Cuyamaca College

  • Since 1978, Cuyamaca College has provided a solid education to students, whether they�re beginning their university degree at Cuyamaca, returning to school to launch a career or to acquire new skills or enrolling in an innovative occupational program. With its vision of �Learning for the Future,� Cuyamaca College offers a wide scope of challenging courses, from drafting technology and child development to paralegal training, from computer and information science or ornamental horticulture to automotive technology. With 49 degree programs and 46 certificates offered at Cuyamaca College, learning opportunities abound under the tutelage of highly-qualified, dynamic instructors imbued with a love of teaching.

School Highlights

Cuyamaca College serves 12,859 students (29% of students are full-time).
The college's student:teacher ratio of 33:1 is higher than the state community college average of 32:1.
Minority enrollment is 54% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the state average of 77%.

Quick Stats (2025)

  • Enrollment: 12,859 students
  • In-state tuition: $1,386
  • Out-state tuition: $6,896
  • Student:teacher ratio: 33:1
  • Minority enrollment: 54%
  • Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

School Overview

The teacher population of 384 teachers has stayed relatively flat over five years.
Cuyamaca College
(CA) Community College Avg.
Carnegie Classification
Associate's Colleges: High Transfer-Mixed Traditional/Nontraditional
Baccalaureate/Associate's Colleges: Associate's Dominant
Institution Level
At least 2 but less than 4 years
At least 2 but less than 4 years
Institution Control
Public
Public
Total Faculty
384 staff
294 staff
This chart displays total faculty of Cuyamaca College and community college average number of faculty in California by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.

Student Body

The student population of Cuyamaca College has grown by 47% over five years.
The student:teacher ratio of 33:1 has increased from 23:1 over five years.
The Cuyamaca College diversity score of 0.67 is less than the state average of 0.70. The school's diversity has stayed relatively flat over five years.
Total Enrollment
12,859 students
2,311 students
This chart displays the total enrollment of Cuyamaca College and community college average number of enrollment of California by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
Student : Teacher Ratio
33:1
32:1
This chart displays the student staff ratio of Cuyamaca College and community college average student staff ratio of California by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
# Full-Time Students
3,748 students
1,232 students
This chart displays the total number of Full-time students enrollment of Cuyamaca College and average number of community college Full-time students enrollment of California by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
# Part-Time Students
9,111 students
8,299 students
This chart displays the total number of Part-time students enrollment of Cuyamaca College and average number of community college Part-time students enrollment of California by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
This chart displays the Full-time students and Part-time students enrollment breakdown of Cuyamaca College.
This chart displays community college average Full-Time students and Part-Time students enrollment breakdown of California.
# Enrollment Undergraduate
128 students
240 students
# Full-Time Undergraduate Students
3,748 students
1,155 students
This chart displays the total number of Full-time undergraduate students enrollment of Cuyamaca College and average number of community college Full-time undergraduate  students enrollment of California by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
# Full-Time Graduate Students
n/a
63 students
# Part-Time Undergraduate Students
9,111 students
8,457 students
# Part-Time Graduate Students
n/a
10 students
Total Dormitory Capacity
n/a
140 students
% American Indian/Alaskan
1%
n/a
This chart displays the percentage of American Indian/Alaskan students in Cuyamaca College and the percentage of American Indian/Alaskan community college students in California by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
% Asian
5%
13%
This chart displays the percentage of Asian students in Cuyamaca College and the percentage of Asian community college students in California by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
% Hispanic
34%
47%
This chart displays the percentage of Hispanic students in Cuyamaca College and the percentage of Hispanic community college students in California by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
% Black
5%
7%
This chart displays the percentage of Black students in Cuyamaca College and the percentage of Black community college students in California by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
% White
46%
23%
This chart displays the percentage of White students in Cuyamaca College and the percentage of White community college students in California by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
% Hawaiian
n/a
1%
This chart displays the percentage of Hawaiian students in Cuyamaca College and the percentage of Hawaiian community college students in California by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
% Two or more races
4%
5%
This chart displays the percentage of Two or more races students in Cuyamaca College and the percentage of Two or more races community college students in California by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
% Non Resident races
n/a
1%
This chart displays the percentage of Non Resident students in Cuyamaca College and the percentage of Non Resident community college students in California by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Unknown races
5%
3%
This chart displays the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in Cuyamaca College.
This chart displays the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in California.
Diversity Score
0.67
0.70
This chart displays the diversity score of Cuyamaca College and the community college average diversity score of California by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
College Completion Rate (Students who graduate in less than 4 years)
0.3169%
0.4221%
This chart displays completion rates for First-Time of Full-time students of Cuyamaca College and community college average completion rates for First-Time of Full-time students of California by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
College Completion Rate (Students who graduate in 4 years or more than 4 years)
n/a
0.4304%
Average Graduate Earnings (10 Years)
$32,600
$34,700
This chart displays average graduate earnings (10 Years) of Cuyamaca College and community college average graduate earnings (10 Years) of California by year, disaggregated by student subgroups with the latest 2012-13 school year data.

Tuition and Acceptance Rate

The public in-state tuition of $1,386 is more than the state average of $1,236. The in-state tuition has stayed relatively flat over four years.
The public out-state tuition of $6,896 is more than the state average of $6,547. The out-state tuition has declined by 27% over four years.
In-State Tuition Fees
$1,386
$1,236
This chart displays tuition fees for an in-state student of Cuyamaca College and the public community college average tuition fees for an in-state student of California by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
Out-State Tuition Fees
$6,896
$6,547
This chart displays tuition fees for an out-of-state student of Cuyamaca College and the public community college average tuition fees for an out-of-state student of California by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
% Students Receiving Some Financial Aid
78%
85%
This chart displays the percent of students who is receiving some financial aid in Cuyamaca College and the percent of community college students who is receiving some financial aid in California by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Median Debt for Graduates (Year 2008)
$3,448
$6,625
Median Debt for Dropouts
$5,615
$6,239
This chart displays median debt for students who have not completed a certificate or degree in Cuyamaca College and average median debt for community college students who have not completed a certificate or degree in California by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Acceptance Rate
n/a
92%
Source: 2024 (or latest year available) Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

School Notes

  • Cuyamaca College is located in the community of Rancho San Diego at 900 Ranch San Diego Parkway in the City of El Cajon on a 165-acre site which was at one time a part of the Old Monte Vista Ranch. Cuyamaca College is one of two colleges serving the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District. The building site was acquired by the Board of Trustees in September 1972, and the College officially opened in the Fall of 1978. The second phase of buildings was completed in January 1980. In 1989, the Learning Resource Center opened. The campus consists of eight classroom buildings and is also the site of the Heritage of the Americas Museum and the Water Conservation Garden. In the Spring of 1995, Rancho San Diego Parkway, the Fury Lane entrance road, was completed providing students easier access to the College. In the Fall of 1995, the College dedicated a new 20.3 acre physical education facility with a fitness center, gym, tennis and volleyball courts, soccer and ball fields and an olympic track. Construction implementation is occurring on an incremental basis in response to the growing community surrounding the College and to meet the educational needs in the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District. The College is designed to provide a comprehensive curriculum of programs and course of study, and when completed, will accommodate an enrollment of approximately 15,000 students in 2015. The mission of Cuyamaca College's Financial Aid Office is to ensure access and eliminate financial barriers to post-secondary education for all eligible students, by providing student centered support services that will promote student success, persistence, retention, equal educational opportunities and enable them to fully develop their individual potential.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Cuyamaca College cost?
Cuyamaca College's tuition is approximately $1,386 for In-State students and $6,896 for Out-State students.
What schools are Cuyamaca College often compared to?
Cuyamaca Collegeis often viewed alongside schools like Grossmont College by visitors of our site.

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Quick Stats (2025)

  • Enrollment: 12,859 students
  • In-state tuition: $1,386
  • Out-state tuition: $6,896
  • Student:teacher ratio: 33:1
  • Minority enrollment: 54%
  • Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

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Did You Know?

San Diego County, CA community colleges have a diversity score of 0.71, which is higher than the national average of 0.00. The most diverse community college in San Diego County, CA is Concorde Career College-San Diego. Read more about community college diversity statistics in the USA.

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