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Mission Viejo, CA · San Diego, CA
| Saddleback College | San Diego Mesa College | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | ||
| Price after aid (average) | $4,152/yr | $5,814/yr |
| Price after aid (family income under $30k) | $2,596/yr | $3,842/yr |
| Typical loan debt at graduation | $9,500 | $4,725 |
| Price after aid ($30k–$48k income) | $2,657/yr | $5,316/yr |
| Price after aid ($48k–$75k income) | $6,349/yr | $8,883/yr |
| Price after aid ($75k–$110k income) | $9,463/yr | $13,576/yr |
| Price after aid (income over $110k) | $10,603/yr | $13,977/yr |
| Typical loan payment after graduation | $101/mo | $50/mo |
| Room & board (off campus) | $25,769/yr | $31,243/yr |
| Borrowers who default | 0% | 0% |
| Books & supplies | $1,062/yr | $1,062/yr |
| Sticker price (before aid) | $13,939/yr | $19,371/yr |
| Tuition (in-state) | $1,156/yr | $1,146/yr |
| Tuition (out-of-state) | $11,860/yr | $10,002/yr |
| Students with Pell Grants | 15% | 16% |
| Students taking federal loans | 1.3% | 1.8% |
| Getting in | ||
| SAT/ACT policy | Open admission (everyone qualified gets in) | Open admission (everyone qualified gets in) |
| Graduation & earnings | ||
| Students who graduate | 48% | 35% |
| Freshmen who come back | 77% | No data reported |
| Typical earnings 10 years in | $50,874/yr | $45,120/yr |
| Earnings range 10 years in | $25,549–$78,724 | $20,924–$71,725 |
| Finish within 8 years (anywhere) | 29% | 24% |
| White students graduating | No data reported | 36% |
| Black students graduating | No data reported | 28% |
| Hispanic students graduating | No data reported | 29% |
| Asian students graduating | No data reported | 51% |
| Typical earnings 6 years in | $36,605/yr | $35,773/yr |
| Earn more than a HS grad | 64% | 65% |
| Graduate on time | 18% | 92% |
| Pell students who graduate | No data reported | 31% |
| First-gen students who finish | 18% | 12% |
| Low-income students who finish | 17% | 12% |
| Students who transfer out | 9% | 16% |
| Typical earnings 8 years in | $41,667/yr | $40,734/yr |
| Majors & programs | ||
| Top 3 programs | Liberal Arts & General Studies 52% · Business, Management & Marketing 10% · Health Professions 8% | Business, Management & Marketing 19% · Liberal Arts & General Studies 15% · Health Professions 10% |
| Most popular program | Liberal Arts & General Studies — 52% of degrees | Business, Management & Marketing — 19% of degrees |
| 2nd most popular program | Business, Management & Marketing — 10% of degrees | Liberal Arts & General Studies — 15% of degrees |
| 3rd most popular program | Health Professions — 8% of degrees | Health Professions — 10% of degrees |
| 4th most popular program | Social Sciences — 4% of degrees | Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies — 9% of degrees |
| 5th most popular program | Communication & Journalism — 3% of degrees | Psychology — 8% of degrees |
| Highest-paying major (1 year out) | Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities — $19,673/yr | No data reported |
| Degrees in STEM | 4.9% | 13% |
| Campus & students | ||
| Undergrad enrollment | 17,684 | 16,098 |
| Students per professor | 27 : 1 | 23 : 1 |
| Average professor pay | $13,477/mo | $10,642/mo |
| Full-time professors | 27% | 38% |
| 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 | $19,305 | $18,693 |
| Setting | Suburb (large) | City (large) |
| Location | Mission Viejo, CA | San Diego, CA |
| Region | Far West | Far West |
| Founded | 1968 | 1963 |
| 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 | 2.1% | 0.4% |
| Men | 45% | 45% |
| Women | 55% | 55% |
| White students | 42% | 28% |
| Black students | 2.4% | 6.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino students | 31% | 42% |
| Asian students | 13% | 13% |
| Two or more races | 6.3% | 7.7% |
| Other / not reported | 3.1% | 1.7% |
| Special type | None | None |
| First-generation students | 41% | 49% |
| Part-time students | 66% | 83% |
| Students age 25+ | 31% | 32% |
| Spent on teaching per student | $7,075/yr | $4,552/yr |
| Endowment | $8.7M | No data reported |
| 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 | No |
| Online classes | Yes | Yes |
| Whole degrees online | Yes | Yes |
| Weekend & evening classes | Yes | Yes |
| Teacher certification | Yes | No |
| Academic & career counseling | Yes | Yes |
| Job help while you study | Yes | Yes |
| Job placement for graduates | Yes | Yes |
| 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 | Yes |
| Varsity teams | 19 | 18 |
| Student athletes | 355 | 414 |
| Athletic scholarships | $0 | $0 |
| Athletics budget | $2.5M | $3.3M |
| Athletics revenue | $2.7M | $3.3M |
| 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, logo, campus photo and links via Wikidata / Wikipedia. SHMACS is an independent tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any institution shown.