by our College Data Analytics TeamThis guide covers the real cost of attending San Diego City College, from sticker cost of attendance and projected degree cost to net price, debt at graduation, and aid breakdowns.
Use the section links below to navigate this overview:
The full cost of attending San Diego City College varied between $13,255.00 through $22,111.00 depending on residency and living arrangement.
Where you live mattered — in-state students paid less than out-of-state students: about $13,255.00 in-state against $22,111.00 out of state.
Below, the published cost is shown three ways — the full sticker price with no aid, the net price after the average grant package, and the net price for low-income students who typically receive the most aid.
| Tuition and fees | $1,146.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $12,109.00 |
| Total cost | $13,255.00 |
| That is 31% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $13,255.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$13,267.00 |
| Net price | $-12.00 |
| That is 100% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $13,255.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$14,021.00 |
| Net price | $-766.00 |
| That is 104% below the national average net price. |
| Tuition and fees | $10,002.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $12,109.00 |
| Total cost | $22,111.00 |
| That is 15% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $22,111.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$13,267.00 |
| Net price | $8,844.00 |
| That is 54% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $22,111.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$14,021.00 |
| Net price | $8,090.00 |
| That is 58% below the national average net price. | |
| Go deeper on the components with the tuition & fees page and living costs. |
Published costs have climbed year over year by around 5.6% a year, so a full degree will cost more than a single year — the tables below carry that forward. These tables carry the cost across a degree for three cases: low-income w/ aid, average aid, and no aid. Loan totals assume a ten-year repayment at 6.8%.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 5.6% | 5.6% | 5.6% |
| Freshman year | $-809.00 | $-13.00 | $13,996.00 |
| Senior year | $-952.00 | $-15.00 | $16,477.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $-3,517.00 | $-55.00 | $60,856.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $-1,340.00 | $-21.00 | $23,184.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $-40.00 | $-1.00 | $700.00 |
| Total amount paid | $-4,857.00 | $-76.00 | $84,040.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 5.6% | 5.6% | 5.6% |
| Freshman year | $-809.00 | $-13.00 | $13,996.00 |
| Senior year | $-854.00 | $-13.00 | $14,778.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $-1,663.00 | $-26.00 | $28,775.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $-633.00 | $-10.00 | $10,962.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $-19.00 | $0.00 | $331.00 |
| Total amount paid | $-2,296.00 | $-36.00 | $39,737.00 |
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 5.6% | 5.6% | 5.6% |
| Freshman year | $8,542.00 | $9,338.00 | $23,347.00 |
| Senior year | $10,057.00 | $10,994.00 | $27,486.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $37,143.00 | $40,605.00 | $101,516.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $14,150.00 | $15,469.00 | $38,674.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $427.00 | $467.00 | $1,168.00 |
| Total amount paid | $51,293.00 | $56,073.00 | $140,190.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 5.6% | 5.6% | 5.6% |
| Freshman year | $8,542.00 | $9,338.00 | $23,347.00 |
| Senior year | $9,020.00 | $9,861.00 | $24,652.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $17,562.00 | $19,199.00 | $48,000.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $6,691.00 | $7,314.00 | $18,286.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $202.00 | $221.00 | $552.00 |
| Total amount paid | $24,253.00 | $26,513.00 | $66,286.00 |
Read more in the Net Price section.
The net price figure shows the cost after grants and scholarships are deducted. For most students, this is the more useful number than published tuition because it reflects the real out-of-pocket cost.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $7,935.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $-818.00 |
Net price is not the same for every family — it falls as financial need rises and grant aid increases. The breakdown below splits average net price across income brackets:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $-2,781.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $1,062.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $5,397.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $5,890.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $8,057.00 |
Run your own numbers with the San Diego City College Net Price Calculator, or visit the financial aid office.
Dig into how aid is awarded on the financial aid breakdown.
Median graduate debt at San Diego City College comes to $4,500.00, which federal data classifies as a Very Low (<$10k) burden tier.
The percentile breakdown reveals the full debt landscape:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $1,750.00 |
| 25th | $2,500.00 |
| Median (50th) | $4,500.00 |
| 75th | $7,000.00 |
| 90th | $13,313.00 |
The distance from the 10th to the 90th percentile shows how widely debt outcomes vary.
Dig deeper into debt on the student-loan-debt breakdown.
Debt at graduation often differs for first-generation students.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $4,500.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $4,500.00 |
Pell Grants are the federal government’s primary need-based undergraduate aid program. Contrasting Pell and non-Pell borrowers shows how need shapes debt.
The Pell-versus-non-Pell median debt difference at San Diego City College stands at $1,610.00. This school is flagged by the Department of Education for Pell-related debt inequity.
The Department of Education default-rate tier for San Diego City College is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 20.4% |
To give some context for these rates, Stafford loans disbursed at San Diego City College come to $82,030,775.00 distributed across 9,735 student borrowers.
The figures above are a starting point — as you weigh San Diego City College, keep these questions in mind:
Use the pages below to go deeper on a specific part of the cost story:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.