San Diego Mesa College vs. California Indian Nations College

Comparable Facts

Compare San Diego Mesa College in San Diego, CA with California Indian Nations College in Palm Desert, California on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

San Diego Mesa College is larger than California Indian Nations College based on total student enrollment (19,212 students vs. 154 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• San Diego Mesa College is located in San Diego, CA (Large City setting); California Indian Nations College is in Palm Desert, California (Small City setting).
• San Diego Mesa College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. California Indian Nations College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: San Diego Mesa College 23:1; California Indian Nations College 6:1.

San Diego Mesa College vs. California Indian Nations College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, San Diego Mesa College or California Indian Nations 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 San Diego Mesa College than California Indian Nations College ($10,316 vs. $17,737).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California Indian Nations College are 34.6% lower than at San Diego Mesa College ($20,446 vs. $31,243).
• California Indian Nations College is 575.7% more expensive for in-state tuition than San Diego Mesa College (about $6,597 more per year; $7,743.00 vs. $1,146.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 29.2% higher at San Diego Mesa College than at California Indian Nations College (about $2,259 more per year; $10,002.00 vs. $7,743.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at California Indian Nations College than at San Diego Mesa College (100% vs. 79%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by San Diego Mesa College students is 54% larger than aid received by California Indian Nations College students ($8,252 vs. $5,360).

San Diego Mesa College vs. California Indian Nations College Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, San Diego Mesa College or California Indian Nations College? Typical SAT and ACT scores (midpoint estimates from the mid-50% ranges in the table above), enrolled-tester score ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between California Indian Nations College and San Diego Mesa College.

• Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: San Diego Mesa College - Open admission; California Indian Nations College - Open admission.

San Diego Mesa College vs. California Indian Nations College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for San Diego Mesa College and California Indian Nations College? Where federal data is available for both schools, the bullets below compare graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt using the same College Scorecard / IPEDS fields as the comparison table. If a metric is missing for one school, that school is noted separately.

• Graduates from San Diego Mesa College have median earnings of about $41,600 about ten years after starting college (College Scorecard). Comparable earnings data is not available for California Indian Nations College.

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.