College of San Mateo

What College of San Mateo does

College of San Mateo is a public two-year community college located at 1700 W. Hillsdale Boulevard in San Mateo, California, founded in 1922 and operating under the San Mateo County Community College District alongside Cañada College and Skyline College. The institution delivers associate degrees, Associate Degrees for Transfer to CSU/UC institutions, career technical education certificates, workforce development, and continuing education across five Academic & Career Communities (Arts & Media; Business & Public Service; Explorers; Health & Wellness; Language Arts & Social Sciences; Science & Engineering) and 100+ programs. It holds dual federal designations as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI), runs 18 intercollegiate athletic programs under the Bulldogs brand, and serves a student base that includes recent high school graduates, dual-enrollment K-12 students, international F-1 visa students, veterans, and equity populations including undocumented and foster youth.

The institution's technology stack is built entirely on standard district-shared third-party platforms — Canvas LMS for course delivery, WebSMART for registration and student records, and OneLogin single sign-on as the student portal — with no disclosed proprietary technology. The campus spans 30+ buildings including a Science Building with planetarium and rooftop observatory, a Health & Wellness Center operated as a certified Family PACT site with a 24/7 wellness vending machine, and a satellite CSM Coastside site in Half Moon Bay. Student-support services extend beyond academics into Personal Counseling (offered in English, Spanish, Mandarin, and Japanese with 24/7 TimelyCare virtual coverage), CSM CARES crisis intervention, SparkPoint basic-needs assistance, EOPS, Pride Center, Undocumented Community Center, and Veterans Services.

Commercially, CSM is not a venture-backed enterprise. Its operating funds derive principally from California community-college state apportionment and local property taxes via the SMCCCD district, with student enrollment fees waived for all students under California SB 893. Auxiliary revenue comes from the Bulldog Bookstore, facility rentals, community-education non-credit programming, and athletic events. The marketing organization — Community Relations & Marketing — runs an integrated top-of-funnel strategy across collegeofsanmateo.edu, social platforms (LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, X), weekly email newsletters, on-campus events, The College Tour video series, K-12 outreach, and CSM Coastside community programming, with a Welcome Center funneling prospective students through assessment, orientation, counseling, and priority registration under the Student Success and Support Program.

Name

College of San Mateo

Legal name

College of San Mateo

Website

https://collegeofsanmateo.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1922

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

College of San Mateo is a tuition-free public community college in San Mateo County, California, serving recent high school graduates, dual-enrollment K-12 students, international F-1 students, veterans, and equity populations through associate degrees, transfer pathways, and career-technical certificates on its main campus and CSM Coastside satellite.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Junior Colleges (61121), Junior Colleges (6112)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Community Colleges (EDAHADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Junior Colleges (Associate-Degree Granting) (EDAHADAC), Transfer/University-Parallel Community Colleges (EDAHADAF), Dual Enrollment / Early College Programs (via Community Colleges) (EDAHADAH)

Keywords

• Community college education
• Associate degree programs
• Career technical education
• University transfer pathways
• Student support services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Mateo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. State Funding (California Community Colleges): As a public community college in the San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD), CSM receives the majority of its operating revenue from California state community college apportionment and categorical funding. These funds support instruction, student services, and institutional operations.
2. Student Enrollment Fees: Per California legislation (SB 893), enrollment fees are currently waived, making CSM free for students. Prior to fee waiver, students paid per-unit enrollment fees, which constituted a portion of operating revenue.
3. Financial Aid Administration: CSM administers federal and state financial aid programs (Pell Grants, Cal Grants, BOG Fee Waivers) on behalf of students, with a portion of administrative cost allowances supporting institutional operations.
4. Auxiliary Services (Bookstore, Facility Rentals, Community Education): The college generates ancillary revenue through the Bulldog Bookstore, facility rental agreements, community education non-credit programming, and athletics event operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Two-year public community college providing associate degrees (including Associate Degrees for Transfer to UC/CSU), career technical education certificates, and lifelong learning programs across 5 academic divisions to residents of San Mateo County. Tuition is waived under California's SB 893 Free College program. The college delivers academic instruction, health and wellness services, counseling, basic-needs support, and student success programming, holding dual HSI and AANAPISI federal designations.

Product overview

College of San Mateo is a community college offering educational programs and student support services. The institution provides a range of student services including Health Services/Wellness Center for clinical care, Personal Counseling for mental health support, and the CSM CARES Team for crisis intervention. Educational technology includes Canvas LMS for course delivery and WebSMART student portal for academic management. Students access systems through OneLogin SSO, and can use TimelyCare for 24/7 mental health support. The college operates a Coastside satellite campus and maintains a campus-wide event calendar system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Associate Degree Programs Two-year Associate of Arts (AA) and Associate of Science (AS) degree programs for students seeking foundational higher education credentials.
• Associate Degrees for Transfer (ADT) Associate degrees designed for guaranteed transfer into University of California and California State University systems.
• Certificate Programs (CTE) Career technical education certificate programs providing workforce-ready skills for direct entry into specific occupations.
• Health Services / Wellness Center On-campus clinic providing primary medical care, physician services, and nurse practitioner services to enrolled students.
• Personal Counseling & Wellness Services Mental health counseling and wellness support services for enrolled students.
• CSM CARES Team Campus crisis-intervention and student support team providing outreach for students experiencing distress or basic-needs challenges.
• TimelyCare Virtual Mental Health 24/7 virtual mental health and medical care platform providing students access to remote counseling and telehealth services.
• Distance Education / Online Learning Online and hybrid course delivery enabling students to complete associate degree and certificate coursework remotely.
• CSM Coastside (Half Moon Bay Campus) Satellite campus location offering CSM courses and student services to residents of the San Mateo County coastside region.
• Athletics Program Intercollegiate athletics program offering 18 NCAA sports for student-athletes.
• Wellness Vending Machine Free on-campus vending machine distributing health and wellness products to students at no cost.
• High School Enrollment Programs (Dual Enrollment) Concurrent enrollment program allowing high school students to earn college credit while completing secondary education.
• International Education Program Program supporting international students enrolling at CSM, including F-1 visa services and cultural integration support.
• Veterans Services Specialized support services for military-affiliated and veteran students, including GI Bill navigation and benefits coordination.
• Extended Opportunity Programs & Services (EOPS) Equity-focused support program serving low-income and educationally disadvantaged students with counseling, books, and financial assistance.
• Promise Scholars Program Scholarship and support program providing tuition-free attendance and academic support to eligible incoming students.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free enrollment eliminates financial barrier to postsecondary education for all students
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollege of San Mateo is one of three colleges governed by the San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD). The district also includes Cañada College (Redwood City) and Skyline College (San Bruno). The district provides shared administrative functions including HR, finance, IT, and district-wide policies. CSM shares district infrastructure including OneLogin, WebSMART, Canvas LMS, and Public Safety services.
• California Community Colleges Chancellor's OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSM operates under the regulatory and funding authority of the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office. The Chancellor's Office sets academic standards, manages apportionment funding, oversees accreditation, and administers statewide initiatives including the Student Equity and Achievement Program (SEAP), CalPASS Plus, and the Free College program (SB 893).
• Family PACT (California Family Planning Access Care and Treatment)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSM Wellness Center is a certified Family PACT site, offering free family planning services to qualifying students including birth control, emergency contraception, STI screening/treatment, pregnancy tests, and pap smears. Family PACT is administered by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). Students qualifying under income guidelines (≤200% federal poverty level) receive free services.
• Four-Year Transfer UniversitiesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSM maintains transfer pathways and articulation agreements with California State University (CSU) and University of California (UC) institutions, as well as private universities. The Transfer Services office helps students plan for seamless transfer after completing their Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) or completing prerequisite coursework for specific majors at four-year institutions.
• San Mateo County Health and Community OrganizationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSM partners with San Mateo County Health for mental health resources, crisis services, and substance use treatment referrals. The SparkPoint program connects students with financial coaching and basic needs resources in partnership with community organizations. CORA (Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse) hotline is referenced for domestic abuse support. San Mateo County 24/7 Access Call Center provides substance use referrals.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Skyline College: Skyline College is the third SMCCCD sister college, located in San Bruno. Like CSM and Cañada, it offers associate degrees, transfer pathways, and CTE under the same California community college framework, sharing district-level technology, HR, and administrative services, and competing for the same San Mateo County student population.
• Evergreen Valley College: Evergreen Valley College is a public community college in San Jose within the San Jose-Evergreen Community College District. It serves the South Bay with associate degrees, transfer pathways, and CTE programs, directly comparable to CSM in mission, funding model, and student profile.
• Mission College: Mission College is a public community college in Santa Clara within the West Valley-Mission Community College District. It is a comparable Bay Area two-year institution offering associate degrees, CTE, and transfer pathways, and competes for Silicon Valley and South Bay students.
• De Anza College: De Anza College is a public community college in Cupertino within the Foothill-De Anza Community College District. It competes with CSM for South Bay and Peninsula students, offering similar associate degrees, transfer preparation, and CTE programs under the same California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office framework.
• Foothill College: Foothill College is a public community college in Los Altos Hills within the Foothill-De Anza Community College District, directly adjacent to CSM's San Mateo County service area. It offers comparable associate degrees, transfer pathways, and CTE, competing for the same Bay Area transfer-bound and CTE-seeking students.
• Chabot College: Chabot College is a public community college in Hayward within the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District. It competes with CSM for East Bay students, offering similar associate degrees, transfer pathways, and CTE programs under the same California Community Colleges framework.
• Cañada College: Cañada College is a sister public community college within the San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD), located in Redwood City. It shares district infrastructure (Canvas, OneLogin, WebSMART), governance, and California community college funding with CSM, serving overlapping San Mateo County residents with associate degrees and CTE programs.
• College of San Francisco (CCSF): City College of San Francisco is a large public community college serving the adjacent San Francisco County under the same California Community Colleges system. It offers comparable associate degrees, transfer pathways, CTE, and free enrollment under SB 893, competing with CSM for Bay Area students and sharing the same regulatory and funding environment.
• Ohlone College: Ohlone College is a public community college in Fremont serving southern Alameda County under the same California Community Colleges system. It offers comparable associate degrees, transfer preparation, and CTE programs and competes with CSM for Bay Area students, particularly those in southern portions of the Bay.
• Las Positas College: Las Positas College is a public community college in Livermore within the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District. It offers comparable associate degrees, CTE, and transfer pathways under the same California Community Colleges framework and competes for Bay Area students in adjacent service areas.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xcollegeofsanmateo.edu/twitter
• YouTubecollegeofsanmateo.edu/youtube
• Facebookfacebook.com/10827531154
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/college-of-san-mateo
• Instagramcollegeofsanmateo.edu/instagram
• TikToktiktok.com/@collegeofsanmateo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about College of San Mateo