LMC vs. CSM

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

 LMC CSM
Location Pittsburg, CA San Mateo, CA
Setting Midsize Suburban Small City
Enrollment 8,230 9,208
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website losmedanos.edu collegeofsanmateo.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 LMC CSM
Tuition (In State) $1,288 $1,288
Tuition (Out of State) $8,988 $11,340
Room & Board $22,644 $31,288
Avg Net Price $8,413 $6,887
Avg Grant Aid $5,200 $5,157
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 90%

Admission

 LMC 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 9, 2025

Academics

 LMC CSM
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 25:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (37%)
  • Health Professions (21%)
  • Mechanic and Repair Technologies (11%)
  • Work and Family Studies (8%)
  • Business (7%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (19%)
  • Health Professions (17%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (12%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)

Outcomes

 LMC CSM
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,700 $44,800
Making Student Loan Payments 43% 58%
Median Student Loan Debt N/A $7,000
Median Loan Payment N/A $72

Diversity

 LMC CSM
% Men 6% 9%
% Women 8% 11%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 28% 28%
% Black 15% 3%
% Hispanic 38% 30%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 2%
% Two or More Races 8% 6%
% International 0% 6%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 LMC CSM
% In-State 97% 90%
% Out-of-State 0% 0%

Campus

 LMC 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

  • College of San Mateo is larger than than LMC based on total student enrollment (9,208 students vs. 8,230 students)

LMC vs. CSM Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, LMC or CSM?

  • Los Medanos College and CSM cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($1,288.00 vs. $1,288.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 26.2% higher at CSM than Los Medanos College ($11,340.00 vs. $8,988.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at College of San Mateo than LMC ($6,887 vs. $8,413)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Los Medanos College are 38.2% lower than costs at College of San Mateo ($22,644 vs. $31,288)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at College of San Mateo than Los Medanos College (90% vs. 80%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Los Medanos College students is 0.8% larger than aid received College of San Mateo ($5,200 vs. $5,157)

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

LMC vs. CSM Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, LMC 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 LMC.

  • Graduates from College of San Mateo earn on average $4,100 more per year than LMC graduates after ten years. ($44,800 vs. $40,700)
  • More CSM graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former LMC students, three years after graduation. (58% vs. 43%)

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