Cerro Coso Community College vs. San Diego Mesa College

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

 Cerro Coso Community College San Diego Mesa College
Location Ridgecrest, CA San Diego, CA
Setting Rural Fringe Large City
Enrollment 4,919 18,076
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cerrocoso.edu sdmesa.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Cerro Coso Community College San Diego Mesa College
Tuition (In State) $1,380 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $9,510 $7,400
Room & Board $17,253 $17,786
Avg Net Price $11,826 $8,506
Avg Grant Aid $6,596 $6,656
% Receiving Grant Aid 74% 57%

Admission

 Cerro Coso Community 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 Aug 20, 2025

Academics

 Cerro Coso Community College San Diego Mesa College
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 24:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (50%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (6%)
  • Health Professions (4%)
  • Business (27%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (16%)
  • Health Professions (14%)
  • General Studies (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (5%)

Outcomes

 Cerro Coso Community College San Diego Mesa College
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $32,600 $41,600
Making Student Loan Payments - 41%
Median Student Loan Debt N/A $4,500
Median Loan Payment N/A $46

Diversity

 Cerro Coso Community College San Diego Mesa College
% Men 43% 44%
% Women 57% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 46% 33%
% Black 4% 6%
% Hispanic 39% 35%
% Native American 2% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 5% 6%
% International 0% 2%
% Unknown Race 0% 2%

Students

 Cerro Coso Community College San Diego Mesa College
% In-State 99% 98%
% Out-of-State 1% 1%

Campus

 Cerro Coso Community 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 Cerro Coso Community College based on total student enrollment (18,076 students vs. 4,919 students)

Cerro Coso Community College vs. San Diego Mesa College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cerro Coso Community College or San Diego Mesa College?

  • Cerro Coso Community College is 25% more expensive to attend than San Diego Mesa College for in-state tuition ($1,380.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 28.5% higher at Cerro Coso Community College than San Diego Mesa College ($9,510.00 vs. $7,400.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at San Diego Mesa College than Cerro Coso Community College ($8,506 vs. $11,826)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cerro Coso Community College are 3.1% lower than costs at San Diego Mesa College ($17,253 vs. $17,786)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Cerro Coso Community College than San Diego Mesa College (74% vs. 57%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by San Diego Mesa College students is 0.9% larger than aid received Cerro Coso Community College ($6,656 vs. $6,596)

Which college is harder to get into, Cerro Coso Community 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 Cerro Coso Community College .

Cerro Coso Community College vs. San Diego Mesa College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Cerro Coso Community 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 Cerro Coso Community College.

  • Graduates from San Diego Mesa College earn on average $9,000 more per year than Cerro Coso Community College graduates after ten years. ($41,600 vs. $32,600)

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