Skip to content
CollegeRanker
Mission College logo

Mission College

Public Santa Clara, CA · Urban · Far West · 80% data
A Value A Affordability B+ Diversity
Graduation Rate
46% D+
Lower completion rate than most colleges
Earnings (10yr)
$50,936 B-
Well above the typical college graduate
Net Price
$5,080 A
70% less than the typical college
Enrollment
5,784
Earnings +25% vs avg
Graduation -19% vs avg
Net Price +-70% vs avg

Bottom line: A B overall grade — strong outcomes across the board. 59.7× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $59.7 over 20 years.

59.7× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $59.7 over 20 years. Net gain: $1,192,092.

What The Data Says

  1. A B overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.

  2. Earnings 25% above the national college median.

  3. Every $1 invested returns $59.7 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why Mission College Matters

Mission College is a public community college in Santa Clara, CA and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: graduate earnings well above the typical college.

Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Public Community College
Carnegie Class
Associate's College
Enrollment
5,784
Setting
Urban
Designations
HSI
Primary Strengths
Humanities, Computer Science & IT, Business & Marketing, Health Professions

Why students choose Mission College

Strong STEM core
A heavy concentration in technical fields
Influential alumni network
High cross-class social capital and reach
Outstanding value
Low net price against strong graduate earnings

CollegeRanker Report Card

Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.

B
Top 24% overall
B-
Earnings
$50,936 median
A
Value
10.0× net price
A
Affordability
$5,080/yr net
D+
Graduation
46% graduate
B+
Diversity
0.72 index

Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.

How we grade →

Overview

Mission College serves around 5,784 students with a net price of just $5,080, making it an accessible choice for many. This affordability allows students to focus on their education without the burden of excessive debt.

According to the Chetty/Opportunity Insights data, specific mobility metrics for Mission College aren't available. However, the graduation rate stands at 46%, which indicates the challenges some students face in completing their degrees. Understanding these dynamics can help prospective students gauge their potential success at the institution.

Graduates from Mission College can expect to earn around $50,936 within ten years of completion. This earning potential, combined with the college's affordable tuition, makes it a practical option for students looking to enter fields such as Humanities, Computer Science, Business, and Biomedical studies. Students who thrive here typically value hands-on experience and seek opportunities in growing industries.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Mission College is — and how your numbers stack up.

Tool

Will I Be Accepted?

Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.

3.0
Test Score
1050
21

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into Mission College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Based in Santa Clara, California, Mission College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 46%.

Retention Rate
73%
Full-Time Faculty
37%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$15,233
Student–Faculty Ratio
15:1
Diversity Index
0.72
First-Gen Students
56%

Can I Afford It?

What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.

Cost & Financial Aid

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Mission College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Mission College is $12,500, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $5,080. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $3,463 after need-based grants.

In-State Tuition
$1,438
Out-of-State
$12,500
Avg Net Price
$5,080
Pell Grant Rate
16%
Federal Loan Rate
0%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$3,463
Family Income $30K–$48K
$4,927
Family Income $48K–$75K
$6,463

What Happens After?

Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.

Students Like You

Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Mission College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.

Compare schools in the full simulator →Sources: College Scorecard, Common Data Set, Opportunity Insights · today's dollars (CPI-adjusted) · descriptive, not predictive

Graduate Outcomes

Is Mission College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Mission College earn a median of $50,936, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.

6 Years After Entry
$44,004
8 Years
$48,076
10 Years
$50,936
Earning > $25K
50%

Earnings Trajectory

$44,004 6yr $48,076 8yr $50,936 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (63)
16%
100% (63)
16%
100% (63)
16%
100% (63)
16%

How Mission Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation46%Earnings 10yr$51KNet Price$5KRetention73%Pell Grant Rate16%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$3K$0-30K$5K$30-48K$6K$48-75K

College ROI Calculator

Is Mission College Worth It?

A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.

Yes — for most students, Mission College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $5,080/year ($20,320 total). Graduates earn $50,936 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,212,412 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,192,092 (59.7× your investment).. With a 46% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$20,320
Projected 20yr Earnings
$1,212,412
Net Return
$1,192,092
ROI Multiple
59.7×
Cost Per Year
$5,080
Graduation Rate
46%

Does It Change Lives?

Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Mission College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Mission College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.76, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.00), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 4% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.76
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
-0.00
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
4.1%
Support Ratio
0.86
Community support

Research Note

267%
Low-income students at colleges in the top quartile of economic connectedness are 267% more likely to reach the top income quintile than peers at the least-connected schools.
Data from CollegeRanker’s review of 5,745 U.S. colleges (n=1,503). Quartile comparison of mean bottom-quintile success rate, split by economic connectedness (Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas × Mobility Report Card).

Top Programs

The fields Mission College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.

Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into Mission College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Based in Santa Clara, California, Mission College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 46%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Mission College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Mission College is $12,500, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $5,080. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $3,463 after need-based grants.

Is Mission College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Mission College earn a median of $50,936, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.

How Connected Is Mission College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Mission College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.76, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.00), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 4% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Similar Schools

Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Mission College.

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes for 2026 — report cover Download PDF

The 2026 Annual Report

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes

Every state graded on what graduates earn, how far they climb, and what college really costs — the hidden geography of economic mobility, in one report.

Free · 21 pages · 5,745 institutions · 100% federal data, no surveys