Local Resource: College of San Mateo

College of San Mateo entrance
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

Overview

College of San Mateo (CSM) is one of three community colleges in the San Mateo Community College District (SMCCD), with a student population of 12,000 students. Being the largest community college in the district, it has a wealth of offerings in classes and certificates and serves homeschoolers well.   

CSM is located in San Mateo off Highway 92's Hillsdale exit. It is also served by SamTrans 250 and CSM which mainly serves San Mateo; there is also a free CSM shuttle running hourly between the college and Millbrae BART/Caltrain.  The college also provides one free Lyft roundtrip ride daily to the campus from designated spots (e.g. San Carlos and Belmont Caltrain stations) however students must be above 18 years old.  Homeschoolers planning to drive/drop off will be glad to hear that parking is free (as of May 2025) and ample, but they should check the parking page to confirm if a permit is needed and which lots are open for student parking.

Concurrent Enrollment and Middle College

For 2024-2025, homeschoolers 9th grade and above can take up to 11 credits per semester free across all the community colleges in the district; beyond that, they will have to pay tuition of $46/credit (2024-2025 rates) for all credits taken. Courses may be in any discipline and generally students take introductory courses; if a course has pre-requisites students must show they they fulfill them. NOTE: Concurrent enrollment is the term used within SMCCD for this option where homeschoolers take some courses for college credit so be sure to fill out the correct form, see our High School page for instructions.  

Some coursework/pathways that are distinctive to CSM: 

• Astronomy
• Cosmetology
• Dental Assisting
• Digital Media: Includes broadcast, multimedia and graphics. 
• EMT/Fire Training
• Nursing: Option to graduate with a BSN degree with an additional 6 months coursework

Another option for homeschoolers is Middle College. Applicants must reside in the San Mateo Union High School District (SMUHSD).  If accepted, charter and private homeschoolers may need to transfer to one of the schools in the district - we recommend checking if your credits will be accepted.

Under Middle College, juniors or seniors take all their classes on the CSM campus as part of a smaller cohort. The classes fulfill SMUHSD graduation requirements, e.g. American Literature, United States History, English, Economics and American Government. Students graduate with a high school diploma from SMUHSD and credits that transfer toward a Career technical education certificate, an Associate degree, and/or a four-year college. 

Post-Secondary Options

Homeschoolers can also consider enrolling in CSM after high school. This is also a great option if students are undecided about what to study. 

Students interested in the University of California system (UCs) and California State Universities system (CSUs) can also consider completing their general education requirements and transferring into those colleges. The Transfer Center offers different pathways, e.g. TAG for certain UCs or Transfer Success Program for CSUs. The Honors Transfer Program offers priority consideration for transfer students applying to UCLA or UCI, as well as research seminars.

For students interested in options other than 4-year colleges, the college offers certificates through Career Education. Some are designed for high school graduates and have no pre-requisites. Distinctives include:

• Administration of Justice
• Dental Assisting
• Digital Media: Recording studios and opportunity to work on CSM's 24/7 radio broadcast.

Student Services

There is a wide array of services to support disadvantaged or first generation college students (Foster Youth, Project Change, Promise, TRIO). Through these programs, students may receive financial assistance such as textbook stipends, monthly gas allowance, personal student advising and priority registration. If they qualify, students may participate in multiple programs.  

Students can also participate in learning communities where they take classes in common with a cohort. Learning communities can have a common theme, e.g. Katipunan - Filipino, Mana - Pacific Islander, Puente - Latino, Umoja - African American or study areas, e.g. Honors, Writing in the End Zone. Besides learning communities, students can choose from a wide variety of clubs. 

There is also a Disability Resource Center where students may request assessments for LDs, or assistive technology. 

Nursing Program

CSM offers an Associate of Science degree in Nursing (ASN) program - students who complete it are qualified to take the National Council Licensing Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) for RNs. A popular option is to concurrently enroll in San Francisco State University's Bachelors of Science in Nursing program - students can graduate with a BSN with just an additional 6 months to 1 year coursework. The BSN program is an impacted program at SFSU, so this is an excellent opportunity to experience its highly ranked program. 

At CSM, nursing students attend lectures 2 days/week, plus 2 days/week for labs and additional days throughout the semester rotating through clinical sites in the Bay Area, e.g. the San Mateo Medical Center.  On our tour, we were impressed by the nursing lab - it has 8 patient rooms, 2 of which are simulator rooms, and 14 beds. This simulator rooms have high fidelity manikins, both adult and pediatric, which allow instructors to run different scenarios, and students get extensive hands-on experience.

Understandably, the nursing program is popular so interested applicants should study the rubric (2025 rubtic) or reference the CSM Nursing Apply link for the latest info. A science-heavy background is required, and relevant experience through working or volunteering (e.g. EMT training) is helpful. Required science courses include Anatomy, Physiology in addition to Biology and Chemistry - students can apply the coursework towards another A/S degree while applying (or if they are waitlisted). other courses and preferably have work or volunteer experience. Also, taking the NCLEX-RN gives students a license to practice in California - the process for applying to other states is easier after this is granted. 

Art/Music

We also learned about music classes - CSM offers AA degrees in Music and Electronic Music, as well as certificates but students on other tracks will also find interesting courses and opportunities to participate in ensembles.  No prior experience is assumed, and students will find ample support for their creative vision, e.g. they can take lessons, digitize their recordings, and use them as sound track for films. 

Likewise, CSM's Art department offers AA degrees in Fine Art as well as courses in 2D Art, 3D Art, Art History, Photography and Graphic Design.  

Reaching Out to CSM

Homeschoolers can contact community outreach for a personal or group tour. CSM was also featured on The College Tour so families can tour virtually through we recommend touring in person since you can get specific questions answered. 

 

Local Resource: Cañada College

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

Overview

Cañada College is the smallest of the three community colleges in the San Mateo Community College District (SMCCD), with a student population of 6000 (compared to Skyline's 9000 students, and CSM's 13,000 students). Despite its size, it offers a wide variety of classes and certificates. It is also homeschool friendly, a bonus for families looking for high school options. 

Cañada is located in Redwood City near 280's Farm Hill Blvd. It is also served by SamTrans 278, and the Student Life page offers other options like carpool, but homeschoolers will probably find it easiest to drive/drop off. Parking is free (as of March 2025), but check the Parking page to confirm if a permit is needed, and which lots are open for students to park.

Concurrent Enrollment and Middle College

As of 2024-2025, homeschoolers 9th grade and above can take up to 11.5 credits per semester free across all the community colleges in the district; beyond that, they will have to pay tuition of $46/credit (2024-2025 rates) for all credits taken. Courses may be in any discipline and generally students take introductory courses; if a course has pre-requisites students must show they they fulfill them. NOTE: Concurrent enrollment is the term used within SMCCD for this option where homeschoolers take some courses for college credit so be sure to fill out the correct form, see our High School page for instructions.  

Another option for homeschoolers residing in the Sequoia Union High School District is Middle College. Under this program, juniors or seniors take all their classes at Cañada (least 3 classes/7 credits per semester), with a college counselor from Cañada to guide their course selection. There is a caveat - if a private or charter homeschool student is accepted into the program, they must register with one of the feeder schools (Carlmont, East Palo Alto Academy, Sequoia or Woodside per the FAQ as of 2024-2025) which involves verifying their address falls within SUHSD boundaries. Homeschoolers, especially those using the private option, are advised to consult if their prior coursework will be accepted by the feeder school.  At graduation, the feeder school will issue the diploma.

Outside of these programs, homeschool students are eligible to take honors classes and participate in research through taking the Honors Research Seminar (IDST 150) which allows them to work with a professor on independent research, a rare opportunity for homeschoolers. 

Post-Secondary Options

Homeschoolers can also consider enrolling in Cañada after they graduate. This is also a great option if students are undecided about what to study - Cañada has a helpful page of interest areas which group related fields together, e.g. Business, Science & Health. Within each page, there are program maps with links to individual areas and careers, e.g. the program map for Science & Health links to this course path for becoming a medical assistant.

Students interested in the University of California system (UCs) and California State Universities system (CSUs) can also consider completing their general education requirements and transferring into those colleges. By completing general education classes at Cañada, students save on tuition and avoid large, weeder classes. However the process can be convoluted, so students should work closely with the Transfer Center to learn about programs like TAG (for UCs) which ensure classes will be accepted by the target school and degree program.   If applying to competitive schools like UCLA, students should also consider the Honors Transfer Program which offers priority consideration for transfer students applying UCLA's College of Letters and Sciences.

For students interested in options other than 4-year colleges, the college offers several certificates in industries from accounting to radiologic technology through their Career Education program. Some of these certificates are designed for high school graduates and have no pre-requisites. Some certificates that are distinctive to Cañada include Digital Art and Animation, Fashion Design and Merchandising, Interior Design, Photonics and Laser Technology, and Radiologic Technology.

Clubs

Credit: Cañada College Athletic Center

Concurrent enrollment students taking fewer than 11.5 credits/semester do not have to pay the Student Body fee; if they wish to participate they can pay the fee at the registrar. High school students may not participate in sports teams, but may participate in clubs. 

Several Cañada students we spoke to mentioned the College Athletic Center as a perk. Homeschoolers younger than 18 will not get full benefit (though parents may purchase a family membership). However, students who are older than 18 can enjoy a $0 application fee, and low monthly dues ($15/month in 2024-2025) which are waived if the student visits more than 15x/year. 

Student Services

Cañada offers several services to help students:

• Disability Resource Center: Includes testing, assistive technology and counseling for accommodations and academic needs. 
• Extended Opportunities and Programs for Students (EOPS): For economically disadvantaged students, assistance with transportation, books and other expenses. 
• Promise: For part/full time college students (not including concurrent enrollment). Covers tuition, books (any excess from stipend goes to the student) and offers priority registration.
• Puente: Learning community for first generation students who take a year of introductory classes together, and receive mentoring and priority registration. 
• Technology: Students may check out graphing calculators, hotspots or Chromebooks from the library
• TRIO: Support for students with a low income, first generation college, or disability background. Mentoring, priority registration and counseling.

Students may participate in multiple programs simultaneously. A full list can be found under Student Services.

Reaching Out

Homeschoolers can contact campus outreach for a personal or group tour. Prior to the tour, we suggest reading through their student services plus their degrees and certificates page, and letting the outreach coordinator know if there are specific points you would like to learn about. Our outreach coordinator was able to arrange for us to hear from students in the Promise Scholars program, and staff working for  the Trio program.  After the tour, we were also able to stop by the Records Office (Building 9, Floor 1) and have questions about individual applications answered. 

The college also runs "Super Registration" events every semester - we recommend attending these to get all the paperwork done in one go. Students will walk out having registered for classes for the semester. 

Summary 

Cañada College offers opportunities for homeschoolers to explore their college readiness through taking classes in a small environment, participating in clubs and practicing executive functioning such as managing deadlines and communicating directly with administration and teachers. 

Families should consider time (college classes can be time-intensive) and maturity (class content assumes students are 18+, and grades go on a permanent transcript). While students may need some time to adjust, community college can be a natural extension of students' lifelong learning environment, as well as provide labs and advanced challenges that they have been looking for.