San Diego Mesa College

www.sdmesa.edu/

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2021 Undergraduate Tuition

$1,104

2021 Average Net Price

$7,663

After Financial Aid

2019 Student Loan

6.19%

Default Rate

2021 Enrolled Students

18,028

19.7% Full-Time

2021 Graduation Rate

30.8%

429 Graduates

About

San Diego Mesa College is a higher education institution located in San Diego County, CA. In 2021, the most popular Associates Degree concentrations at San Diego Mesa College were General Business Administration & Management (351 degrees awarded), Biological & Physical Sciences (131 degrees), and General Biological Sciences (121 degrees).

In 2021, 1,983 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at San Diego Mesa College. 58.5% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 41.5% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was hispanic or latino (743 degrees), 1.21 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, white (613 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at San Diego Mesa College is $1,104, which is $−6,864 less than the national average for Associates Colleges ($7,968).

Associates Colleges: High Transfer-High Traditional Associates Colleges

Costs

In 2021, the median undergraduate tuition at San Diego Mesa College is $1,104, which is $−6,864 less than the national average for Associates Colleges ($7,968).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $7,663.

In 2021, 38% of undergraduate students attending San Diego Mesa College received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 1% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$1,104

2021 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2021, the cost of tuition at San Diego Mesa College was $1,104. The cost of tuition at San Diego Mesa College is $−6,864 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Associates Colleges ($7,968).

This chart compares the tuition costs of San Diego Mesa College (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$7,663

2021 Value

0.604%

1 Year Growth

In 2021 San Diego Mesa College had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $7,663. Between 2020 and 2021, the average net price of San Diego Mesa College grew by 0.604%.

This chart compares the average net price of San Diego Mesa College (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$16,580

Room and Board

$1,126

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at San Diego Mesa College was of $16,580 in 2021. The cost of room and board increased by 9.92% between 2020 and 2021.

During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,126. The cost of books and supplies decreased by 42.8% during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at San Diego Mesa College (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid by Income Level

38%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

38% of undergraduate students at San Diego Mesa College received financial aid through grants or loans in 2021. This represents a decline of 2.56% with respect to 2020, when 39% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at San Diego Mesa College (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Student Loan Default Rate

Cohort default rates only account for borrowers who default in the first three years, and some schools only have a small proportion of borrowers entering repayment. These rates should be interpreted with caution, as they may not be reflective of the entire school population.

6.19%

2019 Default Rate

Number of Defaults

In 2019 the default rate for borrower's at San Diego Mesa College was 6.19%, which represents 19 out of the 307 total borrowers.

A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school's borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.

Enrollment

San Diego Mesa College had a total enrollment of 18,028 students in 2021. The full-time enrollment at San Diego Mesa College is 3,553 students and the part-time enrollment is 14,475. This means that 19.7% of students enrolled at San Diego Mesa College are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at San Diego Mesa College, both undergraduate and graduate, is 39.9% Hispanic or Latino, 28.9% White, 15% Asian, 7.58% Two or More Races, 6.1% Black or African American, 0.46% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.255% American Indian or Alaska Native.

Students enrolled at San Diego Mesa College in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly Hispanic or Latino Female (22.3%), followed by Hispanic or Latino Male (19.4%) and White Male (14.3%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

19.7%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at San Diego Mesa College in 2021, both undergraduate and graduate, is 18,028 students. The full-time enrollment at San Diego Mesa College is 3,553 and the part-time enrollment is 14,475. This means that 19.7% of students enrolled at San Diego Mesa College are enrolled full-time compared with 32.5% at similar Associates Colleges.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at San Diego Mesa College (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

65%

2015 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at San Diego Mesa College was 65%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Associates Colleges (60%), San Diego Mesa College had a retention rate higher than its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at San Diego Mesa College (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity (2021)

Hispanic or Latino
7,197 enrolled students
White
5,213 enrolled students
Asian
2,700 enrolled students

The enrolled student population at San Diego Mesa College is 39.9% Hispanic or Latino, 28.9% White, 15% Asian, 7.58% Two or More Races, 6.1% Black or African American, 0.46% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.255% American Indian or Alaska Native. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Associates Colleges is 44.1% White, 26.8% Hispanic or Latino, and 12.5% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 270 students (1.5%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2021, 339 more women than men received degrees from San Diego Mesa College. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at San Diego Mesa College is hispanic or latino (743 degrees awarded). There were 1.21 times more hispanic or latino recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white (613 degrees).

The most common Associates Degree concentration at San Diego Mesa College is General Business Administration & Management (351 degrees awarded), followed by Biological & Physical Sciences (131 degrees) and General Biological Sciences (121 degrees).

In 2021, the most specialized majors across all degree types at San Diego Mesa College, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Communication Technologies (20 degrees awarded), Language & Linguistics (43 degrees), and Interdisciplinary Studies (131 degrees).

Common Jobs by Major

Elementary & middle school teachers

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at San Diego Mesa College are Elementary & middle school teachers (173,520 people), Other managers (124,849 people), Postsecondary teachers (111,262 people), Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers (100,393 people), and Architects, except landscape and naval (98,404 people).

The most specialized majors at San Diego Mesa College in 2021 are Communication Technologies (20 degrees awarded), Language & Linguistics (43 degrees), Interdisciplinary Studies (131 degrees), Architecture and Related Services (14 degrees), and English (42 degrees) (as of 2021).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Surgeons

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at San Diego Mesa College are Surgeons, Physicians, Magnetic resonance imaging technologists, Nurse anesthetists, and Sales engineers

The most specialized majors at San Diego Mesa College are Communication Technologies (20 degrees awarded), Language & Linguistics (43 degrees), Interdisciplinary Studies (131 degrees), Architecture and Related Services (14 degrees), and English (42 degrees) (as of 2021).

Common Industries by Major

Elementary & secondary schools

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at San Diego Mesa College are Elementary & secondary schools (380,147 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (228,721 people), Architectural, engineering & related services (155,904 people), General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (141,578 people), and Computer Systems Design (105,697 people).

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by San Diego Mesa College.

Most Common (2021)

General Business Administration & Management
351 degree-majors awarded
Biological & Physical Sciences
131 degree-majors awarded
General Biological Sciences
121 degree-majors awarded

In 2021, the most common associates degree concentration at San Diego Mesa College was General Business Administration & Management with 351 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from associates degree programs at San Diego Mesa College according to their major.

Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

822

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2021

1,161

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2021

In 2021, 822 degrees were awarded to men at San Diego Mesa College, which is 0.708 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (1,161).

This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 majors at San Diego Mesa College by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2021, 200 degrees were awarded to men at San Diego Mesa College in General Business Administration & Management, which is 1.26 times more than the 159 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2021, 183 degrees were awarded to men at San Diego Mesa College in Liberal Arts & Sciences, which is 1.48 times more than the 124 male recipients with that same degree.

Graduation Rate by Race and Sex

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

Asian Female

Highest Graduation Rate (55.6%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate in 2021 at San Diego Mesa College is Female and Asian (55.6% graduation rate). Across all Associates Colleges, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (72.9%).

The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the graduation rate of those students is shown in the chart below. Additionally, 1.17% of graduates (5 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity (2021)

Hispanic or Latino
743 degrees awarded
White
613 degrees awarded
Asian
291 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at San Diego Mesa College is hispanic or latino (743 degrees awarded). There were 1.21 times more hispanic or latino recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white (613 degrees).

1.41% of degree recipients (28 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic (2021)

Hispanic or Latino Female
454 degrees awarded
White Female
348 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino Male
289 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at San Diego Mesa College is hispanic or latino female (454 degrees awarded). There were 1.3 times more hispanic or latino female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white female (348 degrees).

Operations

San Diego Mesa College employs 228 Instructors. Most academics at San Diego Mesa College are Female Instructor (131), and Male Instructor (97).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at San Diego Mesa College are: Office and Administrative Support, with 149 employees, Management, with 26 employees, and Librarians, Curators, Archivists, and Academic Affairs and Other Education Services with 7 employees.

Government Grants and Contracts

Grants & Contracts

$2.99M - Federal
$11.5M - State
$922k - Local

As of 2021, San Diego Mesa College received $2.99M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $11.5M from state grants and contracts, and $922k from local grants and contracts.

Salary Expenditure

$57.9M

2021 Salaries

5.46%

decline from 2020

In 2021, San Diego Mesa College paid a median of $57.9M in salaries, a 5.46% decline from the previous year.

The median for similar Associates Colleges is 16.4M (41.6% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$22.3M

Instructional Salaries

228

Number of Employees

In 2021, San Diego Mesa College paid a total of $22.3M to 228 employees working as instructors, which represents 38.4% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $5.1M (31.2%) for similar Associates Colleges.

Occupations by Share

Instructor

Most Common Instructor

228 Employees

Office and Administrative Support

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

149 Employees

In 2021, the most common positions for instructional staff at San Diego Mesa College was Instructor with 228 employees.

In 2021, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at San Diego Mesa College were Office and Administrative Support with 149 employees, Management with 26 employees, and Librarians, Curators, Archivists, and Academic Affairs and Other Education Services with 7 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Sex

Most Common Demographic (2021)

Female Instructor
Male Instructor

In 2021, the most common demographic for instructional staff at San Diego Mesa College was Female Instructor with 131 employees, and Male Instructor with 97 employees.

This chart shows the sex split between each academic rank present at San Diego Mesa College.