RHC vs. CSM

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

RHC CSM
Location Whittier, CA San Mateo, CA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 16,139 7,512
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website riohondo.edu collegeofsanmateo.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

RHC CSM
Tuition (In State) $1,316 $1,288
Tuition (Out of State) $9,812 $9,408
Room & Board $17,782 $20,858
Avg Net Price $6,099 $6,344
Avg Grant Aid $5,037 $7,086
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 64%

Admission

RHC 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

RHC CSM
Student to Faculty Ratio 29:1 21:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (23%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (21%)
  • Work and Family Studies (19%)
  • Health Professions (14%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (19%)
  • Health Professions (17%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (12%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)

Outcomes

RHC CSM
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $38,500 $44,800
Making Student Loan Payments 34% 58%
Median Student Loan Debt N/A $7,000
Median Loan Payment N/A $72

Diversity

RHC CSM
% Men 58% 49%
% Women 42% 51%
Racial Diversity Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 8% 28%
% Black 2% 3%
% Hispanic 77% 30%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 2%
% Two or More Races 1% 6%
% International 0% 6%
% Unknown Race 5% 1%

Students

RHC CSM
% In-State 99% 91%
% Out-of-State 0% 0%

Campus

RHC 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

  • Rio Hondo College is larger than than CSM based on total student enrollment (16,139 students vs. 7,512 students)

RHC vs. CSM Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, RHC or CSM?

  • Rio Hondo College is 2.2% more expensive to attend than CSM for in-state tuition ($1,316.00 vs. $1,288.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 4.3% higher at RHC than College of San Mateo ($9,812.00 vs. $9,408.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Rio Hondo College than CSM ($6,099 vs. $6,344)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rio Hondo College are 17.3% lower than costs at College of San Mateo ($17,782 vs. $20,858)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Rio Hondo College than College of San Mateo (80% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by College of San Mateo students is 40.7% larger than aid received Rio Hondo College ($7,086 vs. $5,037)

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

RHC vs. CSM Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, RHC 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 RHC.

  • Graduates from College of San Mateo earn on average $6,300 more per year than RHC graduates after ten years. ($44,800 vs. $38,500)
  • More CSM graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former RHC students, three years after graduation. (58% vs. 34%)

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