Southwestern College
Chula Vista, California · Also known as Southwestern Community College District · Website
$40,060
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$40,060
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Southwestern College is a public 2-year college in Chula Vista, California with 18,614 undergraduates. Its average net price after grants is $12,671 a year (tuition and fees $1,344 in-state, $10,640 out-of-state). 36% of students finish within 3 years. Former students earn a median $40,060 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $4,500 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$12,671
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$1,344
Out-of-state $10,640
Admission rate
Open
Completion rate
36%
Within 3 years, US 58%
Median debt
$4,500
About $48 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$40,060
Rank 2,680 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
- $12,671
- Tuition in-state
- $1,344
- Tuition out-of-state
- $10,640
- Cost of attendance
- $22,104
- Students with a need-based grant
- 36%
- Students with federal loans
- 5.2%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $11,380
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $11,634
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $14,332
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $18,484
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $20,045
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 $1,336 in 2015-16 to $1,344 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
- 18,614
- Part-time students
- 57%
- Women
- 53%
- Students per teacher
- 26
- Completion rate
- 36%
- Retention rate
- 70%
- Highest degree
- Associate's degree
- Programs
- 135
- Endowment
- $3.00M
- 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 2,680 of 5,094 US colleges and 274 of 494 in California (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | CA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $12,671 | $20,161 | $7,702 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $1,344 | $8,086 | $4,656 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | - | 76% | 79% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 36% | 64% | 38% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 70% | 80% | 64% | 75% |
| Median debt | $4,500 | $11,537 | $10,417 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $33,970 | $36,048 | $33,563 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $40,060 | $41,472 | $38,555 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 2-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 38% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 58% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
135 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 HumanitiesCertificate | Certificate | 458 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $44,906 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's | Associate's | 280 | Withheld | Withheld | $51,082 | $48,733 |
| Psychology, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 199 | Withheld | Withheld | $41,995 | $39,288 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's | Associate's | 189 | Withheld | Withheld | $39,527 | $44,125 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsAssociate's | Associate's | 155 | Withheld | $30,983 | $49,689 | $46,706 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsCertificate | Certificate | 133 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $57,584 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 131 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing AssistantsCertificate | Certificate | 122 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $56,073 |
| Biological and Physical SciencesAssociate's | Associate's | 117 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $50,181 |
| SociologyAssociate's | Associate's | 102 | Withheld | Withheld | $42,170 | $44,144 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's | Associate's | 62 | Withheld | Withheld | $113,302 | $80,813 |
| Human Services, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 49 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $39,422 |
| EconomicsAssociate's | Associate's | 48 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $53,068 |
| Communication and Media StudiesAssociate's | Associate's | 39 | Withheld | Withheld | $37,303 | $43,243 |
| Special Education and TeachingAssociate's | Associate's | 38 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Health and Medical Administrative ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 38 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $35,447 |
| Real EstateCertificate | Certificate | 37 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $46,762 |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 35 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $36,134 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessAssociate's | Associate's | 35 | Withheld | Withheld | $41,171 | $40,162 |
| Fine and Studio ArtsAssociate's | Associate's | 35 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $31,650 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsAssociate's | Associate's | 33 | Withheld | $67,733 | $59,070 | $61,982 |
| Computer ScienceAssociate's | Associate's | 32 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 32 | Withheld | Withheld | $33,801 | $34,184 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital CommunicationAssociate's | Associate's | 31 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $36,074 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 31 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $47,660 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Chula Vista and California on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in California
- Homes: Homes for sale in California
Questions and answers
How much does Southwestern College cost?
$12,671 a year is the average net price at Southwestern College after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $1,344 for in-state students and $10,640 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $22,104. Families earning under $30,000 pay $11,380 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Southwestern College?
Southwestern College has open admission: it accepts students who meet its basic requirements, such as a high school diploma.
How much do Southwestern College graduates earn?
$40,060 a year is the median pay of former Southwestern College students who work, 10 years after they started ($33,970 after 6 years). That ranks 2,680 of 5,094 US colleges and 274 of 494 in California. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Dental Support Services and Allied Professions (Associate's) at $67,733.
How much student debt do Southwestern College graduates have?
$4,500 is the median federal student loan debt of Southwestern College graduates, about $48 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 5.2% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Southwestern College?
36% of first-time, full-time students at Southwestern College finish within 3 years. 70% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 2-year colleges is 38%.
What are the most popular majors at Southwestern College?
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (458 certificate graduates), Business Administration, Management and Operations (280 associate's graduates), Psychology, General (199 associate's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 135 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.