College of San Mateo

San Mateo, CA 7,977 Undergrads 30.9% Grad Rate

School Website|Financial Calculator

Total Cost

$10,837

Sticker Price

Avg Net Price

$536

After Aid

Median Earnings

$69,861

4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$536

Peer Midpoint: $9,847

Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)$69,861

Peer Midpoint: $50,127.5

Graduation Rate30.9%

Peer Midpoint: 34.6%

Socio-Economic Diversity

Pell Grant Recipients13.9%

Enrollment Status

Full-Time26.8%

Economic Outcomes

Earn More than HS66.6%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance

100.0%

SAT Avg

SAT Reading

25th: --75th: -

SAT Math

25th: --75th: -

ACT Composite

25th: --75th: -

ROI Sensitivity Analysis

This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.

Lifetime Value Added (NPV)

Institution Lifetime NPV

Vs Median Peer

Vs HS Grad

Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0

+$719k

+$204k

+$235k

Median Cost$1k/yr

+$718k

+$203k

+$234k

Full Cost$11k/yr

+$699k

+$184k

+$215k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age

Return on Inv. %

Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0

∞

Median Cost$1k/yr

23758%

Full Cost$11k/yr

1080%

Analysis Assumptions:

Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).
Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.

Social Impact ROINew

Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.

Donor Return2202%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew

Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.

Taxpayer Return536%

Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis

Certificates

Accounting and Related Services

CertCIP: 5203

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $44,589

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Computer Programming

CertCIP: 1102

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $56,556

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services

CertCIP: 1204

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $26,307

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Dental Support Services and Allied Professions

CertCIP: 5106

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $33,673

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians

CertCIP: 4701

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $43,027

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions

CertCIP: 5115

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $43,365

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Real Estate

CertCIP: 5215

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $46,762

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Associate's Degrees

Accounting and Related Services

AssocCIP: 5203

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $47,660

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions

AssocCIP: 5109

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $65,389

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Architectural Sciences and Technology

AssocCIP: 0409

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $55,403

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Biology, General

AssocCIP: 2601

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $44,758

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Business Administration, Management and Operations

AssocCIP: 5202

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$72,390

Natl Median: $48,733

Lifetime Value Added

+$257k

Chemistry

AssocCIP: 4005

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $51,597

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Communication and Media Studies

AssocCIP: 0901

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$65,120

Natl Median: $43,243

Lifetime Value Added

+$191k

Computer Programming

AssocCIP: 1102

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $58,070

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Computer Science

AssocCIP: 1107

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $62,283

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services

AssocCIP: 1204

Median Debt

Earnings (2yr)

$22,420

Natl Median: $27,014

Lifetime Value Added

-$224k

Criminal Justice and Corrections

AssocCIP: 4301

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$55,857

Natl Median: $46,706

Lifetime Value Added

+$104k

Dental Support Services and Allied Professions

AssocCIP: 5106

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $61,982

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians

AssocCIP: 1513

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $55,895

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Economics

AssocCIP: 4506

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $53,068

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Electrical and Power Transmission Installers

AssocCIP: 4603

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $70,808

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians

AssocCIP: 1504

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $73,046

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Engineering, General

AssocCIP: 1401

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $72,916

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

English Language and Literature, General

AssocCIP: 2301

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $36,134

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies

AssocCIP: 0502

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $38,387

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Film/Video and Photographic Arts

AssocCIP: 5006

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $33,186

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Fine and Studio Arts

AssocCIP: 5007

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $31,650

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Fire Protection

AssocCIP: 4302

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $73,589

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Graphic Communications

AssocCIP: 1003

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $36,221

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

History

AssocCIP: 5401

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $38,929

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

AssocCIP: 2401

Median Debt

Earnings (5yr)

$64,571

Natl Median: $44,125

Lifetime Value Added

+$174k

Mathematics

AssocCIP: 2701

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $59,929

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions

AssocCIP: 5115

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $40,734

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Music

AssocCIP: 5009

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $34,056

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Physics

AssocCIP: 4008

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $63,321

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Political Science and Government

AssocCIP: 4510

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $45,147

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Psychology, General

AssocCIP: 4201

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$49,708

Natl Median: $39,288

Lifetime Value Added

+$44k

Radio, Television, and Digital Communication

AssocCIP: 0907

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $36,074

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing

AssocCIP: 5138

Median Debt

$14,715

Earnings (4yr)

$144,794

Natl Median: $80,813

Lifetime Value Added

+$901k

Social Sciences, General

AssocCIP: 4501

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$52,619

Natl Median: $43,146

Lifetime Value Added

+$73k

Sociology

AssocCIP: 4511

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $44,144

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness

AssocCIP: 3105

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $40,162

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Visual and Performing Arts, General

AssocCIP: 5001

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $32,799

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate (for undergraduate programs) or a median bachelor's degree holder (for graduate programs), accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.

For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.