Central Coast College is a private for-profit institution offering associate degrees based in Salinas, California. It enrolls 569 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
AccreditorAccrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training
Academic CalendarDiffers by Program
How It Measures Up
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (2-Year). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Good
68/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes86
Value18
Affordability42
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
As a two-year college, Central Coast College generally admits all qualified applicants.
Acceptance Rate
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending Central Coast College isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $26,667 per year. That's in line with the typical net price for private for-profit colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$26,667
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
51%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
52%
Borrowing to attend
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$25,956
$30,001 – $48,000
$25,986
$48,001 – $75,000
$26,668
$75,001 – $110,000
$29,329
Over $110,000
$30,594
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$1,05010%percentile
$2,06525%percentile
$7,476Medianpercentile
$5,46875%percentile
$7,57090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $6,069
↓ $1,407
No Pell $5,500
↓ $1,976
Dependent students $5,500
↓ $1,976
Independent students $8,021
↑ $545
Female students $5,641
↓ $1,835
Male students $5,500
↓ $1,976
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $3,852, less than completers ($7,476), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
77% of full-time students who enrolled at Central Coast College graduate within six years, and 88% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
77%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
88%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Strong completion signals. Most students who start, finish.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered Central Coast College earn a median of $40,823 ten years after first enrolling. That's close to the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$40,823
Earning > $25K
70%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Declining: debt management worsening over time ↓
18.2 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Moderate. Only 50% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Central Coast College is home to 569 students, a small, close-knit community. Some distinctive traits: 66% are first-generation college students.
Total Enrolled
569
Part-Time
11%
First-Generation
66%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
Hispanic 84.4%480
White 5.5%31
Other 3.2%18
Black 1.6%9
Asian 1.4%8
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Central Coast College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Midsize CitySalinas, California
Housing
Commuter campusNo on-campus housing
Adult Learners
34%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Differs by Programscheduling structure
What You Can Study
Central Coast College offers
a focused set of programs:
3 distinct programs across
2 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
The student-to-faculty ratio at Central Coast College is 25:1, high (larger classes are common).
Student : Faculty
25:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Avg Faculty Salary
$66,687
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
11 instructional faculty across 1 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Instructors
11
100%
$66,687
Pros & Cons of Central Coast College
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Central Coast College tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Open admissions
Tight-knit, close community feel
Strong six-year graduation rate
Strong first-year retention
Wide reach of need-based federal aid
Low typical debt at graduation
CONS
Above-average net price
Larger class sizes than typical
Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
For-profit institution, verify accreditation and outcomes carefully
Best for:
Based on the data, Central Coast College is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Central Coast College
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Central Coast College.
Is Central Coast College hard to get into?
Central Coast College has open or near-open admissions. Most qualified applicants are accepted.
What is the acceptance rate at Central Coast College?
Central Coast College has an acceptance rate of 0%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
How much does Central Coast College cost?
The average net price after aid at Central Coast College is $26,667 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Central Coast College worth it?
Moderate return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $40,823 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $26,667 per year. That's roughly 1.5x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Central Coast College known for?
Central Coast College is best known for its programs in Practical Nursing, Clinical/Medical Laboratory, Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do Central Coast College graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering Central Coast College are $40,823, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is Central Coast College accredited?
Yes. Central Coast College is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training.
How many students attend Central Coast College?
Central Coast College enrolls 569 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at Central Coast College?
Central Coast College graduates 77% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Central Coast College a public or private college?
Central Coast College is a Private For-Profit institution.
Where is Central Coast College located?
Central Coast College is located in Salinas, California.
What programs does Central Coast College offer?
Central Coast College offers 3 distinct programs. The most popular include Practical Nursing, Clinical/Medical Laboratory, Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Central Coast College?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Central Coast College is 25:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in California
Other colleges in California share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Build Your College List Pillar
The full process of narrowing from 3,839 US colleges to a shortlist of ~10. Cost, location, size, selectivity, and fit factors that actually predict whether you'll thrive.
What actually makes a college work for first-generation students, the support and aid signals that predict success, and how to find the schools that deliver them using federal data.
How to find the colleges that deliver the strongest return on a STEM degree by weighing earnings outcomes against net cost, rather than chasing the most selective name.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
American Colleges by the Numbers
One federal dataset, 3,839 colleges. The median school costs $16,371 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,259 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Higher education data
Net price
College enrollment
Acceptance rate
College ownership
Do Selective Schools Actually Graduate More Students?
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
Graduation rate
Acceptance rate
Selectivity
Completion
College outcomes
For-Profit Colleges Charge the Most and Pay the Least
For-profit colleges post the highest median net price of any sector and the lowest graduate earnings. They cost more than private nonprofits and pay less than publics.
For-profit colleges
Net price
Earnings
College ROI
College ownership
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.