College of San Mateo is 16% more expensive for in-state tuition than IVC (about $184 more per year; $1,332.00 vs. $1,148.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 28.6% higher at CSM than at Imperial Valley College (about $2,532 more per year; $11,384.00 vs. $8,852.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Imperial Valley College than at College of San Mateo (91% vs. 80%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Imperial Valley College students is 126.5% larger than aid received by College of San Mateo students ($9,933 vs. $4,386).

IVC vs. CSM Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, IVC 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 IVC.

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

IVC vs. CSM Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for IVC 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 $16,000 more per year than IVC graduates about ten years after starting college ($44,800 vs. $28,800), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.

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.