Skip to content
CollegeRanker
Skyline College logo

Skyline College

Public San Bruno, CA · Suburban · Far West · 73% data
A+ Value A+ Affordability A- Diversity
Graduation Rate
43% D+
Lower completion rate than most colleges
Earnings (10yr)
$55,702 B
Well above the typical college graduate
Net Price
$1,738 A+
90% less than the typical college
Enrollment
7,620
Earnings +37% vs avg
Graduation -25% vs avg
Net Price +-90% vs avg

Bottom line: A B overall grade — strong outcomes across the board. 241.6× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $241.6 over 20 years.

241.6× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $241.6 over 20 years. Net gain: $1,672,969.

What The Data Says

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

  2. Earnings 37% above the national college median.

  3. Graduation of 43% — 25% below the national average.

  4. Every $1 invested returns $241.6 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why Skyline College Matters

Skyline College is a public community college in San Bruno, 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
7,620
Setting
Suburban
Designations
HSI
Primary Strengths
Humanities, Culinary & Personal Services, Health Professions, Business & Marketing

Why students choose Skyline College

Influential alumni network
High cross-class social capital and reach
Outstanding value
Low net price against strong graduate earnings
Strength in Humanities
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

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

B
Top 20% overall
B
Earnings
$55,702 median
A+
Value
32.0× net price
A+
Affordability
$1,738/yr net
D+
Graduation
43% graduate
A-
Diversity
0.74 index

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

How we grade →

Overview

Skyline College has a net price of just $1,738, making it an affordable option for students seeking higher education in California. This low cost opens doors for many who might otherwise struggle to pay for college. With an enrollment of 7,620 students, it serves a diverse community eager to pursue various fields of study.

The Chetty/Opportunity Insights data on Skyline College is limited, but the graduation rate stands at 43%. This statistic highlights a significant area for improvement, as many students may face challenges in completing their degrees. While specific mobility and success rates for low-income students are unavailable, the college's diverse offerings, including programs in Humanities, Culinary Arts, Business, Health Professions, and Psychology, suggest a commitment to serving varied student interests and career goals.

Graduates from Skyline College can expect to earn a median income of $55,702 a decade after finishing their studies. With a Pell Grant rate of 10%, the college attracts a mix of students, including those from lower-income backgrounds. This environment is ideal for individuals who value affordability and are focused on practical career paths. Students who thrive here are often those driven to succeed in fields with solid job prospects, ready to take advantage of the college’s offerings.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Skyline 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 Skyline College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Skyline College, located in San Bruno, California, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 43%.

Full-Time Faculty
44%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$13,504
Student–Faculty Ratio
27:1
Diversity Index
0.74
First-Gen Students
53%

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 Skyline College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Skyline College is $9,956, 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 $1,738. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $842 after need-based grants.

In-State Tuition
$1,272
Out-of-State
$9,956
Avg Net Price
$1,738
Pell Grant Rate
10%
Federal Loan Rate
0%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$842
Family Income $30K–$48K
$145
Family Income $48K–$75K
$3,984
Family Income $110K+
$5,974

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 Skyline 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 Skyline College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Skyline College earn a median of $55,702, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.

6 Years After Entry
$41,261
8 Years
$49,408
10 Years
$55,702
Earning > $25K
61%

Earnings Trajectory

$41,261 6yr $49,408 8yr $55,702 10yr

How Skyline Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation43%Earnings 10yr$56KNet Price$2KPell Grant Rate10%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$1K$0-30K$0K$30-48K$4K$48-75K$6K$110K+

College ROI Calculator

Is Skyline College Worth It?

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

Yes — for most students, Skyline College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $1,738/year ($6,952 total). Graduates earn $55,702 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,679,921 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,672,969 (241.6× your investment).. With a 43% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$6,952
Projected 20yr Earnings
$1,679,921
Net Return
$1,672,969
ROI Multiple
241.6×
Cost Per Year
$1,738
Graduation Rate
43%

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 Skyline 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 Skyline College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.66, 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 4% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.66
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
0.01
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
3.9%
Support Ratio
0.96
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 Skyline 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 Skyline College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Skyline College, located in San Bruno, California, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 43%.

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

Published tuition at Skyline College is $9,956, 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 $1,738. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $842 after need-based grants.

Is Skyline College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Skyline College earn a median of $55,702, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.

How Connected Is Skyline 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 Skyline College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.66, 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 4% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Similar Schools

Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Skyline 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