Escondido, California Colleges: Costs & Earnings (2026 stats)
Executive Summary (TL;DR)
Colleges in Escondido, California: median public in-state tuition $31,090 (+445.4% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $53,787 (-9.4% vs U.S.) employment-outcome proxy 89.7% working & not enrolled at 8 years median graduate debt $6,333 (-53.1% vs U.S.) 2,041 students enrolled statewide.
Overview
Colleges and universities in Escondido serve students across California with associate, bachelor's, and graduate pathways. 5 reporting campuses in this city profile, with about 2,041 students enrolled in federal data, and median in-state tuition near $31,090. Tables below compare costs, completion, earnings, and standout institutions against Escondido, California and U.S. medians from the College Scorecard.
Escondido vs California & national benchmarks
Medians aggregate institution-level College Scorecard fields unless noted. Enrollment is total undergraduate headcount summed across reporting campuses.
| Geography | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion rate | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Escondido, California | $31,090 | $33,528 | $6,333 | 65.8% | 2,041 |
| California (state median) | $1,334 | $7,373 | $11,888 | 57.0% | 2,131,219 |
| United States | $5,700 | $9,912 | $13,500 | 49.3% | 14,465,291 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Escondido, California vs benchmarks
Scorecard does not publish formal job-placement rates. We use the share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled (working ÷ working + not working) as a federal employment-outcome proxy. 2-yr and 3-yr default rates are federal cohort default shares (0–1 scale). We show 2-yr default as the primary benchmark; 3-yr default appears only when enough campuses report non-suppressed values (otherwise —). 3-yr repayment progress is the share of completers making progress on loans after 3 years. Sample: bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200. Medians pool campus-level values.
| Geography | Median earnings (10 yr) | Working & not enrolled (8 yr) | Retention (FT yr 1) | 2-yr default | 3-yr default | 3-yr repayment progress | Debt ÷ earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Escondido, California | $53,787 | 89.7% | 85.1% | — | — | N/A | 0.43 |
| California (state median) | $72,184 | 92.4% | 83.9% | 3.8% | — | 74.5% | 0.26 |
| United States | $59,401 | 93.0% | 76.4% | 5.0% | — | 73.8% | 0.36 |
Other cities in California (3+ campuses)
Other cities in the same state with at least three reporting campuses.
| City | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion | Enrollment | Earnings (10 yr) | Working (8 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Escondido, California | $31,090 | $33,528 | $6,333 | 65.8% | 2,041 | $53,787 | 89.7% |
| Los Angeles | $19,196 | $26,276 | $19,151 | 70.2% | 120,534 | $78,572 | 92.3% |
| San Diego | $14,032 | $26,450 | $13,677 | 53.1% | 95,661 | $73,741 | 93.6% |
| Sacramento | $1,288 | $20,089 | $11,462 | 46.9% | 94,048 | $69,014 | 92.6% |
| Long Beach | $4,949 | $26,539 | $12,000 | 70.3% | 60,761 | $69,554 | 92.8% |
| Fullerton | $5,831 | $4,132 | $13,594 | 53.2% | 56,299 | $60,134 | 92.1% |
| Fresno | $8,224 | $21,108 | $11,411 | 53.1% | 54,532 | $64,448 | 92.7% |
| Riverside | $16,103 | $24,129 | $12,125 | 55.9% | 53,903 | $67,633 | 91.9% |
| Pasadena | $27,670 | $27,036 | $9,500 | 41.4% | 49,021 | $64,912 | 91.1% |
| United States | $5,700 | $9,912 | $13,500 | 49.3% | 14,465,291 | $59,401 | 93.0% |
Top college in Escondido, California by 10-year ROI
Ranked by 10-year return on investment (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200 and a computed ROI in the EDsmart dataset.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr ROI, $101,989, John Paul the Great Catholic University
John Paul the Great Catholic University
In-state tuition: Escondido, California vs benchmarks
Sticker price
Escondido, California median in-state tuition is $31,090, +445.4% vs the U.S. median.
Student debt: Escondido, California vs benchmarks
Borrowing
Median debt at graduation in Escondido, California is $6,333 (-53.1% vs U.S. median $13,500). Regional median: $11,888.
Median earnings (10 years out): Escondido, California vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Escondido, California center around $53,787 (-9.4% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Escondido, California vs benchmarks
Working & not enrolled
The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 89.7% at the median Escondido, California campus (-3.4 pp vs U.S.).
Percent of 8-year cohort working and not enrolled (not a formal placement rate).
Analysis & insights
EDsmart Data aggregates institution-level College Scorecard data for this profile. Highlights below compare local medians to U.S. and regional benchmarks.
Costs & borrowing
Escondido, California median public in-state tuition is $31,090, about +445.4% vs the national median. Versus the Far West region, tuition is +846.7%.
Median graduate debt is $6,333 (-53.1% below the U.S. median of $13,500). Low sticker prices do not always mean low borrowing—living costs, time-to-degree, and aid mix matter.
Earnings, employment & retention
Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in Escondido, California are $53,787, about -9.4% vs the U.S. campus median ($59,401).
The median campus reports 89.7% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 93.0% (-3.4 pp). Formal job-placement statistics are not published in Scorecard; treat this as a comparative outcome indicator, not a hire guarantee.
First-year, full-time retention at the median campus is 85.1% vs a U.S. median of 76.4%—a leading indicator for completion and time-to-degree.
Completion & workforce context
Average institution-level completion rate across all sectors in Escondido, California is 65.8% (national institution average about 49.3%).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many colleges are in Escondido?
This city profile covers 5 campuses in Escondido, California with College Scorecard cost or outcomes data.
How much does college cost in Escondido?
Median in-state tuition in Escondido is $31,090 and median net price is $33,528. For California overall, medians are $1,334 and $7,373; U.S. medians are $5,700 and $9,912.
What do graduates earn in Escondido?
Median 10-year earnings for campuses in Escondido is $53,787 vs $72,184 for California and $59,401 nationally.
What is student debt like for Escondido colleges?
Median completer debt in Escondido is $6,333 vs $11,888 for California and $13,500 nationally.
Are there HBCUs, Hispanic-serving, tribal, or religious colleges in Escondido?
Among 5 campuses in Escondido, California, 3 campuses report at least 25% Hispanic undergraduate enrollment in U.S. Department of Education data; examples include John Paul the Great Catholic University, Escondido Adult School, and Southern California College of Barber and Beauty; 1 religiously affiliated private nonprofit campus (IPEDS RELAFFIL); most common affiliations: Roman Catholic (1).
Sources & related
- California college profile
- All college profiles
- National benchmarks
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard
- Download: JSON