San Diego City College
San Diego, California · Website
$38,503
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$38,503
median earnings, 10 years after starting
San Diego City College is a public 4-year college in San Diego, California with 10,441 undergraduates. Its average net price after grants is $7,935 a year (tuition and fees $1,146 in-state, $10,002 out-of-state). 30% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $38,503 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $7,689 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$7,935
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$1,146
Out-of-state $10,002
Admission rate
Open
Completion rate
30%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$7,689
About $82 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$38,503
Rank 2,950 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $7,935
- Tuition in-state
- $1,146
- Tuition out-of-state
- $10,002
- Cost of attendance
- $21,202
- Students with a need-based grant
- 23%
- Students with federal loans
- 1.6%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $7,181
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $8,159
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $10,265
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $15,594
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $17,766
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $1,142 in 2015-16 to $1,146 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- Open admission
- Undergraduates
- 10,441
- Part-time students
- 89%
- Women
- 53%
- Students per teacher
- 22
- Completion rate
- 30%
- Retention rate
- 61%
- Highest degree
- Associate's degree
- Programs
- 121
- Other
- Hispanic-serving, Open admission
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 2,950 of 5,094 US colleges and 318 of 494 in California (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | CA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $7,935 | $20,161 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $1,146 | $8,086 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | - | 76% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 30% | 64% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 61% | 80% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $7,689 | $11,537 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $31,504 | $36,048 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $38,503 | $41,472 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 30% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 52% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
121 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's | Associate's | 176 | Withheld | $25,639 | $39,081 | $44,125 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesCertificate | Certificate | 135 | Withheld | $32,438 | $44,078 | $44,906 |
| Psychology, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 96 | Withheld | Withheld | $37,754 | $39,288 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's | Associate's | 81 | Withheld | $33,350 | $51,001 | $48,733 |
| Biology, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 76 | Withheld | Withheld | $50,465 | $44,758 |
| Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 56 | Withheld | $13,445 | $22,671 | $26,307 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsCertificate | Certificate | 48 | Withheld | Withheld | $50,949 | $43,365 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's | Associate's | 47 | Withheld | Withheld | $113,244 | $80,813 |
| Biological and Physical SciencesAssociate's | Associate's | 46 | Withheld | Withheld | $77,094 | $50,181 |
| Human Services, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 31 | Withheld | Withheld | $44,787 | $39,422 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 30 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $31,135 |
| Design and Applied ArtsCertificate | Certificate | 27 | Withheld | Withheld | $63,359 | $36,116 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementAssociate's | Associate's | 24 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $54,726 |
| SociologyAssociate's | Associate's | 24 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $44,144 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsAssociate's | Associate's | 24 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Design and Applied ArtsAssociate's | Associate's | 23 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $38,127 |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 22 | Withheld | Withheld | $28,005 | $36,134 |
| Public Administration and Social Service Professions, OtherCertificate | Certificate | 21 | Withheld | Withheld | $36,712 | $43,573 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital CommunicationAssociate's | Associate's | 18 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $36,074 |
| Communication and Media StudiesAssociate's | Associate's | 17 | Withheld | Withheld | $60,716 | $43,243 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementCertificate | Certificate | 17 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $52,615 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 15 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $34,184 |
| Political Science and GovernmentAssociate's | Associate's | 13 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $45,147 |
| Fine and Studio ArtsAssociate's | Associate's | 12 | Withheld | Withheld | $71,302 | $31,650 |
| MathematicsAssociate's | Associate's | 10 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $59,929 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of San Diego and California on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in California
- Homes: Homes for sale in California
Questions and answers
How much does San Diego City College cost?
$7,935 a year is the average net price at San Diego City College after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $1,146 for in-state students and $10,002 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $21,202. Families earning under $30,000 pay $7,181 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at San Diego City College?
San Diego City College has open admission: it accepts students who meet its basic requirements, such as a high school diploma.
How much do San Diego City College graduates earn?
$38,503 a year is the median pay of former San Diego City College students who work, 10 years after they started ($31,504 after 6 years). That ranks 2,950 of 5,094 US colleges and 318 of 494 in California. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Business Administration, Management and Operations (Associate's) at $33,350.
How much student debt do San Diego City College graduates have?
$7,689 is the median federal student loan debt of San Diego City College graduates, about $82 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 1.6% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at San Diego City College?
30% of first-time, full-time students at San Diego City College finish within 6 years. 61% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at San Diego City College?
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (176 associate's graduates), Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (135 certificate graduates), Psychology, General (96 associate's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 121 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.