Barstow Community College vs. San Diego Mesa College

Comparable Facts

Compare Barstow Community College in Barstow, CA with San Diego Mesa College in San Diego, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

San Diego Mesa College is larger than Barstow Community College based on total student enrollment (19,212 students vs. 3,226 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Barstow Community College is located in Barstow, CA (Distant Town setting); San Diego Mesa College is in San Diego, CA (Large City setting).
• Barstow Community College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. San Diego Mesa College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Barstow Community College 26:1; San Diego Mesa College 23:1.

Barstow Community College vs. San Diego Mesa College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Barstow Community College or San Diego Mesa College? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at San Diego Mesa College than Barstow Community College ($10,316 vs. $14,048).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Barstow Community College are 29.3% lower than at San Diego Mesa College ($22,086 vs. $31,243).
• San Diego Mesa College is 3.8% more expensive for in-state tuition than Barstow Community College (about $42 more per year; $1,146.00 vs. $1,104.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 2.6% higher at San Diego Mesa College than at Barstow Community College (about $258 more per year; $10,002.00 vs. $9,744.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Barstow Community College than at San Diego Mesa College (91% vs. 79%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by San Diego Mesa College students is 4.9% larger than aid received by Barstow Community College students ($8,252 vs. $7,866).

Barstow Community College vs. San Diego Mesa College Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Barstow Community College or San Diego Mesa College? Typical SAT and ACT scores (midpoint estimates from the mid-50% ranges in the table above), enrolled-tester score ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between San Diego Mesa College and Barstow Community College.

• Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Barstow Community College - Open admission; San Diego Mesa College - Open admission.

Barstow Community College vs. San Diego Mesa College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Barstow Community College and San Diego Mesa College? Where federal data is available for both schools, the bullets below compare graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt using the same College Scorecard / IPEDS fields as the comparison table. If a metric is missing for one school, that school is noted separately.

• Graduates from San Diego Mesa College earn a median of about $6,700 more per year than Barstow Community College graduates about ten years after starting college ($41,600 vs. $34,900), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.