Cabrillo College vs. San Diego Mesa College

Should I go to Cabrillo College or San Diego Mesa College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Cabrillo College or San Diego Mesa 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. San Diego Mesa College comparison
Cabrillo College San Diego Mesa College College 3 College 4
San Diego Mesa College
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Overview

Cabrillo College San Diego Mesa College
Location Aptos, CA San Diego, CA
Setting Midsize Suburban Large City
Enrollment 9,149 18,076
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cabrillo.edu sdmesa.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Cabrillo College San Diego Mesa College
Tuition (In State) $1,104 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $8,472 $7,400
Room & Board $21,375 $17,786
Avg Net Price $18,992 $8,506
Avg Grant Aid $5,872 $6,656
% Receiving Grant Aid 81% 57%

Admission

Cabrillo College San Diego Mesa 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

Academics

Cabrillo College San Diego Mesa College
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 24:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (40%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (4%)
  • Business (27%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (16%)
  • Health Professions (14%)
  • General Studies (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (5%)

Outcomes

Cabrillo College San Diego Mesa College
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,200 $41,600
Making Student Loan Payments 40% 41%
Median Student Loan Debt $10,500 $4,500
Median Loan Payment $108 $46

Diversity

Cabrillo College San Diego Mesa College
% Men 44% 44%
% Women 56% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 48% 33%
% Black 1% 6%
% Hispanic 40% 35%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 5% 6%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

Cabrillo College San Diego Mesa College
% In-State 96% 98%
% Out-of-State 0% 1%

Campus

Cabrillo College San Diego Mesa 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

  • San Diego Mesa College is larger than than Cabrillo College based on total student enrollment (18,076 students vs. 9,149 students)

Cabrillo College vs. San Diego Mesa College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cabrillo College or San Diego Mesa College?

  • Cabrillo College and San Diego Mesa College cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($1,104.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 14.5% higher at Cabrillo College than San Diego Mesa College ($8,472.00 vs. $7,400.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at San Diego Mesa College than Cabrillo College ($8,506 vs. $18,992)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at San Diego Mesa College are 20.2% lower than costs at Cabrillo College ($17,786 vs. $21,375)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Cabrillo College than San Diego Mesa College (81% vs. 57%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by San Diego Mesa College students is 13.4% larger than aid received Cabrillo College ($6,656 vs. $5,872)

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

Cabrillo College vs. San Diego Mesa College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Cabrillo College or San Diego Mesa 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 San Diego Mesa College and Cabrillo College.

  • Graduates from San Diego Mesa College earn on average $1,400 more per year than Cabrillo College graduates after ten years. ($41,600 vs. $40,200)
  • San Diego Mesa College students graduate with a $6,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Cabrillo College graduates. ($4,500 vs. $10,500)
  • San Diego Mesa College graduates are paying $62 less per month on federal student loans than Cabrillo College graduates. ($46 vs. $108)
  • More San Diego Mesa College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Cabrillo College students, three years after graduation. (41% vs. 40%)

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