San Diego Christian College
Santee, CA 92071
About San Diego Christian College
San Diego Christian College is a private research university in Santee, California, enrolling about 87 students. Admission is moderately selective for first-time degree-seeking undergraduates reporting admissions data to the Education Department. The acceptance rate is about 30.81% in the latest College Scorecard admissions data. Median earnings about ten years after entry reach about $49,766 among students who received federal aid.
Key findings
- San Diego Christian College charges 4% below the national private non-profit median tuition ($28,012).
- Versus the California median, sticker tuition is about 3.5×.
- Average net price runs below the California median net price.
- Completion within 150% of normal time is 19.67%.
- Median earnings 10 years after entry are $49,766.
Research findings
Finding
Average net price at San Diego Christian College is about 96% below published tuition.
Published tuition is $28,012; average net price is $992 in the latest Scorecard extract.
Interpretation: Institutional aid and grants compress sticker price into a substantially lower typical undergraduate cost signal.
Limitation: Average net price masks variation by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the campus average.
Finding
Modeled return on investment at San Diego Christian College is strong.
Estimated ROI reaches about 12442% using Scorecard cost and 10-year earnings fields in this extract.
Interpretation: On this institution-wide model, typical graduate earnings over a decade substantially exceed estimated net education cost.
Limitation: ROI is institution-wide and not program-specific; individual outcomes vary by major, aid package, and labor market.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego Christian College | $28,012 | $992 | 1 |
| Private Non-profit (national median) | $29,325 | — | 1,444 |
| California (state median) | $8,093 | $8,343 | 287 |
| Rural (locale median) | $14,160 | $18,700 | 1,649 |
| United States (national median) | $11,900 | $17,156 | — |
Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.
Average net price is 96% below published tuition at San Diego Christian College
Key findings
- San Diego Christian College's average net price ($992) is 96% below published tuition ($28,012).
- San Diego Christian College charges 4% below the national private non-profit median tuition ($28,012).
- Versus the California median, sticker tuition is about 3.5×.
- Average net price runs below the California median net price.
San Diego Christian College tuition
Published undergraduate tuition $28,012
Finding San Diego Christian College charges 4% below the national private non-profit median tuition.
Evidence Published tuition is $28,012. That is 4% below the national private non-profit median ($29,325). Versus the California median ($8,093), sticker tuition is about 3.5×. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is about 2.4×.
Method Sticker tuition compared with Scorecard-derived medians by ownership, state, locale, and national rollups when available.
Interpretation Published tuition measures sticker price relative to private non-profit and geographic peers; it does not equal what undergraduates typically pay after aid.
Limitation Sticker comparisons omit room, board, and institutional aid; average net price and income-band net prices are the stronger signals of typical family cost.
Evidence: published tuition at San Diego Christian College versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.
Evidence: average net price at San Diego Christian College versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.
What undergraduates typically pay
Finding Average net price at San Diego Christian College is $992.
Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $992 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $7,351 below the California median net price. Versus rural campuses, net price runs $17,708 below the locale median.
Method Average net price from College Scorecard; compared with state, locale, and U.S. medians from EDsmart aggregates.
Interpretation Average net price is a stronger institutional cost signal than published tuition because it incorporates grant aid.
Limitation The campus average masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average.
Key takeaway San Diego Christian College’s published tuition substantially overstates typical undergraduate cost: average net price is about 96% lower after grants and scholarships.
San Diego Christian College: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for San Diego Christian College—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
Completion, earnings, and net price together describe a campus where sticker price overstates typical undergraduate cost while outcomes remain at the high end of Scorecard distributions.
Financial profile
Annual tuition
$28,012
Avg. net price
$992
Net price by family income
| Income bracket | Avg. annual net price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $992 |
Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $112,048. See cost investigation.
Student outcomes
Share of first-year students returning the following fall.
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What San Diego Christian College is known for
Top program completions
- Business Administration and Management, General13
- Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods, Other9
- Secondary Education and Teaching7
- Psychology, General7
- Exercise Science and Kinesiology6
See earnings & programs for more.
Admissions landscape
- Selective — about half of applicants (or fewer) are admitted.
- Yield: 4% of admitted students enrolled.
See Admissions for the full funnel.
Is San Diego Christian College a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
San Diego Christian College is a good school for those looking for strong completion and solid mid-career earnings—especially where average net price sits well below published tuition (about 96% lower in this extract).
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for San Diego Christian College.
Campus
Location
Santee, CA
City / state
- ZIP
- 92071
- NCES locale
- Rural fringe
Compared with Rural campuses nationally, net price is about 0.1× the median for Rural campuses ($18,700 median).
Control
Institution type
Private Non-profit
Control
- Region
- Far West
- Carnegie
- Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus
Size
Enrollment
87
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 137
- Graduate
- 7
- Full-time share
- 80%
Student aid
Debt & aid
$24,941
Median federal loan debt
- Pell grant share
- 45.00%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Tuition vs average net price after aid for San Diego Christian College.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at San Diego Christian College 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 San Diego Christian College 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 | $25,888 | $25,888 | $25,314 |
| 2014 | $27,090 | $27,090 | $27,734 |
| 2015 | $28,470 | $28,470 | $26,521 |
| 2016 | $29,550 | $29,550 | $30,032 |
| 2017 | $30,438 | $30,438 | $27,039 |
| 2018 | $31,404 | $31,404 | $34,499 |
| 2019 | $32,346 | $32,346 | $34,609 |
| 2020 | $33,312 | $33,312 | $32,024 |
| 2021 | $34,310 | $34,310 | $34,359 |
| 2022 | $26,300 | $26,300 | $38,078 |
| 2023 | $26,300 | $26,300 | $7,871 |
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.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
This institution is selective, accepting about half of all applicants.
Applicants → admits → first-time enrollment from College Scorecard / IPEDS. Bar widths are scaled for readability at highly selective schools.
Test Scores
Test score data is not available for this institution.
Score distribution is not available for this institution.
Academic Requirements
GPA requirements are not published by this institution. Contact the admissions office for specific academic requirements.
Estimated GPA range is not available for this institution.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
San Diego Christian College reported total enrollment of about 87 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 55% male and 45% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes White (37.9%), Hispanic or Latino (26.4%), and Black or African American (14.9%). About 45.00% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 40.8% of students are first-generation college students.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
80.5% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at San Diego Christian College in 2024 is 87 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 137 students. Graduate enrollment is about 7 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
85.7%
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
Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.
College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
18.03% 100% Completion Time
19.67% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 18.03% of students graduating from San Diego Christian College completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Business Administration and Management, General: 31% male / 69% female
- Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods, Other: 56% male / 44% female
- Secondary Education and Teaching: 29% male / 71% female
IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).
Completions by Race & Ethnicity
Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.
Summed across program completion records in our extract.
San Diego Christian College graduates earn a median of $49,766 ten years after entry
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of San Diego Christian College.
Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $49,766. Median federal loan debt: $24,941. Average net price used in cost models: $992.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Key takeaway San Diego Christian College graduates report median earnings of $49,766 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for San Diego Christian College.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 10 programs by IPEDS completions (16 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at San Diego Christian College.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for San Diego Christian College graduates.
How financially powerful is this institution?
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for San Diego Christian College—endowment assets (fiscal year 2023), instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Institutional endowment
$693,502
End-of-year assets · Fiscal year 2023
- California median 0.04× the median ($19.7M)
- Far West median 0.04× the median ($16.8M)
- U.S. median 0.03× the median ($26.4M)
- California median 0.32× the median ($7,407)
- Far West median 0.32× the median ($7,260)
- U.S. median 0.19× the median ($12,100)
Instructional Resources
- Full-time faculty share: 19.4%
- California median 20.0 pp below median (39.3%)
- Far West median 26.3 pp below median (45.7%)
- U.S. median 38.6 pp below median (58.0%)
- Average faculty salary (monthly): $7,898
- California median 0.78× the median ($10,166)
- Far West median 0.82× the median ($9,635)
- U.S. median near the median ($7,615)
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $9,990
- California median 1.5× the median ($6,474)
- Far West median 1.4× the median ($7,030)
- U.S. median 1.4× the median ($7,288)
Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.
San Diego Christian College at a glance
San Diego Christian College
San Diego Christian College is a private non-profit institution in Santee, CA, classified as Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Business Administration and Management, GeneralTeacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods, OtherSecondary Education and Teaching
- Largest enrollment groups
- White or Caucasian37.9%Hispanic or Latino26.4%Black or African American14.9%
Schools near San Diego Christian College
Other campuses in Santee, CA when available, plus nearby institutions in California.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade D) within California, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is San Diego Christian College located?
San Diego Christian College is located in Santee, CA.
What is San Diego Christian College's acceptance rate?
The acceptance rate at San Diego Christian College is 30.8% among first-time degree-seeking students reporting admissions data. IPEDS reports 320 applicants and 201 admits in the latest admissions cycle in our extract.
What is San Diego Christian College's tuition?
San Diego Christian College tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $28,012 in the latest College Scorecard data. Average net price after grant aid is $992 for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid.
How much does San Diego Christian College cost?
Reported tuition is $28,012 and average net price is $992 in the latest College Scorecard data. On-campus room and board is estimated at $11,080 annually.
Why is San Diego Christian College's net price so much lower than tuition?
At San Diego Christian College, published tuition is $28,012 while average net price is $992—about 96% lower. Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid (College Scorecard). Institutional aid therefore compresses sticker price into a lower typical undergraduate cost signal. The campus average still masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average. EDsmart Data treats the sticker–net gap as an analytical finding, not advice about individual aid offers.
What explains San Diego Christian College's return on investment in EDsmart Data?
EDsmart Data models ROI using campus average net price ($992), completion (19.7% within 150% of normal time where reported), and median earnings ten years after entry ($49,766). High completion and strong mid-career earnings relative to net cost raise modeled ROI; the estimate is institution-wide and not program-specific. Debt-to-earnings ratios, when available, further contextualize borrowing pressure. Limitations include suppressed fields, program mix, and labor-market variation over time.
What is the student body demographics at San Diego Christian College?
San Diego Christian College reports undergraduate enrollment of about 137 students, White (37.9%), Hispanic or Latino (26.4%) in federal College Scorecard data.
How many first-generation students attend San Diego Christian College?
About 40.8% of students at San Diego Christian College are first-generation college students.
What do graduates of San Diego Christian College earn?
Median earnings are $39,848 six years after entry and $49,766 ten years after entry.
What is the graduation rate at San Diego Christian College?
The 150%-time completion rate is 19.7% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
How much debt do San Diego Christian College students have?
Median federal loan debt among completers is $24,941.
Is San Diego Christian College public or private?
San Diego Christian College is a private nonprofit institution located in Santee, CA.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
- Related geography & profiles
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 Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.