Santa Ana College vs MiraCosta College

Santa Ana College and MiraCosta College, both esteemed community colleges in California, offer diverse educational opportunities to students seeking higher education. While they share similarities in providing quality instruction and support services, they also possess distinct characteristics that cater to different student needs and preferences. This side-by-side comparison delves into the unique aspects of each institution, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. By exploring these differences, prospective students can make informed decisions about which college aligns best with their academic goals and personal aspirations.

	MiraCosta College	Santa Ana College
Overview
Location	Oceanside, California	Santa Ana, California
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	100.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	Open Admission
Application fees
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants
Total number of admissions given out
Admitted students who chose to enroll
Yield rate
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	Not required	Not required
High school GPA	N/A	N/A
Recommendation letters	N/A	N/A
High school transcript	N/A	N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	N/A	N/A

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $23,484 Out of state: $30,852	In state: $26,370 Out of state: $33,978
Average net price	$6,946	$6,351
Tuition	In state: $1,104 Out of state: $8,472	In state: $1,104 Out of state: $8,712
Room & board
Available payment plans

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	75.0% Average amount $4,697	85.0% Average amount $5,252
Students receiving federal student loan	1.0% Average amount $6,068	0.0% Average amount $5,333
Students taking out private loans	0.0% Average amount $0	0.0% Average amount $0

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	11,125 Men 39.9% Women 60.1%	23,936 Men 58.6% Women 41.4%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	5.2%	2.2%
International students	0.9%	0.7%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	N/A	N/A
First year students are required to live on campus?	N/A	N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California	California

Academics
Popular study areas	Liberal Arts Business Multidisciplinary Studies Family and Consumer Sciences Psychology	Liberal Arts Business Law Enforcement and Firefighting Health Professions Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	30:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	35.9%	27.8%
Dropout rate	48.6%	59.0%
Transferred out	11.8%	7.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $43,335 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $21,665 Year 2: $13,702 Year 3: $28,834	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $68,741 Year 2: $74,576 Year 3: $80,851 Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $31,125 Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $50,206 Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $31,852 Year 3: $30,710 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $29,659 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $27,493 Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $22,889 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Fire Protection (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $59,301 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Fire Protection (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $54,135 Year 2: $54,035 Year 3: N/A Sociology (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $31,837 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: N/A Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $34,704 Year 3: N/A

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