Private for-profit · Community college
ATA College
El Cajon, California · Large suburb
- 0%
- Transfer rate
- $19,157
- Avg net price
- 89%
- Grad / completion
- $35,017
- Median earnings
ATA College is a private for-profit certificate-granting institution in El Cajon, California (large suburb setting), enrolling 80 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
About El Cajon, California
El Cajon is a city in San Diego County, California, United States, 17 mi (27 km) east of downtown San Diego. During Spanish rule (1769–1821), the government encouraged settlement of territory now known as California by the establishment of large land grants called ranchos, from which the English word ranch is derived. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Large suburb
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 13 miles to San Diego, CA
- To the ocean
- 13 miles
- Nearest airport
- 13 miles to San Diego (SAN) · major hub
How ATA College compares
Higher than 89% · #47 of 382 in California
Higher than 83%
Higher than 49% · #211 of 326 in California
Cheaper than 35% · #194 cheapest of 377 in California
Lower than 96%
Lower than 39%
Larger than 22%
Percentiles compare ATA College with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in California.
Student body
Undergraduates by gender
- Women5468%
- Men2633%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White33%
- Black24%
- Hispanic41%
- Asian1.3%
- Other or multiracial1.3%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 80
- Student–faculty ratio
- 18 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 86%
- First-generation students
- 67%
- Students over 25
- 65%
- Median family income
- $10,976
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $50,778
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- —
- Room & board
- —
- Total cost of attendance
- —
- Average net price
- $19,157
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated
- 89%
- First-year retention
- 91%
- Transferred to another college
- 0%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $35,311
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $35,017
- Median debt at graduation
- $5,500
- Students with federal loans
- 75%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 41%
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- No
- Application fee
- Free
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Does the school pay you to attend?
ATA College funds essentially no grants of its own — almost all aid here comes from federal (Pell), state, or outside sources rather than the school's own discount. Its sticker price is what it is.
Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid, 2022–23 full-time first-year undergraduates.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $35,017
- Typical debt at graduation
- $5,500
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 16%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- —
Typical debt would take roughly 1.6 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
Graduates here tend to earn well relative to what they borrow — typical debt pays back fast, and most out-earn a high-school graduate.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $11,677 (39%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 89°F
- Winter low
- 42°F
- Annual rain
- 11.6″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, EL Cajon, CA US station (3.4 mi from campus).
What ATA College graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to ATA College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare ATA College side by side →
InterCoast Colleges-Riverside
Riverside, California · Large suburb · 8 mi to Riverside
- Students
- 65
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $36k
Cinta Aveda Institute
San Francisco, California · Large city · 1 mi to San Francisco
- Students
- 117
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $35k
Palladium Technical Academy Inc
Temple City, California · Large suburb · 12 mi to Los Angeles
- Students
- 49
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $35k
InterCoast Colleges-Rancho Cordova
Rancho Cordova, California · Small city · 9 mi to Sacramento
- Students
- 71
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $36k
Capstone College
Pasadena, California · Midsize city · 10 mi to Los Angeles
- Students
- 148
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $35k
American College of Healthcare and Technology-Santa Ana
Santa Ana, California · Large city · 31 mi to Los Angeles
- Students
- 51
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $31k
Colleges near ATA College
Grossmont College
El Cajon, CA · Public · Associate · 12,163 students
San Diego Christian College
Santee, CA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 87 students
Bellus Academy-El Cajon
El Cajon, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 157 students
California Hair Design Academy
La Mesa, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 98 students
Southern California Seminary
El Cajon, CA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 32 students
Cuyamaca College
El Cajon, CA · Public · Associate · 7,177 students
San Diego State University
San Diego, CA · Public · Bachelor's · 35,377 students
North-West College-San Diego
San Diego, CA · Private for-profit · Associate · 636 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.