San Diego Mesa College
San Diego, California · Website
$45,120
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$45,120
median earnings, 10 years after starting
San Diego Mesa College is a public 4-year college in San Diego, California with 16,098 undergraduates. Its average net price after grants is $5,814 a year (tuition and fees $1,146 in-state, $10,002 out-of-state). 35% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $45,120 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $4,725 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$5,814
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$1,146
Out-of-state $10,002
Admission rate
Open
Completion rate
35%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$4,725
About $50 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$45,120
Rank 1,998 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
- $5,814
- Tuition in-state
- $1,146
- Tuition out-of-state
- $10,002
- Cost of attendance
- $19,371
- Students with a need-based grant
- 16%
- Students with federal loans
- 1.8%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $3,842
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $5,316
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $8,883
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $13,576
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $13,977
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
- 16,098
- Part-time students
- 83%
- Women
- 55%
- Students per teacher
- 23
- Completion rate
- 35%
- Highest degree
- Bachelor's degree
- Programs
- 130
- 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 1,998 of 5,094 US colleges and 204 of 494 in California (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | CA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $5,814 | $20,161 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $1,146 | $8,086 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | - | 76% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 35% | 64% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | - | 80% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $4,725 | $11,537 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $35,773 | $36,048 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $45,120 | $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. 44% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 60% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
130 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's | Associate's | 254 | Withheld | $40,642 | $59,220 | $48,733 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesCertificate | Certificate | 156 | Withheld | $33,015 | $49,676 | $44,906 |
| Psychology, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 119 | Withheld | $26,229 | $48,650 | $39,288 |
| Biology, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 106 | Withheld | Withheld | $49,919 | $44,758 |
| Biological and Physical SciencesAssociate's | Associate's | 105 | Withheld | $19,521 | $51,936 | $50,181 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's | Associate's | 101 | Withheld | Withheld | $44,652 | $44,125 |
| Health and Medical Administrative ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 52 | Withheld | Withheld | $50,872 | $37,073 |
| Fine and Studio ArtsAssociate's | Associate's | 45 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $31,650 |
| Communication and Media StudiesAssociate's | Associate's | 42 | Withheld | Withheld | $56,321 | $43,243 |
| MathematicsAssociate's | Associate's | 35 | Withheld | Withheld | $62,616 | $59,929 |
| Computer ScienceAssociate's | Associate's | 33 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Design and Applied ArtsAssociate's | Associate's | 32 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $38,127 |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 31 | Withheld | Withheld | $57,592 | $42,269 |
| Political Science and GovernmentAssociate's | Associate's | 29 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $45,147 |
| SociologyAssociate's | Associate's | 28 | Withheld | Withheld | $46,618 | $44,144 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsAssociate's | Associate's | 28 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $65,389 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 27 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $34,184 |
| Business/Commerce, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 27 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $49,927 |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 26 | Withheld | Withheld | $41,826 | $36,134 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 22 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $47,660 |
| HistoryAssociate's | Associate's | 21 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $38,929 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessAssociate's | Associate's | 20 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $40,162 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and LinguisticsAssociate's | Associate's | 19 | Withheld | Withheld | $36,098 | $40,755 |
| Health and Medical Administrative ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 19 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $58,716 |
| EconomicsAssociate's | Associate's | 18 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $53,068 |
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 Mesa College cost?
$5,814 a year is the average net price at San Diego Mesa 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 $19,371. Families earning under $30,000 pay $3,842 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at San Diego Mesa College?
San Diego Mesa College has open admission: it accepts students who meet its basic requirements, such as a high school diploma.
How much do San Diego Mesa College graduates earn?
$45,120 a year is the median pay of former San Diego Mesa College students who work, 10 years after they started ($35,773 after 6 years). That ranks 1,998 of 5,094 US colleges and 204 of 494 in California. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Business Administration, Management and Operations (Associate's) at $40,642.
How much student debt do San Diego Mesa College graduates have?
$4,725 is the median federal student loan debt of San Diego Mesa College graduates, about $50 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 1.8% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at San Diego Mesa College?
35% of first-time, full-time students at San Diego Mesa College finish within 6 years. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at San Diego Mesa College?
Business Administration, Management and Operations (254 associate's graduates), Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (156 certificate graduates), Psychology, General (119 associate's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 130 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.