Skyline College is a public institution offering bachelor's degrees based in San Bruno, California. It enrolls 7,620 students (a large 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.
AccreditorWestern Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
Academic CalendarSemester
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 (4-Year Open / Online). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Strong
82/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes66
Value99
Affordability52
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Admissions data is not yet reported for Skyline College.
Acceptance Rate
—
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending Skyline 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 $1,738 per year. That's well below the typical net price for public colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$1,738
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
10%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
0%
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)
$1,272
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$9,956
Room & Board (off-campus)
$31,288
Books & Supplies
$1,971
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$5,913
Total Cost of Attendance
$11,880
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
$842
$30,001 – $48,000
$145
$48,001 – $75,000
$3,984
$75,001 – $110,000
$6,747
Over $110,000
$5,974
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.
$2,45910%percentile
$3,50025%percentile
$10,50075%percentile
$20,00090%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
Dependent students $5,500
—
Independent students $8,500
—
Female students $5,500
—
Male students $9,000
—
What this means:
Only 10% of students at Skyline College receive Pell grants. Most enrolled families don't qualify for need-based federal aid.
Graduation Rate & Retention
9% of full-time students who enrolled at Skyline College graduate within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
9%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
—
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
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered Skyline College earn a median of $55,702 ten years after first enrolling. That's above the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$55,702
Earning > $25K
72%
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.
By Gender
Female graduates
$43,400
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.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $5,300, about 11% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
What this means:
Strong return on investment. Every dollar of net annual cost is matched by ~$32.0 of median earnings 10 years out.
Who Studies Here
Skyline College is home to 7,620 students, a large student community. Some distinctive traits: 53% are first-generation college students, 74% study part-time.
Total Enrolled
7,620
Part-Time
74%
First-Generation
53%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
Hispanic 34.9%2,661
Asian 31.7%2,415
White 17.9%1,362
Other 7.3%553
International 3.3%254
Black 2.7%206
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Skyline College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Large SuburbSan Bruno, California
Housing
Commuter campusNo on-campus housing
Adult Learners
29%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
Designation
Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)
What You Can Study
Skyline College offers
a varied set of programs:
37 distinct programs across
22 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 Skyline College is 28:1, high (larger classes are common).
Student : Faculty
28:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$3,637
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Avg Faculty Salary
$105,350
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
143 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
143
100%
$105,350
Pros & Cons of Skyline College
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Skyline College tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Very affordable net price after aid
Solid post-graduation earnings
First-gen-friendly student body
Flexible part-time enrollment options
CONS
Larger class sizes than typical
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
Most students don't qualify for need-based federal aid
No graduate programs offered at this institution
Mostly part-time student body, less full-time campus feel
Best for:
Based on the data, Skyline 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 Skyline College
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Skyline College.
How much does Skyline College cost?
The average net price after aid at Skyline College is $1,738 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Skyline College worth it?
Strong return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $55,702 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $1,738 per year. That's roughly 32.0x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Skyline College known for?
Skyline College is best known for its programs in Liberal Arts, Liberal Arts, Business Administration. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do Skyline College graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering Skyline College are $55,702, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is Skyline College accredited?
Yes. Skyline College is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.
How many students attend Skyline College?
Skyline College enrolls 7,620 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at Skyline College?
Skyline College graduates 9% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Skyline College a public or private college?
Skyline College is a Public institution.
Where is Skyline College located?
Skyline College is located in San Bruno, California.
What programs does Skyline College offer?
Skyline College offers 37 distinct programs. The most popular include Liberal Arts, Liberal Arts, Business Administration.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Skyline College?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Skyline College is 28:1, 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
Rankings That Feature Skyline College
Skyline College appears in these rankings, built from the same federal data and the UCD Score.
Best Accounting Colleges in California
The top Accounting colleges in California, ranked by UCD Score on outcomes, value, and net price.
90 UCD Score
138 Colleges
$32 Lowest Net
$138,687 Top Earn
Best Biology Colleges in California
The top Biology colleges in California, ranked by UCD Score on outcomes, value, and net price.
93 UCD Score
174 Colleges
$536 Lowest Net
$128,566 Top Earn
Best Business Administration Colleges in California
The top Business Administration colleges in California, ranked by UCD Score on outcomes, value, and net price.
93 UCD Score
216 Colleges
$536 Lowest Net
$92,446 Top Earn
Best Computer Science Colleges in California
The top Computer Science colleges in California, ranked by UCD Score on outcomes, value, and net price.
93 UCD Score
128 Colleges
$536 Lowest Net
$138,687 Top Earn
Best Criminal Justice Colleges in California
The top Criminal Justice colleges in California, ranked by UCD Score on outcomes, value, and net price.
90 UCD Score
152 Colleges
$480 Lowest Net
$78,988 Top Earn
Best Psychology Colleges in California
The top Psychology colleges in California, ranked by UCD Score on outcomes, value, and net price.
93 UCD Score
187 Colleges
$536 Lowest Net
$90,768 Top Earn
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
