Public · Community college
Cabrillo College
Aptos, California · Midsize suburb
- 10%
- Transfer rate
- $15,843
- Avg net price
- 38%
- Grad / completion
- $44,114
- Median earnings
Cabrillo College is a public associate-granting institution in Aptos, California (midsize suburb setting), enrolling 8,002 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). Admission is open to all applicants.
About Aptos, California
Aptos is an unincorporated community in Santa Cruz County, California, United States. Aptos was traditionally inhabited by the Awaswas tribe of Ohlone people. The name is one of only three native words that have survived (in Hispanicized form) as place names in Santa Cruz County (the others are Soquel and Zayante). Aptos is home to both the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park and Seacliff State Beach California state parks. Hidden Beach has a playground and a path that leads to the ocean. Nisene Marks is popular with hikers and mountain bikers. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Midsize suburb
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 24 miles to San Jose, CA
- To the ocean
- 1 mile
- Nearest airport
- 26 miles to Norman Y. Mineta San Jose (SJC) · major hub
How Cabrillo College compares
Higher than 23% · #310 of 382 in California
Higher than 51%
Higher than 81% · #80 of 326 in California
Cheaper than 48% · #155 cheapest of 377 in California
Lower than 16%
Lower than 29%
Larger than 95%
Percentiles compare Cabrillo 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
- Women4,47056%
- Men3,53244%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White38%
- Black0.8%
- Hispanic50%
- Asian2.7%
- Other or multiracial8.5%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 8,002
- Student–faculty ratio
- 20 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 24%
- First-generation students
- 51%
- Students over 25
- 35%
- Median family income
- $19,212
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $86,283
- Endowment
- $53,386,306
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Where students come from
Home state of the 1,392 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From California96%
- Other U.S. states2.5%
- International1.4%
Most first-years stay in state — Cabrillo College draws overwhelmingly from California.
1% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $1,270
- Out-of-state tuition
- $9,862
- Room & board
- —
- Books & supplies
- $2,250
- Total cost of attendance
- $24,966
- Average net price
- $15,843
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
- 38%
- First-year retention
- 73%
- Transferred to another college
- 10%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $34,990
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $44,114
- Median debt at graduation
- $14,380
- Students with federal loans
- 1%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 33%
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- No
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- CCCAA
- Varsity athletes
- 236 (153 men · 83 women)
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%.
Varsity sports (10)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- A
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.4 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 4
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 8
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (9,457 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
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?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Modest institutional aid: 11% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $1,090. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 548 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $44,114
- Typical debt at graduation
- $14,380
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 33%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 42%
Typical debt would take roughly 3.3 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
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 $6,014 (15%) 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
- 77°F
- Winter low
- 41°F
- Annual rain
- 30.6″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Santa Cruz, CA US station (4.1 mi from campus).
What Cabrillo 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 Cabrillo College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Cabrillo College side by side →
Coastline Community College
Fountain Valley, California · Small city · 29 mi to Los Angeles
- Students
- 7,393
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 14%
- Earnings
- $44k
San Jose City College
San Jose, California · Large city · 3 mi to San Jose
- Students
- 7,105
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 12%
- Earnings
- $46k
Merritt College
Oakland, California · Large city · 14 mi to San Francisco
- Students
- 5,288
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 15%
- Earnings
- $44k
Los Angeles Harbor College
Wilmington, California · Large city · 19 mi to Los Angeles
- Students
- 6,694
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 9%
- Earnings
- $41k
Cuesta College
San Luis Obispo, California · Fringe rural · 86 mi to Santa Barbara
- Students
- 7,180
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 10%
- Earnings
- $46k
Los Angeles Pierce College
Woodland Hills, California · Large city · 21 mi to Los Angeles
- Students
- 13,436
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 9%
- Earnings
- $45k
Colleges near Cabrillo College
Five Branches University
Santa Cruz, CA · Private for-profit · Graduate
University of California-Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, CA · Public · Bachelor's · 17,940 students
CET-Watsonville
Watsonville, CA · Private nonprofit · Certificate · 142 students
West Valley College
Saratoga, CA · Public · Associate · 6,416 students
Gavilan College
Gilroy, CA · Public · Associate · 4,786 students
Carrington College-San Jose
San Jose, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 644 students
The Salon Professional Academy-San Jose
San Jose, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 196 students
San Jose City College
San Jose, CA · Public · Associate · 7,105 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.