San Mateo County Community College District

What San Mateo County Community College District does

San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD) is a public community college district established in 1922 and governed under the California Education Code, operating three fully accredited colleges—Cañada College in Redwood City, College of San Mateo, and Skyline College in San Bruno—across an exclusive service area covering all of San Mateo County. The district collectively served approximately 30,000 students annually and recorded a 31,261 unduplicated student headcount in 2023-24, offering associate degrees, certificates of proficiency, UC/CSU transfer pathways, 90+ vocational-technical programs, dual enrollment for high school students, and adult/continuing education. At its 2026 commencement ceremonies, SMCCCD awarded 3,264 degrees and certificates, with associate degree volume approximately tripling year-over-year, and the SMCCCD Foundation distributed a record $2.2 million in scholarships to 1,593 students.

The district's core technology platform integrates Canvas (Instructure) as the district-wide learning management system, WebSMART as the student-facing portal (registration, transcripts, academic services), Banner as the enterprise SIS/ERP, and the My.SMCCD portal for unified access, all shared across the three colleges under a single governance model. Day-to-day operations are managed by a Board-appointed Chancellor and overseen by a six-member elected Board of Trustees (five voting, one nonvoting student member), with HR, finance, facilities, IT, and Title IX/Civil Rights functions handled at the district level.

Revenue is generated through five primary streams: California Community Colleges state apportionment (formula-driven by enrollment/FTES), local property tax allocations, state-mandated student enrollment fees, federal Pell Grants and financial aid, and voter-approved bond proceeds for capital projects. As a public government entity, SMCCCD is not investor-backed, has no parent company, and does not disclose revenue in commercial terms; funding stability is anchored in California Community Colleges system funding formulas rather than market-driven pricing. The district is accredited by the ACCJC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges), last reaffirmed in 2019, and must comply with federal requirements including Title IX and the Clery Act.

Name

San Mateo County Community College District

Legal name

San Mateo County Community College District

Website

https://smccd.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1922

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

San Mateo County Community College District is a public community college district operating three accredited colleges that serve approximately 30,000 students annually in San Mateo County with associate degrees, certificates, transfer pathways, vocational-technical programs, and dual enrollment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Community College Education

NAICS

Junior Colleges (61121), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Campus Community College Districts (EDAHADAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Community Colleges (EDAHADAA), Comprehensive Community Colleges (Transfer + Workforce) (EDAHADAE), Dual Enrollment / Early College Programs (via Community Colleges) (EDAHADAH)

Keywords

• Community college education
• Associate degree programs
• Vocational-technical training
• Transfer pathway programs
• Dual enrollment courses

Headquarters

HQ city

San Mateo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. State Funding (Apportionment): Primary revenue source from California Community Colleges state apportionment based on student enrollment and attendance
2. Student Tuition and Fees: Enrollment fees and special course fees charged to students for credit and non-credit courses
3. Federal Grants and Financial Aid: Pell Grants, Federal Student Aid, and other federal program funding for student support
4. Property Tax Revenue: Local property tax allocations supporting district operations and bond measures
5. Bond Proceeds: Capital funding from voter-approved bond measures for facilities construction and modernization

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SMCCCD delivers public community college education across three accredited campuses in San Mateo County, offering associate degrees, certificates of proficiency, university-transfer programs, vocational-technical training, and dual-enrollment courses. Services are provided both in-person and through online/hybrid modalities to traditional students, adult learners, and high school students earning concurrent college credit.

Product overview

San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD) operates as a three-college public community college district providing post-secondary educational services. The district encompasses three fully accredited colleges: Cañada College, College of San Mateo, and Skyline College. The institution offers associate degrees, certificates of proficiency, transfer programs to four-year universities, and career-technical programs. Students can pursue instruction in a wide variety of disciplines, with programs and courses available both in-person and online. The district also serves Middle College High School students and offers dual enrollment opportunities for high school students. The colleges collectively serve nearly 20,000 to 30,000 students annually, providing the first two years of college-level instruction as well as vocational-technical training. Administrative and student services are supported through internal systems including Canvas (learning management), WebSMART, Banner, and the My.SMCCD portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cañada College

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,264 graduates in 2026 commencement ceremonies
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fidelity InvestmentscoreOthers · 1 January 2026Approved 403(b) retirement savings plan vendor offering voluntary tax-deferred retirement savings options for employees.
• Empower (formerly Mass Mutual)coreOthers · 1 January 2026Approved vendor for 457(b) voluntary retirement savings plan with loans and hardship withdrawal options.
• Social Security AdministrationminorOthers · 1 January 2025Following the Social Security Fairness Act signed in January 2025, WEP and GPO penalties were repealed, affecting Social Security benefits for CalSTRS members with prior private-sector or spousal benefits.
• CalPERS (California Public Employees' Retirement System)coreOthersRetirement benefit provider for classified staff and qualifying personnel. SMCCCD contributes 26.81% of employee salary to the pension fund. Classic members contribute 7% and PEPRA members contribute 8% of salary.
• CalSTRS (California State Teachers' Retirement System)coreOthersRetirement system for academic, faculty, and certificated personnel. Member contribution rate of 10.25% (Classic) or 10.205% (PEPRA) with 19.10% employer contribution.
• Corebridge Financial (formerly VALIC/AIG)coreOthersApproved vendor for both 403(b) and 457(b) retirement plans offering employee retirement savings options.
• Kaiser PermanentecoreOthersHealth maintenance organization providing medical insurance options for eligible district employees and dependents.
• Anthem Blue CrosscoreOthersHMO health plans offered as medical insurance options for district employees through CalPERS Health Plan System.
• Blue Shield of CaliforniacoreOthersMedical insurance provider offering health plan options for eligible district employees.
• Delta DentalcoreOthersDental insurance provider offering Delta Care and Delta Dental PPO plans for eligible employees and dependents.
• VSP (Vision Service Plan)coreOthersVision insurance provider offering district-paid coverage for frames and lenses every twelve calendar months.
• Guardian Life InsurancecoreOthersProvider of basic and voluntary life insurance coverage for employees and eligible dependents.
• Claremont EAP (Employee Assistance Program)coreOthersDistrict-paid confidential counseling and support services for employees covering personal life areas including adult/eldercare, child/parenting, financial, and legal assistance.
• Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC)coreOthersRegional accrediting body (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) recognized by U.S. Department of Education. Last accreditation occurred in 2019.
• Canvas by InstructurecoreTechnology or IntegrationLearning management system (LMS) used district-wide for online course delivery and student engagement across all three colleges.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Foothill-De Anza Community College District: Neighboring California multi-campus community college district (Foothill College and De Anza College) in Santa Clara County; directly comparable as a public two-college district serving Silicon Valley residents with transfer and CTE programs.
• San Francisco Community College District: Bay Area public community college district operating City College of San Francisco; directly comparable urban California community college serving a metro population with transfer, CTE, and adult education programs.
• Peralta Community College District: California multi-campus community college district (Berkeley City College, College of Alameda, Laney College, Merritt College) directly comparable to SMCCCD as a four-college Bay Area public district with similar funding model and student demographics.
• Los Rios Community College District: One of the largest California multi-campus community college districts (American River, Cosumnes River, Folsom Lake, Sacramento City colleges); directly comparable as a public multi-campus district with similar governance, funding, and program structure.
• Coast Community College District: California multi-campus public community college district (Coastline, Golden West, Orange Coast colleges); directly comparable Orange County district offering transfer, CTE, and online programs at similar scale.
• Mt. San Antonio College: Large single-campus California community college in Walnut; comparable in scale (~30,000+ students) and program breadth, including robust vocational-technical and transfer pathways.
• Pasadena City College: Large California community college with broad transfer and CTE offerings; comparable in mission, scale, and student demographics as a public two-year institution serving a defined service area.
• Mt. San Jacinto Community College District: California multi-campus community college district (San Jacinto, Menifee, Temecula, Indio); directly comparable as a public multi-campus district offering transfer and CTE programs at similar scale.

Regional players

• West Valley-Mission Community College District: California multi-campus community college district (West Valley, Mission colleges) in Santa Clara County; directly comparable in scale and Bay Area geography but primarily serving a different county.
• Cabrillo Community College District: California coastal community college serving Santa Cruz County with transfer and CTE programs; comparable public community college structure but serves a different (non-Bay Area) geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/smccolleges
• Facebookfacebook.com/smccolleges

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries3 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 San Mateo County Community College District