RHC vs. San Diego Mesa College

Comparable Facts

Compare Rio Hondo College in Whittier, 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 RHC based on total student enrollment (19,212 students vs. 17,441 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Rio Hondo College is located in Whittier, CA (Large Suburban setting); San Diego Mesa College is in San Diego, CA (Large City setting).
• Rio Hondo 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: Rio Hondo College 31:1; San Diego Mesa College 23:1.

Cost details

• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rio Hondo College are 29.3% lower than at San Diego Mesa College ($22,086 vs. $31,243).
• Out-of-state tuition is 1.2% higher at San Diego Mesa College than at Rio Hondo College (about $118 more per year; $10,002 vs. $9,884).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Rio Hondo College than at San Diego Mesa College (85% vs. 79%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by San Diego Mesa College students is 63.4% larger than aid received by Rio Hondo College students ($8,252 vs. $5,049).

Admissions details

• SAT or ACT scores are open admission at both RHC and San Diego Mesa College.
• Typical fall application deadline: RHC Aug 20, 2027.

Loans and repayment

• More San Diego Mesa College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former RHC students, three years after graduation (41% vs. 34%).

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