Lynelle Lynch Founder | Bellus Academy-El Cajon
Lynelle Lynch Founder | Bellus Academy-El Cajon
Data shows that students paid $7,173 on average to attend higher education courses at the time, less than the $143 charged for the previous school year.
Among the 41 institutions providing full disclosure in the county, North-West College-San Diego stood out with the highest tuition fees, reaching an average of $76,757. Point Loma Nazarene University followed with an average of $41,100 per year. San Diego Miramar College students were offered the lowest annual tuition fees at $1,144.
At the time, at least $116.8 million in grants or scholarships were awarded to full-time undergraduates who started at the San Diego County universities in the 2022-23 school year. Additionally, federal student loans reached more than $37.8 million.
Currently there are 44 higher education institutions in San Diego County, including CET-San Diego, California Miramar University, and Gemological Institute of America-Carlsbad.
Undergraduate education costs have seen a significant increase over the past few decades. Data shows a 169% rise in the average total cost, including tuition, fees, room, and board, between 1980 and 2020.
According to a 2023 College Board report, in-state students at public universities paid an average of $11,260, while out-of-state students paid $29,150 in the 2023-24 academic year.
Meanwhile, student loan debt has steadily increased over the last 30 years, reaching $1.75 trillion in 2024, averaging a total of $28,950 per borrower. Federal loans make up 92% of the debt, with over half of students at both public and private four-year colleges graduating with student loans.
Of the 44 institutions in San Diego County, three did not provide detailed data on tuition fees, including Poway Adult School, Northcentral University, and Escondido Adult School.
Available data sometimes exceeds 100% due to rounding and administrative calculations.
| Institution | Number of Students Receiving Grants | Total Amount of Grants Received | Average Amount of Grant Per Student | Number of Students Receiving Loans | Total Amount of Loans Received | Average Amount of Loans Per Student |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California State University-San Marcos | 1,725 | $17,676,382 | $10,247 | 730 | $4,376,263 | $5,995 |
| San Diego Global Knowledge University | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| California Institute of Arts & Technology | 113 | $709,909 | $6,282 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| MiraCosta College | 844 | $4,721,579 | $5,594 | 18 | $127,311 | $7,073 |
| Bellus Academy-El Cajon | 51 | $289,843 | $5,683 | 71 | $685,911 | $9,661 |
| Palomar College | 1,372 | $6,553,577 | $4,777 | 9 | $47,804 | $5,312 |
| San Diego Mesa College | 810 | $7,276,101 | $8,983 | 37 | $154,236 | $4,169 |
| Concorde Career College-San Diego | 440 | $2,109,247 | $4,794 | 404 | $4,257,420 | $10,538 |
| Bellus Academy-Chula Vista | 126 | $721,082 | $5,723 | 149 | $1,232,313 | $8,271 |
| Newschool of Architecture and Design | 10 | $74,518 | $7,452 | 6 | $29,030 | $4,838 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-San Diego | 12 | $57,425 | $4,785 | 13 | $91,832 | $7,064 |
| California Hair Design Academy | 43 | $210,714 | $4,900 | 33 | $173,425 | $5,255 |
| Grossmont College | 1,146 | $7,401,420 | $6,458 | 11 | $65,073 | $5,916 |
| Design Institute of San Diego | 6 | $86,397 | $14,400 | 5 | $38,351 | $7,670 |
| Associated Barber College of San Diego | 33 | $211,655 | $6,414 | 23 | $171,989 | $7,478 |
| California Institute of Arts & Technology-National City | 29 | $125,934 | $4,343 | 6 | $18,073 | $3,012 |
| ICOHS College | 36 | $148,129 | $4,115 | 35 | $237,524 | $6,786 |
| San Diego State University | 6,116 | $33,386,352 | $5,459 | 1,939 | $13,837,685 | $7,137 |
| Alliant International University-San Diego | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| CET-San Diego | 39 | $319,484 | $8,192 | 38 | $291,651 | $7,675 |
| Point Loma Nazarene University | 644 | $13,058,165 | $20,277 | 386 | $3,066,078 | $7,943 |
| North-West College-San Diego | 42 | $199,221 | $4,743 | 45 | $392,624 | $8,725 |
| Cuyamaca College | 417 | $3,322,003 | $7,966 | 10 | $86,045 | $8,605 |
| Healing Hands School of Holistic Health | 15 | $47,709 | $3,181 | 15 | $59,100 | $3,940 |
| ATA College | 16 | $104,400 | $6,525 | 14 | $92,600 | $6,614 |
| Riggins Urban Barber College | 18 | $108,620 | $6,034 | 16 | $134,750 | $8,422 |
| Palomar Institute of Cosmetology | 34 | $146,224 | $4,301 | 41 | $222,335 | $5,423 |
| Pacific College of Health and Science | 8 | $23,202 | $2,900 | 12 | $48,494 | $4,041 |
| California Miramar University | 14 | $92,515 | $6,608 | 16 | $73,880 | $4,618 |
| Escondido Adult School | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| San Diego Christian College | 39 | $450,601 | $11,554 | 14 | $76,298 | $5,450 |
| Associated Technical College-San Diego | 101 | $740,846 | $7,335 | 24 | $210,555 | $8,773 |
| Poway Adult School | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Pima Medical Institute-San Marcos | 137 | $684,007 | $4,993 | 166 | $1,314,732 | $7,920 |
| San Diego City College | 472 | $5,182,037 | $10,979 | 8 | $28,106 | $3,513 |
| Ashford University | 657 | $3,438,522 | $5,234 | 422 | $2,598,429 | $6,157 |
| San Diego Miramar College | 451 | $3,527,593 | $7,822 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| John Paul the Great Catholic University | 110 | $1,727,936 | $15,709 | 63 | $380,885 | $6,046 |
| Bellus Academy-Poway | 73 | $434,124 | $5,947 | 85 | $925,559 | $10,889 |
| Pima Medical Institute-Chula Vista | 207 | $1,021,098 | $4,933 | 232 | $2,085,344 | $8,989 |
| Northcentral University | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| California Barber and Beauty College | 16 | $111,721 | $6,983 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| National University | 9 | $61,765 | $6,863 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Gemological Institute of America-Carlsbad | 24 | $283,575 | $11,816 | 16 | $131,389 | $8,212 |
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