Cuesta College
Tel:
(805)546-3100
- Cuesta College is a premier community college providing accessible, high quality education that focuses on student success, lifelong learning, and community vitality.
School Highlights
- Cuesta College serves 9,221 students (40% of students are full-time).
- The college's student:teacher ratio of 36:1 is lower than the state community college average of 44:1.
- Minority enrollment is 33% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the state average of 68%.
- Cuesta College is the only community colleges within San Luis Obispo County, CA.
- The nearest community college to Cuesta College is Allan Hancock College (27.7 miles away).
School Overview
- The teacher population of 259 teachers has stayed relatively flat over five years.
| Cuesta College | (CA) Community College Avg. | |
| Carnegie Classification | Baccalaureate / Associates Colleges | Baccalaureate / Associates Colleges |
| Institution Level | Less than 2 yrs | At least 2 but less than 4 years |
| Institution Control | Public | Public |
| Total Faculty | 259 staff | 97 staff |
| Total Enrollment | 9,221 students | 7,516 students |
 | ||
| Student : Teacher Ratio | 36:1 | 44:1 |
| # Full-Time Students | 3,723 students | 1,613 students |
| # Part-Time Students | 5,498 students | 5,903 students |
 |  | |
| % American Indian/Alaskan | 1% | - |
| % Asian | 3% | 13% |
| % Hispanic | 20% | 37% |
| % Black | 2% | 7% |
| % White | 67% | 32% |
| % Two or more races | 4% | 3% |
| % Non Resident races | 1% | 3% |
| % Unknown races | 2% | 5% |
 |  | |
| Diversity Score | 0.51 | 0.73 |
 | ||
| College Completion Rate | 28% | 29% |
| Average Graduate Earnings (10 Years) | $38,700 | $34,600 |
Source: 2016 (or latest year available) IPEDS
School Notes
- Cuesta College makes lifelong learning happen. We enable students to achieve their academic, transfer, workforce preparation, career advancement, and personal goals. Building on our tradition of excellence, we serve our community by providing programs and services that produce students who can succeed in a diverse and rapidly changing society, participate effectively in their local communities, and live responsible and rewarding lives. As a learning college, we provide a supportive environment for students and employees, assess student and institutional outcomes, improve performance, forge strategic partnerships, and maximize opportunities for learning. Cuesta College is located at the heart of scenic San Luis Obispo County, and is highly regarded throughout the state for its excellent educational programs, responsive student services and exceptional faculty and staff. In 1996 the college received a Silver Medal Eureka Award for Quality and Service Excellence. Most courses offered through Cuesta College's Distance Education program are fully accredited and transfer to other four year institutions. All courses are equivalent to the classroom-based version in course content, textbooks, required assignments and study time. The only difference is that the delivery method in a distance education course is different. The Cuesta College Foundation was incorporated in 1973 for the purpose of providing essential financial support for Cuesta College programs, services, scholarships, and capital needs.
Nearby Schools
- The nearest community college to Cuesta College is Allan Hancock College (27.7 miles away).
- College Location Mi. Students
- Allan Hancock CollegePublic11,047 students | 27.70 Mi800 South College Drive
Santa Maria, CA 93454
(805)922-6966 27.7011,047 - Santa Barbara Business College-Santa MariaPrivate, for profit204 students | 27.70 Mi303 E Plaza Dr Ste 1
Santa Maria, CA 93454
(805)922-8256 27.70204 - 2,650 students | 61.70 Mi300 Cherry Lane
Coalinga, CA 93210
(559)934-2000 61.702,650 - 17,927 students | 82.20 Mi721 Cliff Drive
Santa Barbara, CA 93109
(805)965-0581 82.2017,927 - 3,976 students | 83.90 Mi555 College Avenue
Lemoore, CA 93245
(559)925-3000 83.903,976
Recent Articles
A new study by the Massachusetts Teachers Association has urged the state to hire more full-time faculty members at community colleges after uncovering a host of issues related to a growing adjunct faculty at these schools.
Colleges across the country are struggling to recover from the massive upheaval to the 2019-20 semester wrought by COVID-19. Housing refunds and slashed budgets are bound to have long-term impacts for the institutions that survive. Some experts suggest community colleges may be the best equipped to ride out the storm and may have the greatest impact in helping America recover.
The role of community colleges in the world of higher education has expanded over the years and, as the country works to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, they may be more important now than ever. Read on to learn more about the changing role of community colleges.
