Cost advantage
Affordable public option
In-state tuition in the lower range for public universities.
This school$1.1k
Public 4-yr avg$11k
Source: CollegeScorecard 2024
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UniversitypublicVerified data
San Diego Mesa College
San Diego, CA
Tuition
$1,146
Acceptance
Open admission
Students
16,098
Type
University
Setting
Urban
Distance from home
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Cost & Financial Aid
In-State Tuition
$1,146
Out-of-State Tuition
$10,002
Avg On-Campus Living
$18,167
Avg Off-Campus Living
$31,243
Financial Aid & Outcomes
CollegeScorecard · 2024
What will it actually cost?
Sticker price$19,313
Net price (after aid)$5,814
Most students pay the net price after financial aid, not the sticker price.
Net price by family income
$0 – $30k$3,842
$30k – $48k$5,316
$48k – $75k$3,115
$75k – $110k$6,170
$110k+$3,323
After graduation
Median earnings (10yr)$45,120
Median debt at graduation$4,725
Est. monthly loan payment$50
Earnings-to-debt ratio
Strong · 9.5×Graduates earn about 9.5× their median debt every year.
Financial access
Students on Pell Grants16%
Pell Grants are federal aid for students from low-income families.
Students with federal loans2%
Share of students who borrowed to pay for school.
Some fields may not be reported by this institution. Verify final details with the school directly.
How does cost line up with outcomes across colleges? See our analysis of college cost vs. graduation and earnings, an association shaped by selectivity and sector, not proof a pricier college pays off.
Student Outcomes
Graduation Rate
35%
Source: CollegeScorecard (2024)
Final aid offers, scholarships, and net price vary per family. Always verify with the school's financial aid office.
Scholarships available
Decision support · Cost & value
Quick Decision Highlights
The strongest cost, aid, and value reasons to consider this school.
Lower net price
$5.8k below avg
Out-of-state value
$10k below avg
Strong aid for lower incomes
Reported net price for the $0–30k band runs below average.
Affordability snapshot
In-state tuition
$1.1k
below avg
Out-of-state
$10k
below avg
Net price
$5.8k
below avg
Pell
16%
Median debt
$4.7k
below avg
Earnings (10y)
$45.1k
“Avg” comparisons reference national IPEDS / College Scorecard averages (~2022–23); figures are directional and vary by school and year.
Admissions
Acceptance rate
Open admission
SAT range
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ACT range
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Location
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UniversitiesCommunity Colleges1 school
Institution does not report this
San Diego, CA 92111
Academics
Studying online: a large share study entirely online
In Fall 2023, 7,650 of San Diego Mesa College's 19,243 students (40%) were enrolled entirely at a distance. A further 5,365 (28%) took at least one distance course alongside in-person study.
Distance-education figures count STUDENTS enrolled in Fall 2023, not programs on offer. "Exclusively at a distance" means a student took only distance courses that term. A college with few or no such students may still run online courses or an online degree, so a low figure is not evidence that online study is unavailable, and a high one is not a judgement of quality either way.
U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS Fall Enrollment (distance education status), Fall 2023
Fields of study
San Diego Mesa College reported conferring credentials in 57 different fields to the federal government. See which ones, and at what credential level.
Campus & Student Life
Area Safety Rating
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Frequently asked questions
About San Diego Mesa College
Built from CampusPin profile data. Always verify final admissions, cost, financial aid, and program details with the institution before applying. See our data methodology and data dictionary.
- Where is San Diego Mesa College located?
- San Diego Mesa College is located in San Diego, CA, in the United States.
- What type of institution is San Diego Mesa College?
- San Diego Mesa College is a public university based in CA. CampusPin classifies institutions as either four-year universities or two-year community colleges, with control labeled public or private.
- What is the acceptance rate at San Diego Mesa College?
- The most recently reported acceptance rate at San Diego Mesa College is approximately 100%. Acceptance rate signals selectivity but does not predict any individual applicant's outcome and is not a measure of school quality. CampusPin reports the federally-published value; verify the current cycle with the institution.
- What is the tuition at San Diego Mesa College?
- San Diego Mesa College's published in-state tuition is approximately $1,146 per year. This is the published price before financial aid; the net price most students actually pay is typically lower. Verify the current academic-year tuition with the institution before applying.
- How many students attend San Diego Mesa College?
- San Diego Mesa College reports total enrollment of approximately 16,098 students (undergraduate plus graduate). Total enrollment is a useful sizing signal, see the institutional profile for additional breakdowns when available.
- How much does San Diego Mesa College actually cost after financial aid?
- The average net price at San Diego Mesa College is approximately $5,814 per year. Net price is the total cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships that never have to be repaid, so it is what students actually paid rather than the published sticker price. What families pay varies with income: students from families earning under $30,000 paid about $3,842 on average, and those from families earning $110,000 or more about $3,323. These are averages for students who received federal aid in a prior cohort, not a quote for any individual family. Run the institution's own Net Price Calculator for a figure specific to you.
- What is the graduation rate at San Diego Mesa College?
- San Diego Mesa College reports a graduation rate of approximately 35%. This measures the share of a prior entering cohort who completed their degree within the federal tracking window. It reflects who enrolls as much as what the institution does, so it is not on its own a measure of teaching quality, and it is not comparable across institutions serving very different students.
- How much student debt do graduates of San Diego Mesa College have?
- Students who borrowed at San Diego Mesa College left with a median of approximately $4,725 in federal loans, and about 2% of students took federal loans at all. Both numbers matter: a median describes only the students who borrowed, so it reads very differently at a school where most students borrow than at one where few do. Federal loans only, so private and parent borrowing are not included.
- How much do graduates of San Diego Mesa College earn?
- Median earnings approximately ten years after entry are $45,120 for students who received federal financial aid at San Diego Mesa College. This reflects the mix of programs the institution offers and the students who enroll, not the effect of attending, and it covers aid recipients rather than all graduates.
- How should I verify final details about San Diego Mesa College?
- CampusPin compiles institutional data from public datasets like IPEDS and the College Scorecard, plus institutional websites and editorial review. Before applying, paying a deposit, or making a final decision, confirm admissions requirements, current tuition, financial aid, deadlines, and program details directly with San Diego Mesa College.
Fields this college awarded credentials in
The 14 largest of 57 fields San Diego Mesa College reported, by credentials conferred in 2023-24, using the federal classification of each field. The level is the highest credential actually awarded, which is not always the one a field is best known for.
| Field | Awarded | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 294 | Associate's110 associate · 184 certificate |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 258 | Associate's249 associate · 9 certificate |
| Psychology, General | 148 | Associate's |
| Biology, General | 120 | Associate's |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | 118 | Associate's |
| Communication and Media Studies | 54 | Associate's |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | 54 | Bachelor's20 bachelor's · 27 associate · 7 certificate |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | 52 | Associate's29 associate · 23 certificate |
| Computer Science | 48 | Associate's |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 46 | Associate's |
| Mathematics | 42 | Associate's |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | 40 | Associate's31 associate · 9 certificate |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | 37 | Associate's10 associate · 27 certificate |
| Sociology | 36 | Associate's |
Fields are as classified in the federal IPEDS completions collection, which records credentials already conferred. A field listed here was awarded in the reporting year; it does not confirm the program is currently admitting students, and a field CampusPin has no guide for is still shown under its official federal title. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Explore more
Compare colleges side by sideOther colleges in San Diego, CAAll colleges in CaliforniaCalifornia college costs by family incomeStudent debt at California collegesComputer science major guideBusiness major guideNursing major guidePsychology major guideEngineering major guide
Always verify final admissions, cost, financial aid, and program details with San Diego Mesa College before applying.
Data sources & methodology
Reporting period: 2024Last verified: June 10, 2026
Facts on this profile of San Diego Mesa College are compiled from federal datasets and the institution's own published information.
Sources used across this page
Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.
IPEDS / NCES College Navigator
Federal enrollment, admissions, tuition, retention, and program data. Released annually with a 1–2 year lag.
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
Net price by income band, post-graduation earnings, and federal aid context.
Clery Act campus security reports
Annual campus security and fire-safety disclosures required of U.S. institutions.
Institutional websites
Each school's official admissions, registrar, and financial-aid pages are the authoritative source for current details.
Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.
Suggested citation
CampusPin. (2024). San Diego Mesa College, college profile. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/schools/san-diego-mesa-college
About this information
CampusPin compiles college information from recent publicly available data, including federal and institutional sources. College information can change as institutions and public agencies release new data.
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