San Jose City College vs. CSM

Comparable Facts

Compare San Jose City College in San Jose, 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 San Jose City College based on total student enrollment (9,901 students vs. 8,609 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

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

San Jose City College vs. CSM Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, San Jose City College 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 San Jose City College ($5,831 vs. $19,585).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at San Jose City College are 27.6% lower than at College of San Mateo ($22,658 vs. $31,288).
• San Jose City College is 2.6% more expensive for in-state tuition than CSM (about $34 more per year; $1,366.00 vs. $1,332.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 4.7% higher at San Jose City College than at College of San Mateo (about $538 more per year; $11,922.00 vs. $11,384.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at San Jose City College than at College of San Mateo (85% vs. 80%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by San Jose City College students is 30.2% larger than aid received by College of San Mateo students ($5,712 vs. $4,386).

San Jose City College vs. CSM Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, San Jose City College 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 San Jose City College.

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

San Jose City College vs. CSM Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for San Jose City College 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 $10,600 more per year than San Jose City College graduates about ten years after starting college ($44,800 vs. $34,200), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, San Jose City College graduates have a $1,750 lower median loan debt than CSM graduates ($5,250 vs. $7,000).
• Among borrowers, San Jose City College graduates have an estimated $18 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than CSM graduates ($54 vs. $72).
• More CSM graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former San Jose City College students, three years after graduation. (58% vs. 36%)

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.