Cuesta College vs. De Anza College

Deciding between Cuesta College and De Anza College? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

De Anza College

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • Cuesta College San Luis Obispo, CA
  • De Anza College Cupertino, CA
  • Setting
  • Cuesta College Rural Fringe
  • De Anza College Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • Cuesta College 11,283
  • De Anza College 17,425
  • Type
  • Cuesta College Public 2 Year
  • De Anza College Public 2 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Cuesta College
  • De Anza College
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Cuesta College -
  • De Anza College -
  • Status
  • Cuesta College Non-profit
  • De Anza College Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Cuesta College
  • De Anza College
  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Cuesta College $1,350
  • De Anza College $1,571
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Cuesta College $11,010
  • De Anza College $12,596
  • Room & Board
  • Cuesta College $22,086
  • De Anza College $20,791
  • Average Net Price
  • Cuesta College $16,541
  • De Anza College $9,693
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Cuesta College $4,143
  • De Anza College $4,509
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Cuesta College 75%
  • De Anza College 69%
  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • Cuesta College -
  • De Anza College -
  • Admitted
  • Cuesta College -
  • De Anza College -
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Cuesta College Open
  • De Anza College Open
  • Enrolled
  • Cuesta College Open
  • De Anza College Open
  • Typical SAT score
  • Cuesta College
  • De Anza College
  • Typical ACT score
  • Cuesta College
  • De Anza College
  • Average High School GPA
  • Cuesta College -
  • De Anza College -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • Cuesta College -
  • De Anza College -
  • Admissions Standards
  • Cuesta College Unavailable
  • De Anza College Unavailable
  • Applicant Competition
  • Cuesta College
  • De Anza College
  • ACT Range
  • Cuesta College
  • De Anza College
  • SAT Range
  • Cuesta College
  • De Anza College
  • Submit Test Scores
  • Cuesta College Open admission
  • De Anza College Open admission
  • Application Deadline
  • Cuesta College Aug 13, 2027
  • De Anza College
  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • Cuesta College 27:1
  • De Anza College 28:1
  • Popular Majors
  • Cuesta College
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (56%)
    • Health Professions (12%)
    • General Studies (8%)
    • Business (6%)
    • Mechanic and Repair Technologies (2%)
  • De Anza College
    • Business (27%)
    • Social Sciences (18%)
    • Health Professions (11%)
    • General Studies (9%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • Cuesta College -
  • De Anza College -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • Cuesta College $40,800
  • De Anza College $47,900
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • Cuesta College 51%
  • De Anza College 39%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • Cuesta College $11,250
  • De Anza College N/A
  • Median Loan Payment
  • Cuesta College $116
  • De Anza College N/A
  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Cuesta College 49%
  • De Anza College 52%
  • % Women
  • Cuesta College 51%
  • De Anza College 48%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Cuesta College Medium
  • De Anza College Very High
  • HBCU
  • Cuesta College No
  • De Anza College No
  • % White
  • Cuesta College 62%
  • De Anza College 19%
  • % Asian
  • Cuesta College 3%
  • De Anza College 35%
  • % Black
  • Cuesta College 2%
  • De Anza College 3%
  • % Hispanic
  • Cuesta College 27%
  • De Anza College 26%
  • % Native American
  • Cuesta College 1%
  • De Anza College 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Cuesta College 0%
  • De Anza College 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Cuesta College 5%
  • De Anza College 4%
  • % International
  • Cuesta College 0%
  • De Anza College 11%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Cuesta College 1%
  • De Anza College 1%
  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Cuesta College 94%
  • De Anza College 81%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Cuesta College 0%
  • De Anza College 0%
  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • Cuesta College No
  • De Anza College No
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • Cuesta College No
  • De Anza College No
  • Meal Plan
  • Cuesta College No
  • De Anza College No
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • Cuesta College Yes
  • De Anza College No
  • Daycare Facility
  • Cuesta College Yes
  • De Anza College Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, CA with De Anza College in Cupertino, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

De Anza College is larger than Cuesta College based on total student enrollment (17,425 students vs. 11,283 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Cuesta College is located in San Luis Obispo, CA (Rural Fringe setting); De Anza College is in Cupertino, CA (Small City setting).
  • Cuesta College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. De Anza College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Cuesta College 27:1; De Anza College 28:1.

Cuesta College vs. De Anza College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cuesta College or De Anza 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 De Anza College than Cuesta College ($9,693 vs. $16,541).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at De Anza College are 5.9% lower than at Cuesta College ($20,791 vs. $22,086).
  • De Anza College is 16.4% more expensive for in-state tuition than Cuesta College (about $221 more per year; $1,571.00 vs. $1,350.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 14.4% higher at De Anza College than at Cuesta College (about $1,586 more per year; $12,596.00 vs. $11,010.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Cuesta College than at De Anza College (75% vs. 69%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by De Anza College students is 8.8% larger than aid received by Cuesta College students ($4,509 vs. $4,143).

Cuesta College vs. De Anza College Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Cuesta College or De Anza College? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between De Anza College and Cuesta College.

  • Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Cuesta College - Open admission; De Anza College - Open admission.
  • Typical fall application deadline: Cuesta College Aug 13, 2027.

Cuesta College vs. De Anza College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Cuesta College and De Anza College? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Graduates from De Anza College earn a median of about $7,100 more per year than Cuesta College graduates about ten years after starting college ($47,900 vs. $40,800), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • More Cuesta College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former De Anza College students, three years after graduation. (51% vs. 39%)

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.