San Diego Mesa College vs. SBCC

Should I go to San Diego Mesa College or Santa Barbara City College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if San Diego Mesa College or SBCC 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools
San Diego Mesa College vs. Santa Barbara City College comparison
San Diego Mesa College Santa Barbara City College College 3 College 4
San Diego Mesa College Santa Barbara City College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

San Diego Mesa College SBCC
Location San Diego, CA Santa Barbara, CA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 18,076 12,675
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website sdmesa.edu sbcc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

San Diego Mesa College SBCC
Tuition (In State) $1,104 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $7,400 $8,760
Room & Board $17,786 $17,784
Avg Net Price $8,506 $14,180
Avg Grant Aid $6,656 $4,496
% Receiving Grant Aid 57% 64%

Admission

San Diego Mesa College SBCC
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 19, 2025

Academics

San Diego Mesa College SBCC
Student to Faculty Ratio 24:1 37:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (27%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (16%)
  • Health Professions (14%)
  • General Studies (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (5%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (54%)
  • General Studies (13%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Business (4%)
  • Social Sciences (3%)

Outcomes

San Diego Mesa College SBCC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $41,600 $40,400
Making Student Loan Payments 41% 39%
Median Student Loan Debt $4,500 $9,500
Median Loan Payment $46 $98

Diversity

San Diego Mesa College SBCC
% Men 44% 44%
% Women 56% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 33% 41%
% Black 6% 4%
% Hispanic 35% 33%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 5%
% International 2% 9%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

San Diego Mesa College SBCC
% In-State 98% 80%
% Out-of-State 1% 0%

Campus

San Diego Mesa College SBCC
Campus Housing No No
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No No
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • San Diego Mesa College is larger than than SBCC based on total student enrollment (18,076 students vs. 12,675 students)

San Diego Mesa College vs. SBCC Cost Comparison

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

  • San Diego Mesa College and SBCC cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($1,104.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 18.4% higher at SBCC than San Diego Mesa College ($8,760.00 vs. $7,400.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at San Diego Mesa College than SBCC ($8,506 vs. $14,180)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Barbara City College are 0% lower than costs at San Diego Mesa College ($17,784 vs. $17,786)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Santa Barbara City College than San Diego Mesa College (64% vs. 57%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by San Diego Mesa College students is 48% larger than aid received Santa Barbara City College ($6,656 vs. $4,496)

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

San Diego Mesa College vs. SBCC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, San Diego Mesa College or SBCC? 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 SBCC and San Diego Mesa College.

  • Graduates from San Diego Mesa College earn on average $1,200 more per year than SBCC graduates after ten years. ($41,600 vs. $40,400)
  • San Diego Mesa College students graduate with a $5,000 lower median federal student loan debt than SBCC graduates. ($4,500 vs. $9,500)
  • San Diego Mesa College graduates are paying $52 less per month on federal student loans than SBCC graduates. ($46 vs. $98)
  • More San Diego Mesa College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SBCC students, three years after graduation. (41% vs. 39%)

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