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Huntington Beach, CA · Oceanside, CA
| Golden West College | MiraCosta College | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | ||
| Price after aid (average) | $4,824/yr | $7,339/yr |
| Price after aid (family income under $30k) | $3,417/yr | $6,535/yr |
| Typical loan debt at graduation | $7,179 | $9,000 |
| Price after aid ($30k–$48k income) | $4,126/yr | $5,560/yr |
| Price after aid ($48k–$75k income) | $7,481/yr | $9,222/yr |
| Price after aid ($75k–$110k income) | $10,405/yr | $11,172/yr |
| Price after aid (income over $110k) | No data reported | $12,855/yr |
| Typical loan payment after graduation | $76/mo | $95/mo |
| Room & board (off campus) | $23,659/yr | $34,328/yr |
| Borrowers who default | 0% | 0% |
| Books & supplies | $1,465/yr | $1,062/yr |
| Sticker price (before aid) | $14,618/yr | $15,531/yr |
| Tuition (in-state) | $1,380/yr | $1,158/yr |
| Tuition (out-of-state) | $11,628/yr | $9,750/yr |
| Students with Pell Grants | 23% | 27% |
| Students taking federal loans | 1.6% | 2.3% |
| Getting in | ||
| SAT/ACT policy | Open admission (everyone qualified gets in) | Open admission (everyone qualified gets in) |
| Graduation & earnings | ||
| Students who graduate | 49% | 41% |
| Freshmen who come back | 70% | 91% |
| Typical earnings 10 years in | $43,145/yr | $43,845/yr |
| Earnings range 10 years in | $19,505–$72,461 | $22,652–$64,861 |
| Finish within 8 years (anywhere) | 29% | 30% |
| White students graduating | No data reported | 48% |
| Black students graduating | No data reported | 31% |
| Hispanic students graduating | No data reported | 34% |
| Asian students graduating | No data reported | 64% |
| Typical earnings 6 years in | $34,462/yr | $37,965/yr |
| Earn more than a HS grad | 57% | 52% |
| Graduate on time | 18% | 91% |
| Pell students who graduate | No data reported | 19% |
| First-gen students who finish | 19% | 18% |
| Low-income students who finish | 19% | 17% |
| Students who transfer out | 11% | 9.9% |
| Typical earnings 8 years in | $40,575/yr | $40,003/yr |
| Majors & programs | ||
| Top 3 programs | Liberal Arts & General Studies 61% · Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies 7% · Business, Management & Marketing 5% | Liberal Arts & General Studies 41% · Business, Management & Marketing 12% · Family & Consumer Sciences 7% |
| Most popular program | Liberal Arts & General Studies — 61% of degrees | Liberal Arts & General Studies — 41% of degrees |
| 2nd most popular program | Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies — 7% of degrees | Business, Management & Marketing — 12% of degrees |
| 3rd most popular program | Business, Management & Marketing — 5% of degrees | Family & Consumer Sciences — 7% of degrees |
| 4th most popular program | Social Sciences — 4% of degrees | Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies — 6% of degrees |
| 5th most popular program | Homeland Security & Protective Services — 3% of degrees | Health Professions — 5% of degrees |
| Highest-paying major (1 year out) | Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing — $82,984/yr | No data reported |
| Degrees in STEM | 5.9% | 9.3% |
| Campus & students | ||
| Undergrad enrollment | 9,034 | 10,278 |
| Students per professor | 29 : 1 | 18 : 1 |
| Average professor pay | $14,009/mo | $14,957/mo |
| Full-time professors | 31% | 23% |
| Fully online | No | No |
| Accredited by | Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges | Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges |
| Median family income | $17,597 | $19,811 |
| Setting | Suburb (large) | Suburb (large) |
| Location | Huntington Beach, CA | Oceanside, CA |
| Region | Far West | Far West |
| Founded | 1965 | 1934 |
| Public or private | Public | Public |
| Main degree offered | Associate degrees | Associate degrees |
| Carnegie classification | Associate's Colleges: High Transfer-Mixed Traditional/Nontraditional | Baccalaureate/Associate's Colleges: Associate's Dominant |
| Main or branch campus | Main campus | Main campus |
| International students | 2.8% | 0.7% |
| Men | 47% | 42% |
| Women | 53% | 58% |
| White students | 24% | 33% |
| Black students | 1.8% | 3.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino students | 33% | 45% |
| Asian students | 30% | 7% |
| Two or more races | 4.9% | 7% |
| Other / not reported | 3.3% | 3.4% |
| Special type | None | None |
| First-generation students | 53% | 51% |
| Part-time students | 68% | 57% |
| Students age 25+ | 26% | 36% |
| Spent on teaching per student | $5,794/yr | $7,169/yr |
| Endowment | $13.6M | $15.4M |
| Campus life | ||
| Campus data from | 2023 | 2023 |
| On-campus housing | No — no campus housing | No — no campus housing |
| Meal plan offered | No | No |
| Academic calendar | Semester | Semester |
| Federal designation | None | None |
| Study abroad | Yes | Yes |
| Undergraduate research | No | No |
| ROTC | No | No |
| Accepts AP credit | Yes | Yes |
| Accepts dual-enrollment credit | No | No |
| Credit for life experience | Yes | Yes |
| Online classes | Yes | Yes |
| Whole degrees online | Yes | Yes |
| Weekend & evening classes | Yes | No |
| Teacher certification | No | No |
| Academic & career counseling | Yes | Yes |
| Job help while you study | Yes | Yes |
| Job placement for graduates | Yes | No |
| On-campus day care | Yes | Yes |
| Program for students with intellectual disabilities | No | No |
| Yellow Ribbon (GI Bill) school | No | No |
| Credit for military training | Yes | Yes |
| Student veteran organization | Yes | Yes |
| Tuition payment plan | No | No |
| Guaranteed (locked) tuition | No | No |
| Prepaid tuition plan | No | No |
| Athletics | ||
| Athletics data from | 2024-25 | 2024-25 |
| College sports level | CCCAA | CCCAA |
| Football team | Yes | No |
| Varsity teams | 16 | 6 |
| Student athletes | 368 | 108 |
| Athletic scholarships | $0 | $0 |
| Athletics budget | $2.7M | $1.2M |
| Athletics revenue | $2.7M | $1.2M |
| Recruiting spend | $0 | $0 |
Data: U.S. Department of Education — College Scorecard 2026-06-10, EADA athletics, IPEDS admissions — each on its own survey year. Campus life: IPEDS institutional characteristics, retrieved from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-BY 1.0). Founding year and links via Wikidata / Wikipedia. SHMACS is an independent tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any institution shown.