College of San Mateo

The College of San Mateo, known as CSM, looks down on the Hillsdale area from a 153-acre site with views across the bay. It is the oldest of the three colleges in the San Mateo County Community College District and has served the Peninsula for more than a century. For Palo Alto residents it is a reasonable drive for a class, a free astronomy talk on a Friday night or a show in its 400-seat theatre.

This page covers the college's history, programs, fees, visits and public events. Facts come from the college and district websites as read in early November 2026, with history drawn from the college and from Wikipedia. Check the CSM website before you go, since construction and renovations are changing parts of the campus.

Location and distance

CSM is at 1700 W. Hillsdale Blvd., San Mateo, CA 94402, between Interstate 280 and El Camino Real. From downtown Palo Alto it is about 16 miles by road. Expect 25 to 35 minutes outside rush hour by Interstate 280 or US 101. Our San Mateo guide covers the city, from downtown to Central Park.

Caltrain is a good option for daytime visits. Hillsdale station is the closest stop. Our Caltrain guide explains fares and zones. From the station, SamTrans buses or the CSM Shuttle climb the hill to campus.

History

San Mateo High School principal William L. Glascock proposed a local junior college in the early 1920s so students could live at home while earning their first two years of university credit. Voters approved San Mateo Junior College on March 31, 1922. Classes began on August 22, 1922, in a building shared with the high school. The first class had 30 students and grew to 48 by the end of the year.

The college moved several times in its first four decades:

• 1923: into the Kohl mansion in what is now San Mateo's Central Park, where parlors served as classrooms and the wine cellar became a student store. The park is home today to the San Mateo Japanese Tea Garden.
• 1927: back to the Baldwin campus downtown when the high school moved out.
• 1939: new science buildings on a Delaware Street campus, the former site of a silent film studio.
• 1947: a third site in the former Merchant Marine training station at Coyote Point. Today that shoreline is the Coyote Point Recreation Area.
• April 14, 1954: renamed College of San Mateo, partly because the initials honored the late dean Charles S. Morris.
• September 30, 1963: the new College Heights campus opened after ground was broken on October 21, 1960.

A 1957 county bond funded the hilltop campus. Later bonds paid for two more colleges, Cañada in 1968 and Skyline in 1969, which formed today's three-college district. Our Cañada College page covers the closest one to Palo Alto.

Notable former students

Wikipedia's list of alumni runs from football coach and broadcaster John Madden, an inductee of the college's Athletics Hall of Fame, to Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead and Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac. Our page on the Grateful Dead's Palo Alto roots picks up Lesh's story.

Programs

The college says it serves about 13,000 day, evening and weekend students a year. Its curriculum includes semester-length courses, short courses and distance education. Students prepare to transfer, train for careers or take classes for personal growth. Wikipedia lists career programs in multimedia, cosmetology, nursing, broadcasting, accounting, computer science, fire technology and dental assisting, among others.

San Mateo Middle College operates on campus for high school juniors and seniors who combine high school and college classes. Off the main campus, CSM Coastside serves residents of the coast. The college runs on semesters. The fall 2026 term ends with final exams from December 13 to 19.

Admission and fees

Admission is open. You apply online and then register. The enrollment fee is $46 per unit. The district's Free College program waives that fee for San Mateo County residents who plan to earn a degree or certificate. It also covers other campus fees for students with financial need. Most Palo Alto residents live in Santa Clara County and pay the standard fee. Undocumented students who live in San Mateo County can qualify for both the waiver and the nonresident tuition exemption.

For adult classes without enrollment, the district's Community, Continuing and Corporate Education office offers noncredit courses for personal and professional growth. Its catalog and registration are separate from the college's credit schedule.

The planetarium and astronomy nights

CSM's planetarium is the best reason for a non-student to visit. In a normal semester the astronomy department presents The Sky Tonight on the second Friday of each month, with shows at 7 and 8 p.m. The college's planetarium page sets the rules:

• No tickets and no reservations. The planetarium seats 77 people per show.
• The line forms half an hour before each show. Seats go first come, first served.
• Children must be 5 or older. No food or drink and no saving seats.
• Shows start on time and doors lock. There is no late entry.

In fall 2026 the shows are suspended while the planetarium is renovated. The page lists November 13 and December 11 as tentative dates with no title yet, so check before you go.

Free astronomy talks

The San Mateo County Astronomical Society meets on the first Friday of each month. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. and a public talk follows at about 8 p.m., usually with an hour of talk and time for questions. Fall 2026 speakers have included scientists from SLAC, Stanford and NASA Ames. On November 6, 2026, Dr. Philip Marshall of Stanford and SLAC is listed to speak about the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. Parking is free in Lots N, P, Q, R and S during astronomy events. Our stargazing guide lists other public telescope nights.

The College of San Mateo Theatre

The 400-seat College of San Mateo Theatre hosts plays, music showcases, speaker series and conferences. A 2020 modernization added new seats, stage drapes and a cyclorama, along with an LED lighting system and simpler electronic rigging. Outside groups can rent it, so the calendar mixes college productions with community events. Check the college's event calendar for what is on.

Campus tours

CSM offers guided campus tours through its Campus Tours page, where you choose a date and register. A virtual tour and a student video series called The College Tour are also online. The college calendar marks holiday weekends on November 7 to 9 and November 26 to 29, 2026. Plan visits around those dates.

Parking and getting around campus

The campus is open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. The district's parking page said no student or visitor parking permits were required for the 2025 to 2026 academic year. Student lots were open without permits and staff lots stayed restricted. The college's regular rules otherwise call for a virtual permit Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., with one-day visitor permits sold online. Check which rule applies on the day you visit.

• Electric vehicles: charging spaces have a four-hour limit, then $5 an hour up to $20 a session.
• Accessible parking: blue spaces in Lots A, B, C, D, G, Q, S, T and U. A valid placard means no permit is needed.
• Construction: projects may affect lots and traffic. The college posts updates online.

SamTrans route 250 runs from campus to Hillsdale Shopping Center, downtown San Mateo and the San Mateo Caltrain station, with late weekday service. Route CSM runs more directly to the San Mateo station. The free CSM Shuttle connects campus with Millbrae BART and Hillsdale Caltrain on weekdays, but it is limited to students and employees.

Frequently asked questions