SAC vs. CSM

Deciding between Santa Ana College and College of San Mateo? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

College of San Mateo

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • SAC Santa Ana, CA
  • CSM San Mateo, CA
  • Setting
  • SAC Large City
  • CSM Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • SAC 27,248
  • CSM 9,901
  • Type
  • SAC Public 2 Year
  • CSM Public 2 Year
  • National Ranking
  • SAC
  • CSM
  • Religious Affiliation
  • SAC -
  • CSM -
  • Status
  • SAC Non-profit
  • CSM Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • SAC
  • CSM

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • SAC $1,180
  • CSM $1,332
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • SAC $10,756
  • CSM $11,384
  • Room & Board
  • SAC $22,126
  • CSM $31,288
  • Average Net Price
  • SAC $5,894
  • CSM $5,831
  • Average Grant Aid
  • SAC $6,768
  • CSM $4,386
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • SAC 89%
  • CSM 80%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • SAC -
  • CSM -
  • Admitted
  • SAC -
  • CSM -
  • Acceptance Rate
  • SAC Open
  • CSM Open
  • Enrolled
  • SAC Open
  • CSM Open
  • Typical SAT score
  • SAC
  • CSM
  • Typical ACT score
  • SAC
  • CSM
  • Average High School GPA
  • SAC -
  • CSM -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • SAC -
  • CSM -
  • Admissions Standards
  • SAC Unavailable
  • CSM Unavailable
  • Applicant Competition
  • SAC
  • CSM
  • ACT Range
  • SAC
  • CSM
  • SAT Range
  • SAC
  • CSM
  • Submit Test Scores
  • SAC Open admission
  • CSM Open admission
  • Application Deadline
  • SAC Apr 1, 2027
  • CSM

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • SAC 33:1
  • CSM 24:1
  • Popular Majors
  • SAC
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (56%)
    • Health Professions (12%)
    • Business (10%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (7%)
    • Work and Family Studies (2%)
  • CSM
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (19%)
    • Health Professions (17%)
    • Business (12%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (12%)
    • Social Sciences (10%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • SAC -
  • CSM -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • SAC $37,500
  • CSM $44,800
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • SAC 47%
  • CSM 58%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • SAC $7,500
  • CSM $7,000
  • Median Loan Payment
  • SAC $77
  • CSM $72

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • SAC 58%
  • CSM 48%
  • % Women
  • SAC 42%
  • CSM 52%
  • Racial Diversity
  • SAC High
  • CSM Very High
  • HBCU
  • SAC No
  • CSM No
  • % White
  • SAC 21%
  • CSM 28%
  • % Asian
  • SAC 8%
  • CSM 24%
  • % Black
  • SAC 1%
  • CSM 3%
  • % Hispanic
  • SAC 50%
  • CSM 30%
  • % Native American
  • SAC 0%
  • CSM 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • SAC 0%
  • CSM 2%
  • % Two or More Races
  • SAC 1%
  • CSM 6%
  • % International
  • SAC 1%
  • CSM 6%
  • % Unknown Race
  • SAC 15%
  • CSM 1%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • SAC 96%
  • CSM 91%
  • % Out-of-State
  • SAC 0%
  • CSM 0%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • SAC No
  • CSM No
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • SAC No
  • CSM No
  • Meal Plan
  • SAC No
  • CSM No
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • SAC Yes
  • CSM Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • SAC Yes
  • CSM Yes

Comparable Facts

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

Santa Ana College is larger than CSM based on total student enrollment (27,248 students vs. 9,901 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Santa Ana College is located in Santa Ana, CA (Large City setting); College of San Mateo is in San Mateo, CA (Small City setting).
  • Santa Ana 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: Santa Ana College 33:1; College of San Mateo 24:1.

SAC vs. CSM Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SAC 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 ($5,831 vs. $5,894).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Ana College are 29.3% lower than at College of San Mateo ($22,126 vs. $31,288).
  • College of San Mateo is 12.9% more expensive for in-state tuition than SAC (about $152 more per year; $1,332.00 vs. $1,180.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 5.8% higher at CSM than at Santa Ana College (about $628 more per year; $11,384.00 vs. $10,756.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Santa Ana College than at College of San Mateo (89% vs. 80%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Santa Ana College students is 54.3% larger than aid received by College of San Mateo students ($6,768 vs. $4,386).

SAC vs. CSM Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, SAC 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.

  • Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: SAC - Open admission; CSM - Open admission.
  • Typical fall application deadline: SAC Apr 1, 2027.

SAC vs. CSM Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for SAC 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 $7,300 more per year than SAC graduates about ten years after starting college ($44,800 vs. $37,500), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, College of San Mateo graduates have a $500 lower median loan debt than SAC graduates ($7,000 vs. $7,500).
  • Among borrowers, CSM graduates have an estimated $5 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than SAC graduates ($72 vs. $77).
  • More CSM graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SAC students, three years after graduation. (58% vs. 47%)

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.