Match #1
San Bernardino Valley College
San Bernardino, CA
Profile closeness81/100
Admit rate—
- 12,234 students
- Public
- City: Midsize
- Graduation rate 20%, close to 24%
- Enrollment 12,234 students, close to 10,441
The colleges most similar to San Diego City College are San Bernardino Valley College, College of the Desert, and Coastline Community College. San Diego City College has an average net price of $18,693 a year; 8 of its 10 alternatives cost less, in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition.
Profile closeness (0–100) compares graduation rate, size, admit rate, net price, Carnegie class, and control with San Diego City College. The order also uses CollegesRef matching tiers, so a later match can score higher. Admit-rate bars use a 0–100% scale.
Top 10 alternatives to San Diego City College
Row-wise results ranked by similarity. No curated AI list exists for this school.
Match #2
College of the Desert
Palm Desert, CA
Profile closeness79/100
Admit rate—
- 10,207 students
- Public
- City: Small
- Graduation rate 29%, close to 24%
- Enrollment 10,207 students, close to 10,441
Match #3
Coastline Community College
Fountain Valley, CA
Profile closeness78/100
Admit rate—
- 7,393 students
- Public
- City: Small
- Graduation rate 25%, close to 24%
- Enrollment 7,393 students, close to 10,441
Match #4
Moreno Valley College
Moreno Valley, CA
Profile closeness76/100
Admit rate—
- 9,346 students
- Public
- Suburb: Large
- Graduation rate 22%, close to 24%
- Enrollment 9,346 students, close to 10,441
Match #5
Los Angeles City College
Los Angeles, CA
Profile closeness75/100
Admit rate—
- 11,198 students
- Public
- City: Large
- Graduation rate 24%, close to 24%
- Enrollment 11,198 students, close to 10,441
Match #6
San Diego Miramar College
San Diego, CA
Profile closeness74/100
Admit rate—
- 11,271 students
- Public
- City: Large
- Enrollment 11,271 students, close to 10,441
- Average net price $21,008, close to $18,693
Match #7
San Jose City College
San Jose, CA
Profile closeness73/100
Admit rate—
- 7,105 students
- Public
- City: Large
- Graduation rate 29%, close to 24%
- Enrollment 7,105 students, close to 10,441
Match #8
Cabrillo College
Aptos, CA
Profile closeness72/100
Admit rate—
- 8,002 students
- Public
- Suburb: Midsize
- Enrollment 8,002 students, close to 10,441
- Average net price $17,735, close to $18,693
Match #9
Los Angeles Mission College
Sylmar, CA
Profile closeness71/100
Admit rate—
- 7,999 students
- Public
- City: Large
- Graduation rate 24%, close to 24%
- Enrollment 7,999 students, close to 10,441
Match #10
Rio Hondo College
Whittier, CA
Profile closeness71/100
Admit rate—
- 15,684 students
- Public
- Suburb: Large
- Graduation rate 23%, close to 24%
- Enrollment 15,684 students, close to 10,441
Questions about San Diego City College alternatives
What colleges are similar to San Diego City College?
The closest matches to San Diego City College are San Bernardino Valley College, College of the Desert, Coastline Community College, Moreno Valley College, and Los Angeles City College. CollegesRef ranks them on admissions, cost, graduation rate, size, and campus profile using IPEDS and College Scorecard data.
Which San Diego City College alternatives cost less?
8 of the 10 closest alternatives have a lower average net price than San Diego City College ($18,693 a year), including Los Angeles Mission College ($3,881), Los Angeles City College ($4,875), and Coastline Community College ($12,259). Net price is what first-time, full-time students paid after grants; your own price depends on family income.
