Cabrillo College vs. Cuesta College

Should I go to Cabrillo College or Cuesta College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Cabrillo College or Cuesta College is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Cabrillo College vs. Cuesta College comparison
Cabrillo College Cuesta College College 3 College 4
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Overview

 Cabrillo College Cuesta College
Location Aptos, CA San Luis Obispo, CA
Setting Midsize Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 9,149 9,908
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cabrillo.edu cuesta.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Cabrillo College Cuesta College
Tuition (In State) $1,104 $1,288
Tuition (Out of State) $8,472 $9,296
Room & Board $21,375 $17,784
Avg Net Price $18,992 $14,507
Avg Grant Aid $5,872 $4,559
% Receiving Grant Aid 81% 86%

Admission

 Cabrillo College Cuesta College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - -
Admitted - -
Acceptance Rate Open Open
Enrolled % Open Open
Avg High School GPA - -
Typical High School Grades - -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores
Application Deadline Apr 9, 2025 Aug 13, 2025

Academics

 Cabrillo College Cuesta College
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 27:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (40%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (4%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (56%)
  • Health Professions (12%)
  • General Studies (8%)
  • Business (6%)
  • Mechanic and Repair Technologies (2%)

Outcomes

 Cabrillo College Cuesta College
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,200 $40,800
Making Student Loan Payments 40% 51%
Median Student Loan Debt $10,500 $11,250
Median Loan Payment $108 $116

Diversity

 Cabrillo College Cuesta College
% Men 44% 49%
% Women 56% 51%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 48% 62%
% Black 1% 2%
% Hispanic 40% 27%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 5%
% International 1% 0%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 Cabrillo College Cuesta College
% In-State 96% 95%
% Out-of-State 0% 0%

Campus

 Cabrillo College Cuesta College
Campus Housing No No
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No No
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Cuesta College is larger than than Cabrillo College based on total student enrollment (9,908 students vs. 9,149 students)

Cabrillo College vs. Cuesta College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cabrillo College or Cuesta College?

  • Cuesta College is 16.7% more expensive to attend than Cabrillo College for in-state tuition ($1,288.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 9.7% higher at Cuesta College than Cabrillo College ($9,296.00 vs. $8,472.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Cuesta College than Cabrillo College ($14,507 vs. $18,992)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cuesta College are 20.2% lower than costs at Cabrillo College ($17,784 vs. $21,375)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Cuesta College than Cabrillo College (86% vs. 81%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Cabrillo College students is 28.8% larger than aid received Cuesta College ($5,872 vs. $4,559)

Which college is harder to get into, Cabrillo College or Cuesta College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Cuesta College or Cabrillo College .

Cabrillo College vs. Cuesta College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Cabrillo College or Cuesta College? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Cuesta College and Cabrillo College.

  • Graduates from Cuesta College earn on average $600 more per year than Cabrillo College graduates after ten years. ($40,800 vs. $40,200)
  • Cabrillo College students graduate with a $750 lower median federal student loan debt than Cuesta College graduates. ($10,500 vs. $11,250)
  • Cabrillo College graduates are paying $8 less per month on federal student loans than Cuesta College graduates. ($108 vs. $116)
  • More Cuesta College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Cabrillo College students, three years after graduation. (51% vs. 40%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/