Sac City vs. CSM

Comparable Facts

Compare Sacramento City College in Sacramento, CA with College of San Mateo in San Mateo, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Sacramento City College is larger than CSM based on total student enrollment (19,920 students vs. 9,901 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Sacramento City College is located in Sacramento, CA (Large City setting); College of San Mateo is in San Mateo, CA (Small City setting).
• Sacramento City 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: Sacramento City College 26:1; College of San Mateo 24:1.

Sac City vs. CSM Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Sac City 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 College of San Mateo than Sac City ($5,831 vs. $8,624).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Sacramento City College are 29.4% lower than at College of San Mateo ($22,086 vs. $31,288).
• College of San Mateo is 3.4% more expensive for in-state tuition than Sac City (about $44 more per year; $1,332.00 vs. $1,288.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 10.8% higher at Sac City than at College of San Mateo (about $1,232 more per year; $12,616.00 vs. $11,384.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Sacramento City College than at College of San Mateo (90% vs. 80%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Sacramento City College students is 41.2% larger than aid received by College of San Mateo students ($6,192 vs. $4,386).

Sac City vs. CSM Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Sac City 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 Sac City.

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

Sac City vs. CSM Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Sac City 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 $5,800 more per year than Sac City graduates about ten years after starting college ($44,800 vs. $39,000), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, College of San Mateo graduates have a $3,500 lower median loan debt than Sac City graduates ($7,000 vs. $10,500).
• Among borrowers, CSM graduates have an estimated $36 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Sac City graduates ($72 vs. $108).
• More CSM graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Sac City students, three years after graduation. (58% vs. 29%)

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.