College of Marin campus
Kentfield, United States
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College of Marin

Kentfield·community_college

Rolling

Acceptance rate

"less than 1%"

Intl. students

$10,828

Tuition/yr

5,500

Enrollment

About College of Marin

Community college in Marin County, CA near San Francisco. Beautiful campus with transfer focus.

College of Marin is a public community college in Kentfield, California, founded in 1926 and accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC). The college enrolls more than 9,000 students annually across credit, noncredit, and community education programs, and operates a second campus in Novato. It is one of 116 California community colleges serving the Marin County region, located roughly 10 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge.

The college offers associate degrees and certificates across liberal arts, sciences, and career and technical education fields. Its Academic University Transfer Program is a primary pathway for students seeking to complete lower-division coursework before transferring to a four-year university. An Intensive English Program (IEP) with over 30 years of history serves English language learners, and students who complete the IEP's advanced level gain guaranteed admission to COM's credit program without a TOEFL requirement.

College of Marin has one of the strongest UC transfer records among California community colleges. In the 2023–2024 admission cycles, 84% of COM applicants were admitted to at least one UC campus, compared to a statewide average of approximately 75%. COM students were admitted to UC Berkeley at a 40% rate during that period, exceeding the statewide community college average of 28%. The Kentfield campus sits in a suburban setting in Marin County, one of the most affluent counties in California.

Campus & Location

Province

CA

Campus setting

Suburban

Cost of living: Housing: USD 900–2,500/mo | Food: USD 380–650/mo | Costs vary widely by city.

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

All graduates qualify for 12-month OPT. STEM-designated programs (CS, Engineering, Data Science, Mathematics, Sciences) qualify for 24-month STEM OPT extension — 36 months total work authorisation.

For Nepali students

  • College of Marin is an affordable entry point into the US university system: out-of-state tuition is approximately $10,828 per year, far below the cost of directly enrolling in a four-year US university, making it a cost-effective two-year pathway.
  • Its verified 40% UC Berkeley transfer acceptance rate and 84% overall UC system admission rate over 2023–2024 make it one of California's most effective springboards to top-ranked universities, a tangible advantage for Nepali students aiming for UC Berkeley, UCLA, or UC Davis.
  • The college's Intensive English Program offers a structured English-language bridge with guaranteed admission to the credit program upon completing the advanced level, removing the TOEFL barrier that many Nepali students face when applying directly to four-year institutions.
  • F-1 students completing a two-year associate degree and transferring to a four-year US university become eligible to apply for 12-month OPT (and potentially 24-month STEM OPT extension if in a qualifying major), providing post-study work rights in the United States after graduation from the transfer university.

Admission requirements — Nepali equivalents

A rough translation of the published minimums for Nepali applicants:

GPA 3.060%+ in NEB +2, B+ average in Cambridge A-levels, or Second Division in a TU bachelor's degree.
GPA 3.370%+ in NEB +2 or First Division in a TU bachelor's degree.
GPA 3.675%+ in NEB +2 or First Division with Distinction in a TU bachelor's degree.
IELTS 6.5The most common graduate minimum — achievable with 2–3 months of focused preparation. IELTS 7.0+ needed for the most competitive programs.

Use our GPA converter to translate your exact score to the 4.0 scale.

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Uses published minimum requirements. Final decisions are always at the university's discretion. Use our GPA converter to get your score on the 4.0 scale.

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Data last verified: 2026-06-18 · Source: https://www.marin.edu. Information may change — verify with College of Marin’s official website before applying.