Masters Colleges & Universities: Small ProgramsPrivate nonprofit

San Diego Christian College

Santee, California·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Far West·sdcc.edu
6-yr Graduation
20%
-29.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Total enrollment
96
peer median 992
Avg net price
$7,871
-$17k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
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About

San Diego Christian College is a private Christian liberal arts college located in Santee, California, founded in 1970. The college offers certificates, bachelor's, and master's degree programs and has over 12,000 alumni, focusing on programs in various fields including Biblical Studies, Business Administration, and Psychology. It is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and offers both in-person and online formats for its programs.

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
185
185 candidates competed
Admitted
57
30.8% acceptance rate
Enrolled
9
15.8% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

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

Overall completion
20%-29.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
4-year graduation
18%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
20%
Full-time retention
86%

Pell equity

15.0pp gap
Pell recipients
36%
Non-Pell
21%

Pell recipients graduate at a higher rate than non-Pell students here — unusual and worth investigating.

Program outcomes

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

Of 21 Title IV programs, 2 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 19 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
21
Passing
2
9.5% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

21programs
  • Passing2 · 9.5%
  • No Data19 · 90.5%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
0
Safe
2
No data
19

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.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

2
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
+57.1%
$56,685 vs $36,082
Business Administration Management and Operations
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+64.9%
$59,489 vs $36,082

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

2
Business Administration Management and Operations
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
39%
$22,937 debt · $59,489 earn
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
27%
$15,250 debt · $56,685 earn

Accreditation status & history

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

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

WASC Senior College and University Commission

Accredited since 1984Next review Feb 2027
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools, Accreditation Commission

Accredited since 1982
PreaccreditedInstitutional accreditor

WASC Senior College and University Commission

Accredited since 1976Next review Dec 2017

Action history · 10

  1. May 2025Heightened Monitoring or Focused Review
    WASC Senior College and University Commission
  2. May 2025Accreditation Reaffirmed: Warning Removed
    WASC Senior College and University Commission
  3. Jun 2024Removal of Show Cause Status
    WASC Senior College and University Commission
  4. Jun 2024Probation or Equivalent or a More Severe Status: Warning
    WASC Senior College and University Commission
  5. Nov 2023Probation or Equivalent or a More Severe Status: Show Cause
    WASC Senior College and University Commission

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$2,310
$30–48k$27,224
$48–75k$30,336
$75–110k
$110k+

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

Avg net price (private)
$7,871
-$17,429vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs median $25,300
Federal loans
16.4%
In-state tuition
$26,300
Out-of-state
$26,300

Federal aid volume & trends

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

In AY 2024–25, 70 students received $388K in Pell grants, alongside $615K in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
70
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$388K
$388,125 total
Direct Loans
$615K
115 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

0k
20
0k
21
0k
22
0k
23
0k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$170K
49 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$286K
55 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$110K
7 loan awards
Parent PLUS$37K
3 loan awards
Grad PLUS$12K
1 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 260 borrowers who entered repayment, 6 (2.3%) defaulted within three years.

Default rate
2.3%
vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
260
Defaulted
6
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
9.9%
2017
11.6%
2018
8.6%
2019
2.3%
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 San Diego Christian College

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs19
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

52 total completions
01Business
2038.5%
02Education
917.3%
03Psychology
713.5%
04Parks/Recreation
611.5%
05Multi/Interdisciplinary
23.8%
06Family/Consumer Sci
23.8%
07Liberal Arts
23.8%
08Biological Sciences
23.8%
09Theology
11.9%
10Communication
11.9%

Enrollment trends & demographics

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

Fall total
96
12-mo unduplicated
150
Undergraduate
125
Graduate
25

Gender split

Men
45%67
Women
55%83

Race / ethnicity composition

Hispanic
34.1%
White
30.8%
Black
11.0%
Unknown
9.9%
Two or more
5.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
3.3%
Asian
2.2%
Non-resident
2.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native
1.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

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

Athletes
231
120 M · 111 W
Women athletes
48.1%
Athletic aid
$4.1M
Total student aid
Budget
$6.4M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$2.4M
$1.7M
Recruiting expense
$531
$3K
Head-coach salaries
$36K
$40K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 9

Soccer
32 M · 18 W
$1.2M
Basketball
27 M · 21 W
$1.3M
Baseball
46 M ·
$849K
Softball
· 26 W
$575K
Volleyball
· 20 W
$516K
Tennis
10 M · 8 W
$720K

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
0.00
0 offenses · 355 students

3-year trend

1.952 yrs ago6.491 yr ago0.00Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
4
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
0
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

No criminal offenses reported.

By location

0total

    VAWA offenses

    0
    Domestic violence
    0
    Dating violence
    0
    Stalking
    0 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.

    Student-to-faculty
    9.0:1
    Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
    6

    San Diego Christian College vs Peer comparison

    The peer institutions San Diego Christian 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
    SubjectSan Diego Christian College
    20%96$7,871Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
    Arizona Christian University
    40%70.6%1,421$32,383Baccalaureate
    Hope International University
    49%33.0%1,025$27,653Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
    Life Pacific University
    38%95.8%621$22,343Baccalaureate
    Menlo College
    54%68.5%810$27,032
    Pacific Union College
    45%47.3%974$20,979Baccalaureate
    Simpson University
    49%86.0%992$27,923Baccalaureate
    The Master's University and Seminary
    67%84.0%2,860$32,121Doctoral/Professional
    Vanguard University of Southern California
    57%62.4%2,246$19,761Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
    Warner Pacific University
    49%71.1%378$18,818Baccalaureate
    William Jessup University
    56%93.3%1,865$25,300Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
    Peer group median49%70.9%992$25,300

    Reports & documents (1)

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

    Notable alumni of San Diego Christian College (6)

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

    • F. David Farnell
    • Matt Krause
    • Carrie Prejean
    • Liam Simmons
    • Shannon Taylor
      Film Production
    • Jeremiah Trueman

    Frequently asked questions about San Diego Christian College

    Quick answers to the questions most often asked about San Diego Christian College.

    What is the graduation rate at San Diego Christian College?

    San Diego Christian College reports a 6-year graduation rate of 20% per the latest IPEDS.

    How many students attend San Diego Christian College?

    San Diego Christian College reports a total enrollment of 96 students per the latest IPEDS.

    What is the average net price at San Diego Christian College?

    The average net price at San Diego Christian College is $7,871 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

    What is the yield rate at San Diego Christian College?

    San Diego Christian College's yield rate is 15.8%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

    Where is San Diego Christian College located?

    San Diego Christian College is located in Santee, California 92071.

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