Public · Community college
Cuyamaca College
El Cajon, California · Large suburb
- 8%
- Transfer rate
- $6,618
- Avg net price
- 41%
- Grad / completion
- $32,435
- Median earnings
Cuyamaca College is a public associate-granting institution in El Cajon, California (large suburb setting), enrolling 7,177 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). 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
- 11 miles
- Nearest airport
- 14 miles to San Diego (SAN) · major hub
How Cuyamaca College compares
Higher than 26% · #297 of 382 in California
Higher than 47%
Higher than 40% · #236 of 326 in California
Cheaper than 84% · #58 cheapest of 377 in California
Lower than 7%
Larger than 94%
Percentiles compare Cuyamaca 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
- Women4,06557%
- Men3,11243%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White51%
- Black4.0%
- Hispanic32%
- Asian4.7%
- 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
- 7,177
- Student–faculty ratio
- 28 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 27%
- First-generation students
- 61%
- Students over 25
- 38%
- Median family income
- $11,353
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $97,785
- Endowment
- $1,857,532
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $1,346
- Out-of-state tuition
- $11,314
- Room & board
- —
- Books & supplies
- $1,062
- Total cost of attendance
- $16,690
- Average net price
- $6,618
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
- 41%
- First-year retention
- 72%
- Transferred to another college
- 8%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $29,836
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $32,435
- Median debt at graduation
- —
- Students with federal loans
- 2%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 43%
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
- 176 (107 men · 69 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 (6)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- A
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.1 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 1
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 3
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (8,905 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: 2% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $545. 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 452 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)
- $32,435
- Typical debt at graduation
- —
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- —
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 40%
The payoff is less clear-cut here — weigh the debt against the earnings and your intended field before borrowing heavily.
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 $6,716 (22%) 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 (4 mi from campus).
What Cuyamaca 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 Cuyamaca College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Cuyamaca College side by side →
Los Angeles Southwest College
Los Angeles, California · Large suburb · 9 mi to Los Angeles
- Students
- 3,706
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 13%
- Earnings
- $32k
College of the Redwoods
Eureka, California · Fringe rural · 205 mi to Sacramento
- Students
- 3,829
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 12%
- Earnings
- $36k
Reedley College
Reedley, California · Distant town · 20 mi to Fresno
- Students
- 5,504
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 5%
- Earnings
- $38k
Merced College
Merced, California · Small city · 56 mi to Fresno
- Students
- 10,001
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 7%
- Earnings
- $38k
Lake Tahoe Community College
South Lake Tahoe, California · Fringe rural · 43 mi to Reno
- Students
- 3,660
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 13%
- Earnings
- $37k
San Diego City College
San Diego, California · Large city · 1 mi to San Diego
- Students
- 10,441
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 15%
- Earnings
- $39k
Colleges near Cuyamaca College
Bellus Academy-El Cajon
El Cajon, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 157 students
Southern California Seminary
El Cajon, CA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 32 students
California Hair Design Academy
La Mesa, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 98 students
ATA College
El Cajon, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 80 students
Grossmont College
El Cajon, CA · Public · Associate · 12,163 students
San Diego Christian College
Santee, CA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 87 students
North-West College-San Diego
San Diego, CA · Private for-profit · Associate · 636 students
San Diego State University
San Diego, CA · Public · Bachelor's · 35,377 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.












