Private nonprofit · College

San Diego Christian College

Santee, California · Large suburb

#1 best value in California
30.8%
Admit rate
$992
Avg net price
20%
Graduation rate
$49,766
Median earnings

San Diego Christian College is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Santee, California (large suburb setting), enrolling 87 undergraduates. It has a Undenominational religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitSmall · 87 undergradsLarge suburbVery selective · 31% admitNear the coast

About Santee, California

Santee is a city in San Diego County, California, United States. In 1877, George A. Cowles, a pioneer rancher and businessperson, purchased 4,000 acres (1,600 ha) to develop his vineyards. The area became known as Cowlestown and was linked to the Cuyamaca Railroad. Each summer the city hosts the Santee Summer Concerts series from mid-June to mid-August. The concerts are free to attend and are held on Thursday nights at Town Center Community Park East. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
14 miles
Nearest airport
14 miles to San Diego (SAN) · major hub

How San Diego Christian College compares

Selectivity30.8%

More selective than 93% · #16 most selective of 107 in California

Graduation rate20%

Higher than 5% · #116 of 122 in California

First-year retention86%

Higher than 78%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$49,766

Higher than 38% · #105 of 130 in California

Average net price$992

Cheaper than 99% · #1 cheapest of 118 in California

Median debt at graduation$24,941

Lower than 39%

Student–faculty ratio9 : 1

Lower than 83%

Undergraduate enrollment87

Larger than 7%

Percentiles compare San Diego Christian College with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in California.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

94students
  • Undergraduate8793%
  • Graduate77%

Undergraduates by gender

87undergrads
  • Women4754%
  • Men4046%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White38%
  • Black15%
  • Hispanic26%
  • Asian4.6%
  • Other or multiracial16%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
87
Graduate enrollment
7
Student–faculty ratio
9 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
45%
First-generation students
41%
Students over 25
38%
Median family income
$31,569
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$71,082
Endowment
$694,522

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate
30.8%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
SAT average
SAT reading
SAT math
ACT composite

Cost

In-state tuition
$28,012
Room & board
$11,080
Books & supplies
$938
Total cost of attendance
$31,745
Average net price
$992

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 (within 6 years)
20%
Graduated on time (4 years)
18%
First-year retention
86%
Transferred to another college
23%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$39,848
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$49,766
Median debt at graduation
$24,941
Students with federal loans
35%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
39%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
18%
Low-income (Pell)
21%
First-generation
21%

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
Yes
Dorm capacity
48
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
55%
Housing charge (year)
$8,400
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.

< $30k
$992
$30–48k
$48–75k
$75–110k
$110k+

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.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$4,092

$992/year × about 4.1 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

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.

100%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$9,300
average award, among those who get one

A meaningful share of freshmen — 100% — get grant money from San Diego Christian College itself, averaging $9,300, which softens the sticker price.

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 39 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)
$49,766
Typical debt at graduation
$24,941
Debt vs. one year's pay
50%
Out-earn a HS grad
50%

Typical debt would take roughly 5.0 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

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.

Women
$41,154
Men
$60,031

Men out-earn women by $18,877 (46%) 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

HighLow
30°70°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.01.32.6JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, EL Cajon, CA US station (4.1 mi from campus).

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 San Diego Christian College

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare San Diego Christian College side by side →

Colleges near San Diego Christian College

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.