Pierce College vs. CSM

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

 Pierce College CSM
Location Woodland Hills, CA San Mateo, CA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 15,372 7,512
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website piercecollege.edu collegeofsanmateo.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Pierce College CSM
Tuition (In State) $1,196 $1,288
Tuition (Out of State) $9,828 $9,408
Room & Board $17,784 $20,858
Avg Net Price $13,422 $6,344
Avg Grant Aid $7,154 $7,086
% Receiving Grant Aid 70% 64%

Admission

 Pierce College 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 20, 2025

Academics

 Pierce College CSM
Student to Faculty Ratio 27:1 21:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (60%)
  • Work and Family Studies (9%)
  • Health Professions (6%)
  • General Studies (5%)
  • Mechanic and Repair Technologies (5%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (19%)
  • Health Professions (17%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (12%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)

Outcomes

 Pierce College CSM
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,800 $44,800
Making Student Loan Payments 33% 58%
Median Student Loan Debt $10,500 $7,000
Median Loan Payment $108 $72

Diversity

 Pierce College CSM
% Men 44% 49%
% Women 56% 51%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 29% 28%
% Black 6% 3%
% Hispanic 47% 30%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 2%
% Two or More Races 3% 6%
% International 1% 6%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

 Pierce College CSM
% In-State 94% 91%
% Out-of-State 0% 0%

Campus

 Pierce College 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

  • Los Angeles Pierce College is larger than than CSM based on total student enrollment (15,372 students vs. 7,512 students)

Pierce College vs. CSM Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Pierce College or CSM?

  • College of San Mateo is 7.7% more expensive to attend than Pierce College for in-state tuition ($1,288.00 vs. $1,196.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 4.5% higher at Pierce College than College of San Mateo ($9,828.00 vs. $9,408.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at College of San Mateo than Pierce College ($6,344 vs. $13,422)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Los Angeles Pierce College are 17.3% lower than costs at College of San Mateo ($17,784 vs. $20,858)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Los Angeles Pierce College than College of San Mateo (70% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Los Angeles Pierce College students is 1% larger than aid received College of San Mateo ($7,154 vs. $7,086)

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

Pierce College vs. CSM Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Pierce College 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 Pierce College.

  • Graduates from College of San Mateo earn on average $5,000 more per year than Pierce College graduates after ten years. ($44,800 vs. $39,800)
  • College of San Mateo students graduate with a $3,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Pierce College graduates. ($7,000 vs. $10,500)
  • CSM graduates are paying $36 less per month on federal student loans than Pierce College graduates. ($72 vs. $108)
  • More CSM graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Pierce College students, three years after graduation. (58% vs. 33%)

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