RHC vs. San Diego Mesa College

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

RHC San Diego Mesa College
Location Whittier, CA San Diego, CA
Setting Large Suburban Large City
Enrollment 16,139 18,076
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website riohondo.edu sdmesa.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

RHC San Diego Mesa College
Tuition (In State) $1,316 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $9,812 $7,400
Room & Board $17,782 $17,786
Avg Net Price $6,099 $8,506
Avg Grant Aid $5,037 $6,656
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 57%

Admission

RHC 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

RHC San Diego Mesa College
Student to Faculty Ratio 29:1 24:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (23%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (21%)
  • Work and Family Studies (19%)
  • Health Professions (14%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Business (27%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (16%)
  • Health Professions (14%)
  • General Studies (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (5%)

Outcomes

RHC San Diego Mesa College
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $38,500 $41,600
Making Student Loan Payments 34% 41%
Median Student Loan Debt N/A $4,500
Median Loan Payment N/A $46

Diversity

RHC San Diego Mesa College
% Men 58% 44%
% Women 42% 56%
Racial Diversity Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 8% 33%
% Black 2% 6%
% Hispanic 77% 35%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 1% 6%
% International 0% 2%
% Unknown Race 5% 2%

Students

RHC San Diego Mesa College
% In-State 99% 98%
% Out-of-State 0% 1%

Campus

RHC 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 RHC based on total student enrollment (18,076 students vs. 16,139 students)

RHC vs. San Diego Mesa College Cost Comparison

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

  • Rio Hondo College is 19.2% more expensive to attend than San Diego Mesa College for in-state tuition ($1,316.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 32.6% higher at RHC than San Diego Mesa College ($9,812.00 vs. $7,400.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Rio Hondo College than San Diego Mesa College ($6,099 vs. $8,506)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rio Hondo College are 0% lower than costs at San Diego Mesa College ($17,782 vs. $17,786)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Rio Hondo College than San Diego Mesa College (80% vs. 57%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by San Diego Mesa College students is 32.1% larger than aid received Rio Hondo College ($6,656 vs. $5,037)

Which college is harder to get into, RHC 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 RHC .

RHC vs. San Diego Mesa College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, RHC 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 RHC.

  • Graduates from San Diego Mesa College earn on average $3,100 more per year than RHC graduates after ten years. ($41,600 vs. $38,500)
  • More San Diego Mesa College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former RHC students, three years after graduation. (41% vs. 34%)

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