Private nonprofit · College
San Diego Christian College
Santee, California · Large suburb
- 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.
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
- Nearest big city
- 14 miles to San Diego, CA
- To the ocean
- 14 miles
- Nearest airport
- 14 miles to San Diego (SAN) · major hub
How San Diego Christian College compares
More selective than 93% · #16 most selective of 107 in California
Higher than 5% · #116 of 122 in California
Higher than 78%
Higher than 38% · #105 of 130 in California
Cheaper than 99% · #1 cheapest of 118 in California
Lower than 39%
Lower than 83%
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
- Undergraduate8793%
- Graduate77%
Undergraduates by gender
- 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)
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.
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.
$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.
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.
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 $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
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, EL Cajon, CA US station (4.1 mi from campus).
What San Diego Christian 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 San Diego Christian College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare San Diego Christian College side by side →
Whitworth University-Adult Degree Programs
Spokane, Washington · Large suburb · 6 mi to Spokane
- Students
- 145
- Admission
- 29%
- Net price
- —
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $59k
Antioch University
Yellow Springs, Ohio · Fringe rural · 15 mi to Dayton
- Students
- 77
- Admission
- —
- Net price
- —
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $52k
Antioch University-Seattle
Seattle, Washington · Large city · 1 mi to Seattle
- Students
- 74
- Admission
- —
- Net price
- —
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $52k
Pacific Oaks College
Pasadena, California · Midsize city · 9 mi to Los Angeles
- Students
- 312
- Admission
- 34%
- Net price
- —
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $52k
Antioch University-Los Angeles
Culver City, California · Large suburb · 9 mi to Los Angeles
- Students
- 60
- Admission
- —
- Net price
- —
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $52k
Antioch University-Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California · Small city · < 1 mi to Santa Barbara
- Students
- 55
- Admission
- —
- Net price
- —
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $52k
Colleges near San Diego Christian College
ATA College
El Cajon, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 80 students
Grossmont College
El Cajon, CA · Public · Associate · 12,163 students
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
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.












