San Diego Mesa College

Student body

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment

16,098

Student–faculty ratio

23 : 1

Pell Grant recipients

16%

First-generation students

49%

Students over 25

32%

Median family income

$18,693

Avg faculty salary (academic year)

$95,778

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

Cost

In-state tuition

$1,146

Out-of-state tuition

$10,002

Room & board

—

Books & supplies

$1,062

Total cost of attendance

$19,371

Average net price

$5,814

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)

35%

Graduated on time (4 years)

92%

First-year retention

—

Transferred to another college

16%

Median earnings, 6 years after entry

$35,773

Median earnings, 10 years after entry

$45,120

Median debt at graduation

$4,725

Students with federal loans

2%

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

No

Application fee

Free

Athletics

CCCAA

Varsity athletes

458 (306 men · 152 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 (12)

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade

A

Reported offenses per 1,000 students

0.2 / year

Violent offenses (2022–2024)

7

Property offenses (2022–2024)

4

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (19,212 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.

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.

Four-year (or more) true cost

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

$8,883/year × about 4.0 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.