by our College Data Analytics TeamHere is what you can expect to pay at San Diego Mesa College, spanning what it costs to attend, projected costs over a degree, net price, debt outcomes, and aid equity.
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Published attendance costs at San Diego Mesa College spanned $12,964.00 and up to $21,820.00 across residency tiers.
The lower figure reflects the in-state rate and the higher figure the out-of-state rate: roughly $12,964.00 in-state against $21,820.00 out of state.
The blocks below show what you would pay with no aid, with average aid, and as a low-income student.
| Tuition and fees | $1,146.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $11,818.00 |
| Total cost | $12,964.00 |
| That is 33% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $12,964.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$13,557.00 |
| Net price | $-593.00 |
| That is 103% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $12,964.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$15,529.00 |
| Net price | $-2,565.00 |
| That is 113% below the national average net price. |
| Tuition and fees | $10,002.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $11,818.00 |
| Total cost | $21,820.00 |
| That is 13% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $21,820.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$13,557.00 |
| Net price | $8,263.00 |
| That is 57% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $21,820.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$15,529.00 |
| Net price | $6,291.00 |
| That is 67% below the national average net price. | |
| Explore each piece on tuition and fees and living costs. |
The reported cost series has been increasing at a recent average of 6.5% per year, so the four-year total runs well above today’s cost. The projections below run a full degree for a low-income aided student, an average-aid student, and the full sticker price. Loan figures amortise the projected total over ten years at 6.8%.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 6.5% | 6.5% | 6.5% |
| Freshman year | $-2,733.00 | $-632.00 | $13,812.00 |
| Senior year | $-3,305.00 | $-764.00 | $16,703.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $-12,051.00 | $-2,786.00 | $60,908.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $-4,591.00 | $-1,061.00 | $23,204.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $-139.00 | $-32.00 | $701.00 |
| Total amount paid | $-16,642.00 | $-3,847.00 | $84,112.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 6.5% | 6.5% | 6.5% |
| Freshman year | $-2,733.00 | $-632.00 | $13,812.00 |
| Senior year | $-2,912.00 | $-673.00 | $14,715.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $-5,644.00 | $-1,305.00 | $28,527.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $-2,150.00 | $-497.00 | $10,868.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $-65.00 | $-15.00 | $328.00 |
| Total amount paid | $-7,795.00 | $-1,802.00 | $39,395.00 |
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 6.5% | 6.5% | 6.5% |
| Freshman year | $6,702.00 | $8,803.00 | $23,247.00 |
| Senior year | $8,106.00 | $10,646.00 | $28,114.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $29,557.00 | $38,822.00 | $102,516.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $11,260.00 | $14,790.00 | $39,055.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $340.00 | $447.00 | $1,180.00 |
| Total amount paid | $40,817.00 | $53,611.00 | $141,571.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 6.5% | 6.5% | 6.5% |
| Freshman year | $6,702.00 | $8,803.00 | $23,247.00 |
| Senior year | $7,141.00 | $9,379.00 | $24,768.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $13,843.00 | $18,183.00 | $48,015.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $5,274.00 | $6,927.00 | $18,292.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $159.00 | $209.00 | $553.00 |
| Total amount paid | $19,117.00 | $25,110.00 | $66,307.00 |
For the complete net-price picture, see the net price section below.
The net price is the real out-of-pocket cost — what families pay after grant and scholarship aid is applied. This is the more honest cost figure for most families, since it accounts for institutional and federal aid.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $5,814.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $-904.00 |
The real cost varies by income because need-based aid scales with financial need. Below, average net price is broken out by family income:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $-3,351.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $-696.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $3,115.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $6,170.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $3,323.00 |
Estimate your specific net price using the school’s San Diego Mesa College Net Price Calculator, or contact the financial aid office.
Curious how grants and scholarships are distributed? Explore the grants & scholarships detail.
Typical debt at graduation from San Diego Mesa College comes to $4,500.00, landing it in the Very Low (<$10k) burden tier.
The percentile spread of debt at graduation is shown below:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $1,750.00 |
| 25th | $2,590.00 |
| Median (50th) | $4,500.00 |
| 75th | $5,750.00 |
| 90th | $9,500.00 |
The 10th-to-90th-percentile spread is one signal of how variable debt outcomes are across the student body.
For the full borrowing and repayment picture, see the student loan debt page.
Debt at graduation is far from uniform across income levels. Below, debt is broken out by low, middle, and high family income:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $4,500.00 |
| Middle income | $3,645.00 |
| High income | $3,500.00 |
Borrowers from lower-income families leave school with $1,000.00 more than graduates from high-income families.
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 largest source of federal need-based aid for undergrads. The Pell vs non-Pell debt gap reveals how borrowing differs by need.
The Pell vs non-Pell debt gap at San Diego Mesa College works out to $1,000.00. This school carries a federal Pell-debt-inequity flag.
The default-rate category at San Diego Mesa College is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 12.1% |
To put the rates in context, Stafford loans at San Diego Mesa College reach $44,181,228.00 covering 7,864 borrowers.
Beyond the data above, it helps to ask a few questions when weighing San Diego Mesa College, think through the questions below:
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.