Match #1
College of the Canyons
Santa Clarita, CA
Profile closeness77/100
Admit rate—
- 15,832 students
- Public
- Suburb: Large
- Graduation rate 43%, close to 42%
- Enrollment 15,832 students, close to 16,098
The colleges most similar to San Diego Mesa College are College of the Canyons, Saddleback College, and San Diego Miramar College. San Diego Mesa College has an average net price of $21,767 a year; 6 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 Mesa 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 Mesa College
Row-wise results ranked by similarity. No curated AI list exists for this school.
Match #2
Saddleback College
Mission Viejo, CA
Profile closeness73/100
Admit rate—
- 17,684 students
- Public
- Suburb: Large
- Graduation rate 46%, close to 42%
- Enrollment 17,684 students, close to 16,098
Match #3
San Diego Miramar College
San Diego, CA
Profile closeness73/100
Admit rate—
- 11,271 students
- Public
- City: Large
- Graduation rate 40%, close to 42%
- Enrollment 11,271 students, close to 16,098
Match #4
Cypress College
Cypress, CA
Profile closeness71/100
Admit rate—
- 13,354 students
- Public
- Suburb: Large
- Graduation rate 41%, close to 42%
- Enrollment 13,354 students, close to 16,098
Match #5
Pasadena City College
Pasadena, CA
Profile closeness70/100
Admit rate—
- 21,466 students
- Public
- City: Midsize
- Graduation rate 44%, close to 42%
- Enrollment 21,466 students, close to 16,098
Match #6
Riverside City College
Riverside, CA
Profile closeness69/100
Admit rate—
- 18,346 students
- Public
- City: Large
- Enrollment 18,346 students, close to 16,098
- Average net price $24,678, close to $21,767
Match #7
Rio Hondo College
Whittier, CA
Profile closeness68/100
Admit rate—
- 15,684 students
- Public
- Suburb: Large
- Enrollment 15,684 students, close to 16,098
- Same Carnegie classification
Match #8
MiraCosta College
Oceanside, CA
Profile closeness68/100
Admit rate—
- 10,278 students
- Public
- Suburb: Large
- Graduation rate 40%, close to 42%
- Same Carnegie classification
Match #9
Sierra College-California
Rocklin, CA
Profile closeness67/100
Admit rate—
- 14,122 students
- Public
- Suburb: Large
- Graduation rate 36%, close to 42%
- Enrollment 14,122 students, close to 16,098
Match #10
Las Positas College
Livermore, CA
Profile closeness67/100
Admit rate—
- 7,299 students
- Public
- City: Small
- Graduation rate 46%, close to 42%
- Average net price $22,259, close to $21,767
Questions about San Diego Mesa College alternatives
What colleges are similar to San Diego Mesa College?
The closest matches to San Diego Mesa College are College of the Canyons, Saddleback College, San Diego Miramar College, Cypress College, and Pasadena City College. CollegesRef ranks them on admissions, cost, graduation rate, size, and campus profile using IPEDS and College Scorecard data.
Which San Diego Mesa College alternatives cost less?
6 of the 10 closest alternatives have a lower average net price than San Diego Mesa College ($21,767 a year), including Cypress College ($759), MiraCosta College ($5,146), and Rio Hondo College ($15,389). Net price is what first-time, full-time students paid after grants; your own price depends on family income.
