Cuesta College vs. Orange Coast College

Should I go to Cuesta College or Orange Coast College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Cuesta College or Orange Coast 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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Cuesta College vs. Orange Coast College comparison
Cuesta College Orange Coast College College 3 College 4
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Overview

 Cuesta College Orange Coast College
Location San Luis Obispo, CA Costa Mesa, CA
Setting Rural Fringe Midsize City
Enrollment 9,908 16,614
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cuesta.edu orangecoastcollege.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Cuesta College Orange Coast College
Tuition (In State) $1,288 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $9,296 $8,664
Room & Board $17,784 $17,297
Avg Net Price $14,507 $6,744
Avg Grant Aid $4,559 $6,411
% Receiving Grant Aid 86% 72%

Admission

 Cuesta College Orange Coast 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 13, 2025

Academics

 Cuesta College Orange Coast College
Student to Faculty Ratio 27:1 27:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (56%)
  • Health Professions (12%)
  • General Studies (8%)
  • Business (6%)
  • Mechanic and Repair Technologies (2%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (22%)
  • Health Professions (15%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Psychology (4%)

Outcomes

 Cuesta College Orange Coast College
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,800 $42,200
Making Student Loan Payments 51% 51%
Median Student Loan Debt $11,250 $6,500
Median Loan Payment $116 $67

Diversity

 Cuesta College Orange Coast College
% Men 49% 50%
% Women 51% 50%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 62% 34%
% Black 2% 2%
% Hispanic 27% 33%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 4%
% International 0% 5%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 Cuesta College Orange Coast College
% In-State 95% 90%
% Out-of-State 0% 2%

Campus

 Cuesta College Orange Coast 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

  • Orange Coast College is larger than than Cuesta College based on total student enrollment (16,614 students vs. 9,908 students)

Cuesta College vs. Orange Coast College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cuesta College or Orange Coast College?

  • Cuesta College is 16.7% more expensive to attend than Orange Coast College for in-state tuition ($1,288.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 7.3% higher at Cuesta College than Orange Coast College ($9,296.00 vs. $8,664.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Orange Coast College than Cuesta College ($6,744 vs. $14,507)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Orange Coast College are 2.8% lower than costs at Cuesta College ($17,297 vs. $17,784)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Cuesta College than Orange Coast College (86% vs. 72%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Orange Coast College students is 40.6% larger than aid received Cuesta College ($6,411 vs. $4,559)

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

Cuesta College vs. Orange Coast College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Cuesta College or Orange Coast 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 Orange Coast College and Cuesta College.

  • Graduates from Orange Coast College earn on average $1,400 more per year than Cuesta College graduates after ten years. ($42,200 vs. $40,800)
  • Orange Coast College students graduate with a $4,750 lower median federal student loan debt than Cuesta College graduates. ($6,500 vs. $11,250)
  • Orange Coast College graduates are paying $49 less per month on federal student loans than Cuesta College graduates. ($67 vs. $116)
  • More Cuesta College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Orange Coast College students, three years after graduation. (51% vs. 51%)

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