Community CollegePublicHSI

Saddleback College

Mission Viejo, California·Public, 2-year·Far West·saddleback.edu
Acceptance
Open admission
—
6-yr Graduation
48%
—
Total enrollment
20,764
peer median 15,999
Avg net price
$4,152
-$2.0k vs Community College
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AboutOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeDocumentsAlumni

About

Saddleback College is a public community college in Mission Viejo, California. It is part of the California Community College system and awards over 300 associate degrees, academic certificates, and occupational skills awards in 190 programs. Established in 1968, Saddleback is the oldest and southernmost institution governed by the South Orange County Community College District. Saddleback College is named for the saddle between the twin peaks of Santiago Peak and Modjeska Peak in the Cleveland National Forest.

Graduation rate & outcomes

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

IPEDS
Overall completion
48%
Full-time retention
77%

Pell equity

2.8pp gap
Pell recipients
46%159 of 349
Non-Pell (all)
49%498 of 1020
Subsidized loan, no Pell
0%0 of 1
No Federal Aid
49%498 of 1019

Non-Pell students graduate at a 2.8-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.

FVT/GE

Of 170 Title IV programs, 0 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 170 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
170
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

170programs
  • Passing0 · 0.0%
  • No Data170 · 100.0%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
0
Safe
0
No data
170

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.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges

Accredited since 1971Next review Jun 2031

Programmatic accreditations · 1

Action history · 5

  1. Jun 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
  2. Sep 2019Renewal of Accreditation
    Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. — May 6, 2013 Formerly: National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission · Nursing (ADNUR) - Associate degree programs
  3. Jan 2019Renewal of Accreditation
    Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
  4. Jan 2019Renewal of Accreditation
    Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
  5. Jun 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.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$2,596
$30–48k$2,657
$48–75k$6,349
$75–110k$9,463
$110k+$10,603

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

Avg net price
$4,152
-$2,026vs Community College median $6,179
Federal loans
1.3%
In-state tuition
$1,156
Out-of-state
$11,860

Federal aid volume & trends

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

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 4,190 students received $20.1M in Pell grants, alongside $2.0M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
4,190
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$20.1M
$20,099,303 total
Direct Loans
$2.0M
592 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

3k
’20
3k
’21
3k
’22
3k
’23
4k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$828K
301 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$1.2M
291 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.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 241 borrowers who entered repayment, 6 (2.4%) defaulted within three years — above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
2.4%
+0.1pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
241
Defaulted
6
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
12.1%
2017
7.0%
2018
8.7%
2019
2.4%
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 Saddleback College

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs126
UndergraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

3,369 total completions
01Liberal Arts
1,59147.2%
02Business
46013.7%
03Health Professions
3179.4%
04Social Sciences
2597.7%
05Psychology
1955.8%
06Communication
1705.0%
07Visual/Performing Arts
1093.2%
08Multi/Interdisciplinary
1043.1%
09Physical Sciences
1013.0%
10Mathematics
631.9%

Enrollment trends & demographics

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

IPEDS
Fall total
20,764
12-mo unduplicated
35,452
Undergraduate
35,452
Graduate
0

Gender split

Men
44%15,667
Women
56%19,785

Race / ethnicity composition

White
42.4%
Hispanic
31.1%
Asian
12.6%
Two or more
6.3%
Unknown
2.7%
Black
2.4%
Non-resident
2.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.2%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

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

EADA
Athletes
355
241 M · 114 W
Women athletes
32.1%
Athletic aid
$0
Total student aid
Budget
$2.5M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$0
$0
Recruiting expense
$0
$0
Head-coach salaries
$60K
$52K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 12

Football
91 M · —
$544K
Soccer
32 M · 31 W
$328K
Water Polo
22 M · 14 W
$184K
Baseball
36 M · —
$338K
Track and Field (Outdoor)
20 M · 12 W
$262K
Basketball
17 M · 13 W
$190K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

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

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
0.33
6 offenses · 18,370 students

3-year trend

0.172 yrs ago0.361 yr ago0.33Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
15
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
18
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

Burglary
5
Rape
1

By location

6total
  • On campus6

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
4
Dating violence
7
Stalking
11 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs00
Liquor00

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.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
27.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
256

Saddleback College vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Saddleback College selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
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
SubjectSaddleback College
48%Open admission20,764$4,152Community College
Allan Hancock College
—Open admission11,463$5,383Community College
Central New Mexico Community College
—Open admission19,342$4,621Community College
Central Piedmont Community College
—Open admission20,375$3,345Community College
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
—Open admission15,085$12,726Community College
College of the Canyons
—Open admission18,075$3,702Community College
Cuesta College
—Open admission11,283$12,124Community College
CUNY Kingsborough Community College
—Open admission18,165$5,606Community College
East Los Angeles College
—Open admission33,677$10,852Community College
Eastern Gateway Community College
—Open admission—$4,181Community College
Elgin Community College
—Open admission10,251$6,026Community College
Folsom Lake College
—Open admission11,098$5,975Community College
Golden West College
—Open admission10,721$4,824Community College
Howard Community College
—Open admission8,643$11,133Community College
Irvine Valley College
—Open admission13,018$2,090Community College
Los Angeles Pierce College
—Open admission16,906$13,270Community College
Los Angeles Valley College
—Open admission15,999$12,152Community College
Mesa Community College
—Open admission17,077$12,132Community College
Middlesex College
—Open admission12,044$2,288Community College
Montgomery College
—Open admission18,835$8,027Community College
Norco College
—Open admission11,351$5,169Community College
Northern Virginia Community College
—Open admission56,457$9,919Community College
Northwest Vista College
—Open admission20,060$4,525Community College
Oakland Community College
—Open admission15,287$5,777Community College
Phoenix College
—Open admission10,660$12,055Community College
Portland Community College
—Open admission20,861$10,405Community College
Prince George's Community College
—Open admission11,473$8,672Community College
Salt Lake Community College
—Open admission27,437$9,804Community College
Santa Rosa Junior College
—Open admission17,854$6,331Community College
SUNY Westchester Community College
—Open admission9,359$9,373Community College
Peer group median48%—15,999$6,179

Institutions like Saddleback College

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

IPEDS

Saddleback College Institutional Research office

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

Office
Office of Planning Research and Accreditation (OPRA)
Visit IR office page

Reports & documents (1)

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

Notable alumni of Saddleback College (14)

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

  • Heather C. Allen
  • Mike Bullock
  • Kevin Fagan
    Cartoonist
  • Robin Follman
  • Caesar Frazier
  • Brandon Hammond
  • Yolanda Hughes-Heying
  • Savannah LaBrant
  • Ben Maller
  • Allen Meadors
  • Trenten Merrill
    Athletics
  • Anoeschka von Meck
Showing 1–12 of 14
1 / 2

Frequently asked questions about Saddleback College

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

What is the acceptance rate at Saddleback College?

Saddleback 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 Saddleback College?

Saddleback College reports a 6-year graduation rate of 48% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Saddleback College?

Saddleback College reports a total enrollment of 20,764 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Saddleback College?

The average net price at Saddleback College is $4,152 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

Where is Saddleback College located?

Saddleback College is located in Mission Viejo, California 92692-3635.

Who runs Institutional Research at Saddleback College?

Saddleback College's IR work is done by the Office of Planning Research and Accreditation (OPRA).

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.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
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.
U.S. Department of Education
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.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
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.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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