MiraCosta College
Public Community College in Oceanside, CA. Six-year graduation rate 40%. Median 10-year earnings $43,845.
Ten years after entry, the median MiraCosta College student earns $43,845 — a solidly middle-of-the-pack result for an undergraduate institution. 40% finish within six years — respectable, though a meaningful share still leave without a credential. Median debt at graduation is $9,000, a light load against those earnings.
Earnings: College Scorecard, median ten years after entry across students who received federal aid — completers and non-completers alike.
- ✓ Debt-to-income ratio 0.21 — healthy (below the 0.40 threshold)
- ✓ 3-year loan default 0.0% — below national benchmark
Academics
40% graduate within six years — average, but that average still hides a large group who do not. Retention is strong at 91%, and first-year attrition is where most degrees are lost. Retention runs well ahead of completion, which means students are not leaving immediately; they are leaving somewhere between the second year and the finish line. At 18:1, class sizes land in the normal range for an undergraduate institution. Judge these figures against other institutions of the same type — sector explains more of the variation in completion than any single campus factor.
Financial Aid
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · grant and loan rates against 10,474 degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates
Students pay an average of $9,044 annually, well below typical undergraduate net price. Net price varies modestly by income — $6,535 at $0–30k against $12,855 at $110k+ — so the average is a fair guide for most families. About 61% get grants averaging $4,175, so plan on the possibility of paying closer to full price. Federal borrowing is uncommon here at 3% of students.
Entering first-year students
A different, smaller group than the rates above: full-time students in their first year of college anywhere. The grant series here also excludes the "other sources" counted in the all-undergraduate figure, so the two are not comparable.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · 1,324 students
Net price by family income
The same students as the headline above, limited to those who received Title IV federal aid — a narrower group, with a lower overall average. IPEDS publishes no combined figure across these bands, so they should not be averaged into one.
| Family income band | Average net price |
|---|---|
| $0–30k | $6,535 |
| $30–48k | $5,560 |
| $48–75k | $9,222 |
| $75–110k | $11,172 |
| $110k+ | $12,855 |
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Federal student loans went to 271 of these 10,474 students, totalling $1,920,914 — an average of $7,088 each.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Local housing costs
Typical rents near campus (San Diego County) — budget these against any cost-of-attendance housing estimate.
HUD Fair Market Rents (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities) · FY2026
Veterans & GI Bill
VA GI Bill Comparison Tool (Veterans Affairs GIDS)