2024 Best Colleges for Low-Income Students in the San Diego Area

• La Jolla, CA•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.62 out of 5  3,910 reviews

Sophomore: So far UCSD has been an amazing second home, with so many resources available to me. I have ventured out of my comfort zone by joining clubs and meeting new people! The professors are always striving to help us students learn better and willing to lend a helping hand whenever we need further explanation. I have grown comfortable with my new environment and the school itself, and cannot wait to spend the rest of my undergraduate years here at UCSD.... Read 3,910 reviews

• grade A+

• Acceptance rate 34%

• Net price $15,632

• SAT range —

• San Diego, CA•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.76 out of 5  5,316 reviews

Freshman: Beyond the excellent academics, SDSU has a great social and school spirit atmosphere with amazing athletics and clubs. As an out-of-state freshman, the transition to college has been tough; however, the many welcoming communities between fun or academic clubs, intramural, club, and D1 sports, and various other excellent programs. There are countless wonderful opportunities, including those at the Mission Bay Aquatic Center (MBAC). Students (and others) can take classes for surfing, wakeboarding, paddle boarding, and more! So far, the surfing class has been a major highlight for me. Getting around is also extremely easy, which is a big deal as a freshman without a car. The trolley and bus system is free to students under 20, which is a major bonus for getting around San Diego, going to the MBAC, and getting other important places in SoCal (like the airport)! I also feel that SDSU is a very safe campus, and has overall been a wonderful experience filled with growth and learning. Go Tecs!... Read 5,316 reviews

• grade A minus

• Acceptance rate 38%

• Net price $6,867

• SAT range 1090-1300

• Oceanside, CA•

• 2 Year

• •
  Rating 4.04 out of 5  931 reviews

Sophomore: I loved the stem tutoring center and the free snacks available in the cafeteria. Staff including library and especially professors are very helpful and kind. You definitely have to advocate for yourself but I’m sure you do at other community colleges and universities. There aren’t many sports but there’s a ton of clubs to choose from. There are many other programs at miracosta such as accommodations for student learning, an honors society, transfer center and more. The counselors are great and are really helpful with financial aid, picking classes, and scholarships. I have definitely learned a lot and am excited to learn more going into my second year. Highly recommend!... Read 931 reviews

• grade B+

• Acceptance rate 100%

• Net price $6,946

• SAT range —

• San Diego, CA•

• 2 Year

• •
  Rating 3.88 out of 5  956 reviews

Sophomore: Overall, San Diego Mesa college is a perfectly fine school and honestly, probably your best choice in terms of community colleges in San Diego. They have a lot of opportunities and various resources to help disadvantaged students acclimate properly into the school. More often then not, the professors at Mesa are really passionate and inspiring within their classes - just be sure to always check ratemyprofessor first!... Read 956 reviews

• grade B+

• Acceptance rate 100%

• Net price $7,663

• SAT range —

• El Cajon, CA•

• 2 Year

• •
  Rating 3.8 out of 5  1,273 reviews

Freshman: I love Grossmont College because of it's welcoming environment and eagerness to work with students. The school is very supportive of students like me seeking to transfer to a four year institution. Counselors go above and beyond into offering guidance and opportunities to anyone interested. Both staff and professors understand their student's backgrounds, develop in depth, comprehensible lectures, and offer support to their students. I feel like the staff values my presence there. I also like how I can still get the college feel with Grossmont's small campus size and tranquil environment. It allows me to get the student experience and adapt to the college life as a freshman without the overwhelming atmosphere of a larger university. Overall, I would highly recommend Grossmont College to anyone in San Diego pursuing higher education. It's a great place to continue your educational journey and explore your potential!... Read 1,273 reviews

• grade B

• Acceptance rate 100%

• Net price $5,999

• SAT range —

• Chula Vista, CA•

• 2 Year

• •
  Rating 3.79 out of 5  1,248 reviews

Sophomore: The faculty is professional and understanding. Most professors will offer alternatives to cheaper or will provide free texts for the course. Coursework is quite easy to understand and resources for tutoring and learning are advertised well around campus. Campus resources are easy to find. Classes are cheap compared to other local campuses in San Diego County. FAFSA will provide more aid when attending this school in comparison to City College. Really chill student life- laid-back people. Housing and transportation are necessary to thrive in this environment! Healthy food options are limited, I recommend eating at home. Snacks are everywhere for convenience on and around campus. Safe area, in the third safest city in California.... Read 1,248 reviews

• grade B

• Acceptance rate 100%

• Net price $6,789

• SAT range —

• El Cajon, CA•

• 2 Year

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  339 reviews

Junior: I’ve been at Cuyamaca for around 3 years now and it’s been great! The professors are amazing and many help a lot by providing their time to work through anything you’re struggling with in the class. The campus is great and they just did some renovations so the new buildings are really nice. The environment is very welcoming and open to help you out and give you insight to the next part of your journey, like transferring. There are many programs and clubs you can join in order to be part of the student life at Cuyamaca. I have also been to the Grossmont campus, and the professors there are amazing. Cuyamaca and Grossmont are sister schools so taking classes on both campuses is really common. I do enjoy taking classes at Cuyamaca because it’s very lively and they have so much to offer in their campus and the staff is really caring. Cuyamaca also has the Water Conservation garden that’s really nice to take a break in and explore. Overall a really nice school and recommend 100%.... Read 339 reviews

• grade B minus

• Acceptance rate 100%

• Net price $6,460

• SAT range —

• San Diego, CA•

• 2 Year

• •
  Rating 3.9 out of 5  561 reviews

Sophomore: Throughout my many years of experience as a student at San Diego Miramar College, I have nothing terrible to say. I've had the best community college experience at this campus, as well as Miramar's sister campuses in San Diego. When I was a high school graduate, it was an easy transition into college life at this school. The professors and students are extremely helpful and encouraging! I will forever miss the professors at this college. The professors always have their students' best interest and do their best to be their for their students because they find fulfillment helping their students to succeed! The campus is well organized, very easy to navigate and find the correct building and class. The campus is great for older students and first time college students. I say this because it's easy to navigate your way as a student, not over whelming with many students and or events, and this campus has many resources to help you and your education.... Read 561 reviews

• grade B minus

• Acceptance rate 100%

• Net price $7,880

• SAT range —

• San Marcos, CA•

• 2 Year

• •
  Rating 3.78 out of 5  1,248 reviews

Alum: Not exactly the ideal "college experience" for incoming college freshman/sophomores, but still a great community college experience! I am really glad I spent my first two years of college at Palomar Community College instead of going straight to a university. I had a great community college experience at Palomar. Lots of good, well-funded programs, mostly pretty good professors, the campus is recently rebuilt, the price to attend is very affordable, theres a decent amount of affordable parking, pretty diverse student body, and overall has a quality comparable to a university in terms of academics. Because it's a commuter community college, the social life is obviously lacking, but that is to be expected. I really liked Palomar and more people should attend community college especially at Palomar.... Read 1,248 reviews

• grade B minus

• Acceptance rate 100%

• Net price $6,659

• SAT range —

• San Diego, CA•

• 2 Year

• •
  Rating 3.75 out of 5  913 reviews

Freshman: The professors here most definitely understand their subject well, but not all of them have the same level of teaching. The teachers who teach with constant interaction and participation and set expectations have seen greater progress and higher mean grades than those who lack the above. Some teachers use a copy-and-paste method form of teaching and quizzing and this takes away from the actual learning of concepts. Also, there are more subjects to learn about now than I have seen in previous years when I graduated high school back in 2017.... Read 913 reviews

• grade B minus

• Acceptance rate 100%

• Net price $8,370

• SAT range —