College of San Mateo

Located on a 153-acre suburban campus in the hills of San Mateo about 20 minutes south of San Francisco and 40 minutes north of San Jose, the College of San Mateo is a comprehensive two-year community college of more than 10,000 students. With its position in the northern corridor of Silicon Valley with a panoramic view of the San Francisco Bay, CSM is known for being a gateway to higher education for the diverse student population in the Bay Area.

First established in 1922 as San Mateo Junior College, the school opened its doors at San Mateo High School on Baldwin Avenue for a total of 35 students. However, as enrollment started to skyrocket throughout World War II, the president Charles S. Morris transformed the institution from a junior college to a community college. After being renamed the College of San Mateo to honor his wishes, the present-day hilltop campus opened with 15,000 students in 1963 and continued to break ground on its state-of-the-art new facilities.

Fully accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges in the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), the College of San Mateo offers 67 associate degree programs and 67 certificate programs ranging from business and technology to creative arts and social sciences. With hundreds of transfer areas, many graduates also elect to pursue a bachelor's degree by transferring to the nearby University of California or California State University without a loss of credit. In addition to traditional on-campus courses, the college also offers distance learning options via telecourses, which are broadcast on the community-supported station KCSM-TV for students at the media center and the library.

With a vibrant campus life to complement classroom learning for leadership development, the College of San Mateo hosts more than 20 recognized student clubs and educational or cultural activities each year. As a high-achieving member in good standing of the Coast Conference for the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA), the CSM Bulldogs also field varsity teams for intercollegiate competition in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, softball, swimming, track and field, and water polo. Some of the most notable former Bulldogs include actress Jeanne Bates, musician Lindsey Buckingham, comedian Dana Carvey, NFL player Julian Edelman, actor Merv Griffin, and Olympic champion Archie Williams.