Saddleback College
#4 Best Online Education Programs in California- Graduation Rate
- 46% D+
- Lower completion rate than most colleges
- Earnings (10yr)
- $50,874 B-
- Well above the typical college graduate
- Net Price
- $4,152 A
- 76% less than the typical college
- Enrollment
- 17,684
Bottom line: A B- overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 97.2× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $97.2 over 20 years. Ranked #4 in Best Online Education Programs in California.
Every $1 spent returns $97.2 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,597,145.
What The Data Says
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A B- overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.
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Earnings 25% above the national college median.
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Graduation of 46% — 20% below the national average.
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Every $1 invested returns $97.2 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Economic Footprint
- Inventor Rate
- 0.2%
- Top 76%
- Patents
- 63
- Linked to graduates
- Patent Citations
- 383
- Downstream influence
Why Saddleback College Matters
Saddleback College is a public community college in Mission Viejo, 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
- 17,684
- Setting
- Suburban
- Designations
- HSI
- Primary Strengths
- Humanities, Business & Marketing, Health Professions, Social Sciences
Why students choose Saddleback College
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
This school does not report a competitive admit rate — most qualified applicants are admitted.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $4,152 a year after grants and scholarships — 76% below the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $50,874 ten years after enrolling — 25% above the typical college, against $9,500 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 1.2% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 67% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.72 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
Saddleback College serves nearly 17,700 students, making it a significant community hub in California. The net price of attendance is just $4,152, making it accessible for many who seek affordable education options.
Graduates from Saddleback College earn a median income of $50,874 ten years after enrollment. While the graduation rate is 46%, the college offers pathways for upward mobility, particularly for students in high-demand fields like Health Professions and Business & Marketing.
With a median debt of only $9,500, students can graduate with manageable financial obligations. This makes Saddleback an attractive option for those looking to enter the workforce quickly without incurring substantial debt. Students who thrive here are often those focused on practical career outcomes and who appreciate a supportive community college environment.
Rankings
- #4 Best Online Education Programs in California
- #6 Best Online Computer Science Programs in California
- #7 Best Community Colleges
- #7 Best Psychology Colleges in California
- #7 Best Vocational & Technical Schools
- #8 Best Online Business Programs in California
- #8 Best Online Nursing Programs in California
- #10 Best Online Colleges in California
Can I Get In?
How selective Saddleback College is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into Saddleback College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in Mission Viejo, California, Saddleback College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 46%.
- Retention Rate
- 77%
- Full-Time Faculty
- 27%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $13,477
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 24:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.70
- First-Gen Students
- 41%
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 Saddleback College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Saddleback College is $11,860, 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 $4,152. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $2,596 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $9,500 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $1,156
- Out-of-State
- $11,860
- Avg Net Price
- $4,152
- Median Debt
- $9,500
- Pell Grant Rate
- 15%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 1%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $2,596
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $2,657
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $6,349
- Family Income $110K+
- $10,603
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Graduate Outcomes
Is Saddleback College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Saddleback College earn a median of $50,874, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $36,605
- 8 Years
- $41,667
- 10 Years
- $50,874
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.19x
- Earning > $25K
- 54%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (326)
- 25%
- 100% (326)
- 25%
- 100% (326)
- 25%
- 100% (326)
- 25%
How Saddleback Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
The Mobility Equation
Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?
College ROI Calculator
Is Saddleback College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Saddleback College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $4,152/year ($16,608 total). Graduates earn $50,874 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,613,753 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,597,145 (97.2× your investment). The median debt is $9,500, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. 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)
- $16,608
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $1,613,753
- Net Return
- $1,597,145
- ROI Multiple
- 97.2×
- Cost Per Year
- $4,152
- Median Debt
- $9,500
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 46%
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Social Mobility
Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records
Does Saddleback College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Saddleback College is a measurable contributor to upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.16%, in line with strong performers nationally. About 7% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 16.5% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $100,600, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 1.16%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 16.5%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 7.0%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $100,600
Innovation & Knowledge Creation
Patents, inventors, and research influence · Opportunity Insights & Times Higher Education
Saddleback College produces inventors at a measurable rate, with 63 patents tied to its graduates.
- Inventor Rate
- 0.20%
- Top 76% nationally
- Patents Produced
- 63
- Linked to graduates
- Patent Citations
- 383
- Downstream influence
- Inventors From Low-Income
- 0.13%
- Bottom-20% families
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Endowment
- $7,315,260
- Federal Grants
- $8,058,663
- Investment Income
- $-2,162,208
Top Programs
The fields Saddleback College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Each links to its degree guide — with salary, growth, and the schools with the strongest outcomes.
- Humanities 52%
- Business & Marketing 10%
- Health Professions 8%
- Social Sciences 4%
- Communications 3%
- Psychology 3%
- Visual & Performing Arts 3%
- Mechanic & Repair Tech 2%
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Saddleback College's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- CChief Executive Officer$189,520 · 3% growthAdaptable 64
- C+IT Manager$169,510 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- C+Marketing Manager$156,580 · 8% growthAdaptable 64
- CAdvertising Manager$138,730 · 6% growthAdaptable 64
- CHR Manager$136,350 · 5% growthAdaptable 64
- CPetroleum Engineer$135,690 · 2% growthResilient 72
- CSales Manager$135,160 · 4% growthAdaptable 64
- CPurchasing Manager$131,350 · 5% growthAdaptable 64
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Saddleback College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in Mission Viejo, California, Saddleback College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 46%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Saddleback College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Saddleback College is $11,860, 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 $4,152. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $2,596 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $9,500 in federal student loans.
Is Saddleback College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Saddleback College earn a median of $50,874, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
Does Saddleback College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Saddleback College is a measurable contributor to upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.16%, in line with strong performers nationally. About 7% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 16.5% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $100,600, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Saddleback 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 Saddleback College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.72, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Saddleback College.
- College of the CanyonsSanta Clarita, CA · Close peer44% grad $49,022 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Diablo Valley CollegePleasant Hill, CA · Close peer47% grad $51,378 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- San Diego Miramar CollegeSan Diego, CA · Close peer48% grad $48,224 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Chaffey CollegeRancho Cucamonga, CA · Close peer34% grad $42,975 earnWhy: similar size · same state
- Fullerton CollegeFullerton, CA · Close peer34% grad $43,366 earnWhy: similar size · same state
- Norco CollegeNorco, CA · Close peer37% grad $51,206 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · same state
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Saddleback 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 Saddleback College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.72, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note