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Cuyamaca College

Cuyamaca College

El Cajon, CA · Suburb · 7,177 students
WebsiteScorecard
Application deadlines: Check the admissions site
$6,618
Average net priceYour net price
In-state · 2023-24
<30
30–48
48–75
75–110
110+
By household income — tap a bar
37%
Graduation rate
Entered fall 2017 & 2018
31% typical
$32,435
Earnings 10 years on
Measured 2020 & 2021
$40,902 typical
Open admission
Acceptance rate
78% typical · not scored
Accredited by Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
About

Cuyamaca College, nestled in the rolling hills of El Cajon, California, is a premier community college renowned for its high transfer rates to top four-year institutions like San Diego State University and the UC system. The college is particularly celebrated for its strong career-technical education programs, including Ornamental Horticulture, Water/Wastewater Technology, Automotive Technology, and Paralegal Studies. Students experience a supportive, equity-minded campus culture focused on accessible education, small class sizes, and tailored academic guidance. Distinctively, the campus shares its grounds with the Water Conservation Garden, offering students a unique living laboratory for environmental science and sustainable landscape studies.

Wikipedia:Cuyamaca College is a public community college in Rancho San Diego, California. It is part of the Grossmont–Cuyamaca Community College District and the California Community Colleges system. Along with Grossmont College, it serves the eastern suburbs in San Diego County. Cuyamaca College opened in 1978 and now offers 81 associate's degree programs and 66 training certification programs to approximately 8,500 students. Many of the college's students transfer to the University of California, San Diego or San Diego State University to complete their bachelor's degrees. Cuyamaca's mascot is the coyote.

Location
El Cajon, CA, 92019 · Suburb campus
✈
Nearest airport from college
SAN · San Diego
14 mi away
Open in Google Maps
Cost & aid
Cost of attendance
In-stateOut-of-state
Tuition & fees$1,346$11,314
Books & supplies$1,062$1,062
Cost of attendance$16,690$46,695
Average net price$6,618Not published
Out-of-state prices
Tuition & fees$11,314
In-state: $1,346
Books & supplies$1,062
Cost of attendance$46,695
In-state: $16,690
Average net priceNot published
In-state: $6,618
Source: U.S. College Scorecard · published total: www.cuyamaca.edu
How it’s made up · 2026-27
Cuyamaca College’s own figures for 2026-2027, newer than the 2024-25 federal figures above, so the amounts differ.
Tuition$1,358
Books & supplies$1,305
Personal expenses$5,708
Transportation$3,808
Total published by the school$46,695
Net price by family income · in-state students, 2023-24
$0–30k
$6,183
$30–48k
$5,219
$48–75k
$9,270
$75–110k
$12,665
$110k+
$11,961
Outcomes
Completion
Within 6 yrs
37%
Entered 2017–18
8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students
46% graduated · 14% transferred · 1% still enrolled · 40% left or unknown
Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021
6 yrs after entry$29,836
10 yrs after entry$32,435
Debt
Middle 50% owe$3k–$5.3k
90th percentile$10,000
Green marks a figure above the typical Associate's — high transfer: 31% graduate within 6 yrs.
Admissions

No admissions data available for this college.

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Essay prompts

If Cuyamaca College asks for supplemental essays, the prompts are in the school's application.

Student Body
Gender
Men 45%Women 55%
Who enrolls
Faculty ratio
28 : 1
Pell grant
27%
First-gen
61%
Family income
$11,353
Independent
54%
Veterans
0%
Age at entry
29.0
Part-time
73%
Race & ethnicity
White
51%
Hispanic
32%
Black
4%
Asian
5%
Two or more
4%
Unknown
4%
Varsity sports
CCCAA · EADA 2024-25
  • Basketball
    Men's · Women's
  • Cross Country
    Men's · Women's
  • Golf
    Men's · Women's
  • Soccer
    Men's · Women's
  • Track and Field (Outdoor)
    Men's · Women's
  • Volleyball
    Women's
Institutional
Resources
Endowment
$2M
Full-time faculty
27%
Faculty salary
$10,865/mo
Teaching spend
$5,095
per student
Federal loans
2%
Classification
Carnegie type
Associate's — high transfer
Undergraduate profile
Two-year, mostly part-time

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