CET-Santa Maria Tuition, Completion & Outcomes (2026)

Last updated: June 29, 2026 Source: College Scorecard

CET-Santa Maria is a private trade and vocational school in Santa Maria, California, enrolling about 142 students. Programs focus on certificates and workforce credentials that prepare students for skilled trades and technical careers. The published completion rate is about 77.27% at 150% of normal time. Median earnings about ten years after entry reach about $32,986 among students who received federal aid.

Key Facts

  • 2024 Undergraduate Tuition: $N/A
  • 2024 Average Net Price: $5,446 After Financial Aid
  • 2024 Acceptance Rate: N/A Moderate Selectivity
  • 2024 Enrolled Students: 142 100.0% Full-Time
  • 2024 Graduation Rate: 77.27%
  • First-Generation Students: 69.3%
  • Net price trend: Average net price decrease of 67.4% from 2022 to 2023 (College Scorecard).
  • Undergraduate Enrollment: 215

CET-Santa Maria: what the data shows

Common questions about CET-Santa Maria, answered from College Scorecard and IPEDS in this repository.

Where is CET-Santa Maria?

CET-Santa Maria is located in Santa Maria, CA (ZIP 93458).

NCES locale classification: Suburb.

Is CET-Santa Maria public or private?

CET-Santa Maria is a Private Non-profit institution.

How much does CET-Santa Maria cost?

Average net price after aid: $5,446.

Family income bandAvg. net price
Family income $0–$30,000$4,846
$30,001–$48,000$5,802
$48,001–$75,000$7,319
$75,001–$110,000$4,714

How big is CET-Santa Maria?

Total enrollment: 142 students.

Undergraduate enrollment: 215 students.

About 100% enroll full-time in our extract.

What is the graduation rate at CET-Santa Maria?

150%-time completion rate: 77.27%.

First-year retention: 91.7%.

What do graduates of CET-Santa Maria earn?

Median earnings: $33,264 six years after entry; $32,986 ten years after entry (College Scorecard).

How much debt do students have?

Median federal loan debt among completers: $7,041.

58.85% of students receive Pell grants.

What is CET-Santa Maria known for?

Largest IPEDS program completions at this institution:

See ROI & Programs for more.

Is CET-Santa Maria a good school?

We do not score schools on opinion. Federal data in our extract show completion rate 77.27%; median earnings $32,986 at 10 years; net price $5,446. Compare these figures to your cost, aid, and career goals.

Tuition & Cost

Tuition Costs

$N/A
2024 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2024, the cost of tuition at CET-Santa Maria was $N/A.

Tuition comparison with similar institutions.

Average Net Price

$5,446
2024 Value

In 2024 CET-Santa Maria had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $5,446.

Average net price comparison with similar institutions.

Total Cost of Attendance

$21,784 Estimated 4-Year Total Cost

$5,446 Average Annual Net Price (after aid)

Costs include tuition and fees. Room & board, books, and other expenses are additional where not shown.

4-year total cost breakdown for CET-Santa Maria.

Financial Aid by Income Level

58.85% Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

12.44% Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

Financial aid distribution by income level.

Student Loan Default Rate

0.00%
3-year cohort default rate (College Scorecard)

The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at CET-Santa Maria was 0.00%.

Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.

Tuition tracker

Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for CET-Santa Maria in that year.

Reporting years in the table below: 2013–2023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).

Year In-state tuition & fees Out-of-state tuition & fees Average net price
2013——$13,570
2014——$13,610
2015——$9,703
2016——$12,098
2017——$9,726
2018——$10,379
2019——$10,491
2020——$14,029
2021——$13,565
2022——$8,807
2023——$2,869

Sticker tuition and net price over time

Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.

College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).

Net price by family income

Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).

Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.

Acceptance Rate & Admissions

Acceptance Rate

Acceptance rate data is not available for this institution.

Acceptance rate compared to national average.

Test Scores

Test score data is not available for this institution.

Average SAT and ACT scores for admitted students.

Academic Requirements

GPA requirements are not published by this institution. Contact the admissions office for specific academic requirements.

Estimated GPA and test score ranges.

Enrollment & Student Demographics

CET-Santa Maria reported total enrollment of about 142 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 37% male and 63% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes Hispanic or Latino (98.6%), Two or More Races (1.4%), and White (0.0%). About 58.85% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 69.3% of students are first-generation college students.

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

100.0% Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at CET-Santa Maria in 2024 is 142 students.

Undergraduate enrollment is about 215 students.

Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.

Retention Rate over Time

91.7%
2024 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.

Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

The largest enrollment share in our College Scorecard extract is Hispanic or Latino at 98.6%.

Shares are for total enrollment (undergraduate and graduate combined when reported).

College Scorecard student demographics.

Graduates & Outcomes

Time to Complete

0.00% 100% Completion Time

77.27% 150% Completion Time

In 2024, 0.00% of students graduating from CET-Santa Maria completed their program within 100% "normal time".

Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.

Completions by Sex (Top Programs)

  • Medical/Clinical Assistant: 9% male / 91% female
  • Building Construction Technology/Technician: 92% male / 8% female
  • Business/Office Automation/Technology/Data Entry: 0% male / 100% female

IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).

Completions by Race & Ethnicity

Combined IPEDS award counts across reported programs; largest group: Hispanic or Latino.

Summed across program completion records in our extract.

ROI & Programs

Financial value and program information for CET-Santa Maria.

Return on Investment

$7,041 Median Student Debt

$32,986 Median Annual Earnings (10 years)

21.35% Debt-to-Earnings Ratio

1414.23% Return on Investment

2.1 years Estimated Payback Period

Financial value analysis for CET-Santa Maria.

Top Programs by Completions

3 largest programs by IPEDS completions (of 4 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).

1. Medical/Clinical Assistant: 70 completions

2. Building Construction Technology/Technician: 24 completions

3. Business/Office Automation/Technology/Data Entry: 4 completions

Most popular programs at CET-Santa Maria.

Employment Outcomes

Employment outcome data is not available for this institution.

Earnings outcomes for CET-Santa Maria graduates.

Operations

Instructional staffing and expenditure indicators for CET-Santa Maria from College Scorecard (not a full IPEDS finance statement).

Instructional Resources

  • Instructional expenditure per FTE: $10,635

Endowment and detailed non-instructional staff counts require IPEDS Finance/HR surveys and are not in this extract.

Scorecard instructional metrics where reported.

About

CET-Santa Maria is a private non-profit institution located in Santa Maria, CA. In the latest IPEDS completions in our extract, the largest programs by awards were Medical/Clinical Assistant, Building Construction Technology/Technician, Business/Office Automation/Technology/Data Entry. Enrollment is approximately 142 students. Student body composition includes Hispanic or Latino (98.6%), Two or More Races (1.4%), White (0.0%). The 150%-time completion rate is 77.27%. Approximately 58.85% of students receive Pell Grants. About 69.3% of students are first-generation college students.

Institution Type

Private Non-profit

Location

Santa Maria, CA 93458

Region: Far West

Insights and Analysis

CET-Santa Maria provides educational opportunities for students seeking higher education. Prospective students should carefully evaluate all factors including costs, outcomes, and program offerings when making their enrollment decisions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is CET-Santa Maria located?

CET-Santa Maria is located in Santa Maria, CA.

How much does CET-Santa Maria cost?

Reported tuition is N/A and average net price is $5,446 in the latest College Scorecard data.

What is the student body demographics at CET-Santa Maria?

CET-Santa Maria reports undergraduate enrollment of about 215 students, Hispanic or Latino (98.6%), Two or More Races (1.4%) in federal College Scorecard data.

How many first-generation students attend CET-Santa Maria?

About 69.3% of students at CET-Santa Maria are first-generation college students.

What do graduates of CET-Santa Maria earn?

Median earnings are $33,264 six years after entry and $32,986 ten years after entry.

What is the graduation rate at CET-Santa Maria?

The 150%-time completion rate is 77.3% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.

How much debt do CET-Santa Maria students have?

Median federal loan debt among completers is $7,041.

Is CET-Santa Maria public or private?

CET-Santa Maria is a private nonprofit institution located in Santa Maria, CA.

Is CET-Santa Maria an HBCU?

No. CET-Santa Maria is not flagged as an HBCU in the IPEDS institutional directory.

Is CET-Santa Maria a tribal college?

No. CET-Santa Maria is not flagged as a tribal college in IPEDS.

Is CET-Santa Maria a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI)?

By the common federal eligibility proxy used here (≥25% Hispanic enrollment in College Scorecard), yes—CET-Santa Maria reports 98.6% Hispanic enrollment share.

Is CET-Santa Maria religiously affiliated?

No religious affiliation is reported for CET-Santa Maria in IPEDS institutional characteristics.

Data Sources

This page uses data from the following sources:

  • California trade schools profile
  • Santa Maria, California city profile
  • Far West regional profile
  • All state profiles
  • Regional profiles
  • National benchmarks
  • School directory
  • All schools in California

    • Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.

    Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.

    Methodology

    Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, which provides comprehensive information on institutions of higher education in the United States.

    All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Graduation rates and completion times are calculated according to federal standards.