BaccalaureatePublicHSI

MiraCosta College

Oceanside, California·Public, 4-year or above·Far West·miracosta.edu
Acceptance
Open admission
6-yr Graduation
41%
Total enrollment
11,478
peer median 9,073
Avg net price
$7,339
-$861 vs Baccalaureate
Use this data
Ask Clema

About

MiraCosta College is a public community college serving coastal Northern San Diego County in California with two campuses, one in eastern Oceanside and the other in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, and many satellite locations, including the Community Learning Center in western Oceanside.

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
41%
4-year graduation
91%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
96%
Full-time retention
91%

Pell equity

39.2pp gap
Pell recipients
19%109 of 569
Non-Pell (all)
58%425 of 730
No Federal Aid
58%425 of 730

Non-Pell students graduate at a 39.2-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 109 Title IV programs, 0 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 109 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
109
Passing
0
0.0% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

109programs
  • Passing0 · 0.0%
  • No Data109 · 100.0%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
0
Safe
0
No data
109

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges

Accredited since 1952Next review Oct 2030

Action history · 2

  1. Jan 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
  2. Feb 2017Renewal of Accreditation
    Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$6,535
$30–48k$5,560
$48–75k$9,222
$75–110k$11,172
$110k+$12,855

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$7,339
-$861vs Baccalaureate median $8,200
Federal loans
2.3%
In-state tuition
$1,158
Out-of-state
$9,750

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 4,140 students received $18.8M in Pell grants, alongside $2.4M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
4,140
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$18.8M
$18,752,481 total
Direct Loans
$2.4M
589 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

4k
20
3k
21
4k
22
4k
23
4k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$1.0M
306 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$1.4M
283 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 241 borrowers who entered repayment, 12 (4.9%) defaulted within three years above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
4.9%
+2.6pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
241
Defaulted
12
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
13.9%
2017
14.9%
2018
15.0%
2019
4.9%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at MiraCosta College

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs119
UndergraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

1,495 total completions
01Liberal Arts
41928.0%
02Business
28519.1%
03Multi/Interdisciplinary
21014.0%
04Psychology
1349.0%
05Computer Sciences
976.5%
06Health Professions
966.4%
07Social Sciences
785.2%
08Family/Consumer Sci
674.5%
09Communication
654.3%
10Visual/Performing Arts
442.9%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
11,478
12-mo unduplicated
17,758
Undergraduate
17,758
Graduate
0

Gender split

Men
41%7,240
Women
59%10,518

Race / ethnicity composition

Hispanic
44.7%
White
33.4%
Asian
7.0%
Two or more
7.0%
Black
3.6%
Unknown
2.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.7%
Non-resident
0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.3%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
108
52 M · 56 W
Women athletes
51.9%
Athletic aid
$0
Total student aid
Budget
$1.2M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$0
$0
Recruiting expense
$0
$0
Head-coach salaries
$36K
$32K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 4

Soccer
35 M · 21 W
$133K
Basketball
17 M · 12 W
$137K
Beach Volleyball
· 15 W
$69K
Volleyball
· 14 W
$59K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
0.26
3 offenses · 11,707 students

3-year trend

0.452 yrs ago0.281 yr ago0.26Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
11
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
14
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

Rape
1
Burglary
1
Fondling
1

By location

3total
  • On campus3

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
3
Stalking
3 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs20
Liquor20

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
18.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
168

MiraCosta College vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions MiraCosta College selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectMiraCosta College
41%Open admission11,478$7,339Baccalaureate
Open admission8,542$11,463Community College
Open admission15,012$11,571Community College
Open admission8,098$8,200Community College
Open admission9,683$4,968Community College
Open admission7,463$11,465Baccalaureate
Open admission10,176$6,095Community College
Open admission7,965$9,450Baccalaureate
Open admission10,256$3,399Community College
Open admission13,337$11,578Baccalaureate
Open admission6,549$11,010Baccalaureate
Open admission6,698$10,684Community College
Open admission12,949$7,653Baccalaureate
Open admission6,575$16,923Baccalaureate
Open admission13,914$11,650Community College
Open admission11,029$5,798Baccalaureate
Open admission9,350$3,967Community College
Open admission6,557$14,820Community College
Open admission9,981$6,368Community College
Open admission5,784$7,172Baccalaureate
Open admission11,380$6,936Community College
Open admission8,137$10,222Baccalaureate
Open admission8,419$9,044Baccalaureate
Open admission8,587$2,260Baccalaureate
Open admission5,396$8,819Baccalaureate
Open admission9,073$2,878Baccalaureate
Open admission9,572$1,738Baccalaureate
Open admission5,577$5,552Baccalaureate
Open admission9,282$4,669Baccalaureate
Open admission6,813$5,473Baccalaureate
Open admission6,199$8,376Baccalaureate
Open admission10,885$8,312Baccalaureate
Open admission9,255$9,634Baccalaureate
Peer group median41%9,073$8,200

Institutions like MiraCosta College

Explore the federal data for institutions in MiraCosta College's comparison group.

MiraCosta College Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Office of Research, Planning & Institutional Effectiveness
Reports to Office of the President
Phone
760-795-6846
Address
MiraCosta College, Office of Research, Planning, & Institutional Effectiveness, MS #7, 1 Barnard Drive, Oceanside, CA 92056

The mission of the Office of Research, Planning & Institutional Effectiveness (RPIE) is to support student success and academic quality by providing evidence, resources, and support to facilitate district-wide decision-making.

Visit IR office page
Team
9 members
  • Christopher Tarman
    Dean of Research, Planning & Institutional Effectiveness
  • Aracely Ragazzo
    Administrative Assistant
  • Maria Lissner
    Basic Skills Research Analyst
  • James Clifton
    Career Education Research Analyst
  • Kimberly Coutts
    District Research Analyst
  • Zach Gardiner
    Data Warehouse Systems Developer
  • Cheryl Harris
    Noncredit Research Analyst
  • Lisa Trescott
    Student Success and Student Equity Research Analyst
  • Golnoosh Behrouzian
    Research Analyst

Reports & documents (2)

Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.

Notable alumni of MiraCosta College (2)

A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.

  • Adam Brody
    Acting
  • Kevin Towers
    Sports Management

Frequently asked questions about MiraCosta College

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about MiraCosta College.

What is the acceptance rate at MiraCosta College?

MiraCosta College does not have a reported acceptance rate. This institution has an open admission policy: it admits all applicants who meet basic requirements, so it does not report a selective admit rate.

What is the graduation rate at MiraCosta College?

MiraCosta College reports a 6-year graduation rate of 41% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend MiraCosta College?

MiraCosta College reports a total enrollment of 11,478 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at MiraCosta College?

The average net price at MiraCosta College is $7,339 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

Where is MiraCosta College located?

MiraCosta College is located in Oceanside, California 92056-3899.

Who runs Institutional Research at MiraCosta College?

MiraCosta College's IR work is done by the Office of Research, Planning & Institutional Effectiveness, which reports to Office of the President.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
Federal Pell Grant & loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant and Direct Loan recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.

Have a question this page can’t answer?

Ask Clema anything about MiraCosta College and its peers — plain language in, cited answers out, in minutes instead of days.

Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card