Public Bachelor's Good 69/100

Del Mar College

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Corpus Christi, Texas

About Del Mar College

Thinking about Del Mar College, a college in Texas where more students graduate in Health than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Del Mar College is a public institution offering bachelor's degrees based in Corpus Christi, Texas. It enrolls 9,501 students (a large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
—
Graduation
15.5%
Net Price
$3,399
Median Earnings (10yr)
$38,656
Enrollment
9,501
Student : Faculty
12:1

Accreditor Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Open / Online), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Good
69/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes 19
Value 96
Affordability 68
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Del Mar College does not report an acceptance rate. Schools that do not publish one are usually open-admission, but confirm with the admissions office before you assume it.

Acceptance Rate
—
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $3,399 a year on average, it sits well below what public colleges charge nationally. At that level cost is rarely the reason to rule a college out. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$3,399
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
33%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
5%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$3,440
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$6,050
Room & Board (off-campus)
$8,505
Books & Supplies
$1,600
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,501
Total Cost of Attendance
$12,895

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
    $2,541
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $2,500
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $5,823
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $7,947
  • Over $110,000
    $12,845

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.

$1,364
10% percentile
$1,750
25% percentile
$5,500
Median percentile
$5,250
75% percentile
$8,750
90% 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 $3,584 ↓ $1,916
No Pell $3,500 ↓ $2,000
Dependent students $3,500 ↓ $2,000
Independent students $4,500 ↓ $1,000
Female students $3,500 ↓ $2,000
Male students $3,500 ↓ $2,000
Pell recipients: 16.2% (893 students)No Pell: 15.8% (872 students)Dependent students: 15.8% (872 students)Independent students: 20.4% (1,121 students)Female students: 15.8% (872 students)Male students: 15.8% (872 students)Overall Median$5,500
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $3,500, less than completers ($5,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

15% of students who start here finish within six years, and 53% come back after first year. Most students who start here do not finish. That is the single most important number on this page. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
15%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
53%
Returning for their second year
What this means: Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $38,656 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$38,656
Earning > $25K
64%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$32,000$34,000$36,000$38,000$40,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$31,300

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$48,700

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$36,100

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$41,000

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$50,900

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $17,400, about 36% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

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.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 13.5 pts across 6 years
57.3%1yr61.7%3yr69%5yr70.8%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 71% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 9,501 students, a large student community. Worth knowing: 50% are the first in their family to go to college, and 84% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.

Total Enrolled
9,501
Part-Time
84%
First-Generation
50%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
Hispanic 71.7% 6,812
White 18.2% 1,725
International 3.7% 352
Asian 2.2% 213
Black 1.9% 177
Other 1.0% 90
Hispanic: 71.7% (6,812 students)White: 18.2% (1,725 students)International: 3.7% (352 students)Asian: 2.2% (213 students)Black: 1.9% (177 students)Other: 1.0% (90 students)Total9,501

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Del Mar College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Large City Corpus Christi, Texas
Housing
Commuter campus No on-campus housing
Adult Learners
28% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure
Designation
Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Business graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Del Mar College offers an extensive catalog of programs: 71 distinct programs across 28 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.

14 Programs
6 Programs
1 Program
4 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 12 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
12:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$5,184
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$32M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$68,856
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

299 instructional faculty across 4 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
Full Professors 98 33% $89,156
Associate Professors 45 15% $75,171
Assistant Professors 69 23% $64,440
Instructors 87 29% $55,745

Pros & Cons of Del Mar College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Del Mar College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Very affordable net price after aid
  • Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
  • Low typical debt at graduation
  • First-gen-friendly student body
  • Flexible part-time enrollment options
CONS
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • First-year retention is below typical
  • Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
  • No graduate programs offered at this institution
  • Mostly part-time student body, less full-time campus feel
Best for: Based on the data, Del Mar College is a fit for families focused on keeping net cost low; working adults or students needing part-time study options.

Frequently Asked Questions about Del Mar College

The questions families ask most about Del Mar College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

How much does Del Mar College cost?
Budget around $3,399 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Del Mar College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: strong return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $38,656 a year against a net price of $3,399, about 11.4 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Del Mar College known for?
Mostly Nursing, Practical Nursing, Liberal Arts. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Del Mar College graduates earn?
About $38,656 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Del Mar College accredited?
Yes. Del Mar College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Del Mar College?
9,501 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Del Mar College?
15% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Del Mar College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Del Mar College located?
Del Mar College is located in Corpus Christi, Texas.
What programs does Del Mar College offer?
71 different programs, most commonly Nursing, Practical Nursing, Liberal Arts. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Del Mar College?
12 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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