MiraCosta College vs. San Diego Mesa College

Comparable Facts

Compare MiraCosta College in Oceanside, CA with San Diego Mesa College in San Diego, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the tables above.

San Diego Mesa College is larger than MiraCosta College based on total student enrollment (19,212 students vs. 11,478 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• MiraCosta College is located in Oceanside, CA (Large Suburban setting); San Diego Mesa College is in San Diego, CA (Large City setting).
• MiraCosta College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. San Diego Mesa College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: MiraCosta College 18:1; San Diego Mesa College 23:1.

Cost details

• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at San Diego Mesa College are 9% lower than at MiraCosta College ($31,243 vs. $34,328).
• Out-of-state tuition is 2.6% higher at San Diego Mesa College than at MiraCosta College (about $252 more per year; $10,002 vs. $9,750).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at MiraCosta College than at San Diego Mesa College (81% vs. 79%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by San Diego Mesa College students is 64.6% larger than aid received by MiraCosta College students ($8,252 vs. $5,013).

Admissions details

• SAT or ACT scores are open admission at both MiraCosta College and San Diego Mesa College.

Loans and repayment

• Among federal student loan borrowers, San Diego Mesa College and MiraCosta College graduates have the same median loan debt ($4,500 vs. $4,500).
• Among borrowers in the federal data, San Diego Mesa College and MiraCosta College graduates have the same median monthly federal student loan payment ($46 vs. $46).
• More MiraCosta College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former San Diego Mesa College students, three years after graduation (46% vs. 41%).

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS and College Scorecard. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.