MiraCosta College

One Barnard Drive
Oceanside, CA 92056
Top Ranked (2024): View Rankings
  • MiraCosta College, one of California's comprehensive, public two-year community colleges, has served the coastal area of North San Diego County for 75 years. Recognizing that individuals and domestic and international communities are diverse and changing, the college is committed to offering a variety of programs and services in Transfer Education, Vocational Education, General Education, Basic Skills Education, Community Education and Support Services.

School Highlights

MiraCosta College serves 12,645 students (37% of students are full-time).
The college's student:teacher ratio of 19:1 is lower than the state community college average of 21:1.
Minority enrollment is 60% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the state average of 74%.

Quick Stats (2024)

  • Enrollment: 12,645 students
  • In-state tuition: $1,152
  • Out-state tuition: $5,784
  • Student:teacher ratio: 19:1
  • Minority enrollment: 60%
  • Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

Top Rankings

MiraCosta College ranks among the top 20% of public schools in California for:

Category
Attribute

School Overview

The teacher population of 649 teachers has stayed relatively flat over five years.
MiraCosta College
(CA) Community College Avg.
Carnegie Classification
Associates Colleges
Associates Colleges
Institution Level
Four or more years
At least 2 but less than 4 years
Institution Control
Public
Public
Total Faculty
649 staff
312 staff
This chart display total faculty of MiraCosta College and community college average number of faculty in CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.

Student Body

The student population of MiraCosta College has stayed relatively flat over five years.
The student:teacher ratio of 19:1 has decreased from 20:1 over five years.
The MiraCosta College diversity score of 0.68 is less than the state average of 0.71. The school's diversity has stayed relatively flat over five years.
Total Enrollment
12,645 students
7,900 students
This chart display the total enrollment of MiraCosta College and community college average number of enrollment of CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Student : Teacher Ratio
19:1
21:1
This chart display the student staff ratio of MiraCosta College and community college average student staff ratio of CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
# Full-Time Students
4,674 students
1,661 students
This chart display the total number of Full-time students enrollment of MiraCosta College and average number of community college Full-time students enrollment of CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
# Part-Time Students
7,971 students
6,239 students
This chart display the total number of Part-time students enrollment of MiraCosta College and average number of community college Part-time students enrollment of CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
This chart display the Full-time students and Part-time students enrollment breakdown of MiraCosta College.
This chart display community college average Full-Time students and Part-Time students enrollment breakdown of CA.
# Enrollment Undergraduate
104 students
302 students
# Full-Time Undergraduate Students
4,674 students
1,646 students
This chart display the total number of Full-time undergraduate students enrollment of MiraCosta College and average number of community college Full-time undergraduate  students enrollment of CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
# Full-Time Graduate Students
n/a
54 students
# Part-Time Undergraduate Students
7,971 students
6,288 students
# Part-Time Graduate Students
n/a
10 students
Total Dormitory Capacity
n/a
140 students
% American Indian/Alaskan
n/a
n/a
This chart display the percentage of American Indian/Alaskan students in MiraCosta College and the percentage of American Indian/Alaskan community college students in CA by year, with the latest 2017-18 school year data.
% Asian
6%
13%
This chart display the percentage of Asian students in MiraCosta College and the percentage of Asian community college students in CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Hispanic
38%
45%
This chart display the percentage of Hispanic students in MiraCosta College and the percentage of Hispanic community college students in CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Black
3%
5%
This chart display the percentage of Black students in MiraCosta College and the percentage of Black community college students in CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% White
40%
26%
This chart display the percentage of White students in MiraCosta College and the percentage of White community college students in CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Hawaiian
1%
n/a
This chart display the percentage of Hawaiian students in MiraCosta College and the percentage of Hawaiian community college students in CA by year, with the latest 2012-13 school year data.
% Two or more races
8%
4%
This chart display the percentage of Two or more races students in MiraCosta College and the percentage of Two or more races community college students in CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Non Resident races
2%
3%
This chart display the percentage of Non Resident students in MiraCosta College and the percentage of Non Resident community college students in CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Unknown races
2%
4%
This chart display the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in MiraCosta College.
This chart display the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in CA.
Diversity Score
0.68
0.71
This chart display the diversity score of MiraCosta College and the community college average diversity score of CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
College Completion Rate (Students who graduate in less than 4 years)
32%
28%
This chart display completion rates for First-Time of Full-time students of MiraCosta College and community college average completion rates for First-Time of Full-time students of CA by year, with the latest 2014-15 school year data.
College Completion Rate (Students who graduate in 4 years or more than 4 years)
8.41%
1.92%
Average Graduate Earnings (10 Years)
$31,100
$34,700
This chart display average graduate earnings (10 Years) of MiraCosta College and community college average graduate earnings (10 Years) of CA by year, disaggregated by student subgroups with the latest 2012-13 school year data.

Tuition and Acceptance Rate

The public in-state tuition of $1,152 is less than the state average of $1,993. The in-state tuition has stayed relatively flat over four years.
The public out-state tuition of $5,784 is less than the state average of $7,120. The out-state tuition has declined by 14% over four years.
In-State Tuition Fees
$1,152
$1,993
This chart display tuition fees for an in-state student of MiraCosta College and the public community college average tuition fees for an in-state student of CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Out-State Tuition Fees
$5,784
$7,120
This chart display tuition fees for an out-of-state student of MiraCosta College and the public community college average tuition fees for an out-of-state student of CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Students Receiving Some Financial Aid
77%
86%
This chart display the percent of students who is receiving some financial aid in MiraCosta College and the percent of community college students who is receiving some financial aid in CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Median Debt for Graduates
$9,000
$10,500
This chart display median debt for students who have completed a certificate or degree in MiraCosta College and average median debt for community college students who have completed a certificate or degree in CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Median Debt for Dropouts
$8,500
$6,239
This chart display median debt for students who have not completed a certificate or degree in MiraCosta College and average median debt for community college students who have not completed a certificate or degree in CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Acceptance Rate
n/a
89%
Source: 2021 (or latest year available) Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) , School Administrators

School Notes

  • MiraCosta College is a public California community college serving coastal North San Diego County. The college was founded in 1934 as Oceanside-Carlsbad Junior College, the second community college in San Diego County. Changed name to MiraCosta College and moved to Barnard Drive location in 1964. Student Resources includes library and information hubs at both the Oceanside and San Elijo campuses; More than 1,000 networked computers for student use; Wellness Center at the Oceanside Campus; free tutoring in nearly every subject; more than 1,000 students participate in Service Learning projects related to class curricula; Honors Scholars Program and active national honor society. MiraCosta's Adult Learning Center opened in 1992 at a newly remodeled site on Horne Street. The center relocated to its current Mission Avenue location in 2000 and was renamed the Community Learning Center. Over the years the center has expanded its adult education offerings to include parenting classes, workshops for older adults, and programs for those who are physically and mentally challenged. The Cisco Academy, which offers training in computer networking, is also housed at the center. The college's Small Business Development Center is right next door. The college is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does MiraCosta College cost?
MiraCosta College's tuition is approximately $1,152 for In-State students and $5,784 for Out-State students.
What is MiraCosta College's ranking?
MiraCosta College ranks among the top 20% of community college in California for: Least expensive tuition.

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Quick Stats (2024)

  • Enrollment: 12,645 students
  • In-state tuition: $1,152
  • Out-state tuition: $5,784
  • Student:teacher ratio: 19:1
  • Minority enrollment: 60%
  • Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

Related School Videos

Did You Know?

For San Diego County, CA public community colleges, the average tuition is approximately $1,283 per year for in-state students and $6,392 for out-of-state students. Read more about average community college tuition costs across the country.

San Diego County, CA community colleges have a diversity score of 0.61, which is lower than the national average of 0.70. The most diverse community college in San Diego County, CA is California College San Diego. Read more about community college diversity statistics in the USA.

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