About Us

The San Mateo County Community College District was established in 1922, and operates three colleges: Cañada College, College of San Mateo and Skyline College. Located between San Francisco and Silicon Valley, the District colleges provide community college educational services to residents of the County of San Mateo, California. Combined, the District's three colleges serve nearly 30,000 students annually and offer the first two years of college-level instruction in a wide variety of transfer programs as well as career-technical programs. Students can earn either Associate in Arts or Science degrees or receive Certificates of Proficiency in their chosen fields.  The District's colleges offer a wide variety of programs and courses online.  Additionally, the District offers a robust services for Middle College High Schools at each campus, as well as dual enrollment and concurrent enrollment high school students. 

Each of the District's colleges is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the recognized local accrediting agency for the western United States.  The last accreditation occurred in 2019.

The District is governed by a six-member Board of Trustees, with five voting members elected by voters from designated areas of the County for four-year terms and one nonvoting student member elected by students for a one-year term. The day-to-day operations of the District are managed by the Board-appointed Chancellor, and the day-to-day operations of the three District colleges are managed by the Chancellor-appointed College Presidents.