San Diego Christian College
Santee, California · Private Nonprofit · 30.8% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 51/100 · Below Average Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
San Diego Christian College earns an ROI score of 51 in the Below Average Value tier, with a profile of contradictions. The earnings premium subscore tops out at 100 (graduates earn 372% of typical high school grad benchmarks, almost certainly a tiny-sample artifact at this 87-student campus). The reported $992 average net price and $3,968 four-year total cost are extraordinarily low and suggest the institution captures only one income bracket (0-$30,000) in net price reporting, with all other brackets null. Sticker tuition is actually $28,012, so the school's true family-paying cost is much higher than the $3,968 figure implies. The truly problematic metrics: a 19.7% completion rate (subscore 4), a 0.805 debt-to-earnings ratio (subscore 14), and a 59.6% repayment rate (subscore 18). Median 10-year earnings of $49,766 against $24,941 in median debt make completion the dominant variable, students who don't finish carry meaningful debt against weak labor market positioning.
How San Diego Christian College scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- 6-year graduation rate19.7% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
San Diego Christian College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $28,012/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $28,012/yr |
| Average net price | $992/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $3,968 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $49,766 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $31,000 |
| Median debt at graduation | $24,941 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $264 |
| Estimated payback period | 9.7 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 19.7% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 87 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $28,012/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $992/year, or roughly $3,968 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $992/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay N/A/year. If money is tight, that matters: this school gives low-income students enough aid to land well below the sticker price.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $24,941, which works out to about $264 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($31,000) and comes to 0.81, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $992 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | N/A |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | N/A |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | N/A |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $992 per year, a startlingly low figure that reflects the school's heavy aid for its highest-need population. Over four years that's just $3,968 if the rate holds.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Net price by income data is null for all middle-income brackets in current Scorecard data, likely due to small-sample suppression at the 87-student campus. Middle-income families should run the school's net price calculator directly to estimate their cost, the published institutional average is $992 but this reflects lowest-income aid rather than the typical middle-income family.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The $110,001-plus bracket reports null. With sticker tuition at $28,012, full-pay families face a meaningfully higher cost than the institutional average suggests. Without published high-income net price data, families should treat the calculator output as the operative figure for budget planning.
Earnings by Major
Top 2 most popular majors at San Diego Christian College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $59,489 | - |
| Communication and Media Studies | $56,685 | - |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration is the largest program with 17 graduates. First-year earnings of $38,213 grow to $59,489 by year four, a respectable trajectory and the strongest reported earnings on campus. Debt and ROI grade data are not reported. The earnings figure suggests business graduates outperform the institutional median of $49,766 ten-year earnings meaningfully, this is the most defensible academic path on campus from an outcomes standpoint.
Communication and Media Studies
Communication and Media Studies has 12 graduates with four-year earnings of $56,685. Debt and ROI grade data are not reported.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 54.2% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 59.6% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 60.9% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 75.9% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How San Diego Christian College’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 30.8% |
| Enrollment | 87 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 45.0% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,898 |
SAT and ACT mid-50% bands are not reported in current Scorecard data. The combination of 30.8% admission rate and 19.7% completion rate suggests the school screens applicants but then loses many enrolled students before graduation, possibly to transfer or financial issues.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
San Diego Christian's ten-year earnings are $49,766.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego Christian College (this school) | 51 | $992 | $49,766 |
| Union University | 52 | $27,171 | $53,990 |
| Messiah University | 51 | $26,502 | $54,064 |
| Trevecca Nazarene University | 51 | $16,813 | $49,378 |
| Biola University | 50 | $31,495 | $56,778 |
| Olivet Nazarene University | 50 | $20,729 | $53,213 |
Who Thrives Here
With just 87 enrolled students and a 45% Pell rate, San Diego Christian is a tiny faith-based campus serving a narrow population of students seeking Christian college experience in the San Diego area. The school fits Pell-eligible students drawn to the religious community and willing to risk the 19.7% completion rate, and for ROI-focused families that rate is the main figure. The reported $992 net price for the lowest-income bracket is striking but applies to a small subset of attendees, and tuition pressure rises sharply for higher-income families.
The Verdict: Proceed With Caution
The money case for San Diego Christian College is mixed, and worth a hard look before you commit. At $992 per year after aid, the typical graduate earns $49,766 ten years after entry, which means it takes about 9.7 years to earn the cost back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years. Whether it's worth it comes down to your major and your aid package.
What it has going for it: a strong earnings premium over high school graduates. What to keep an eye on: its 19.7% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.81 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 59.6% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%).
Median debt of $24,941 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $31,000 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.81. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
San Diego Christian College: Common Questions
Is San Diego Christian College worth it?
In our view, the money case is mixed and worth a hard look before you commit. San Diego Christian College scores 51/100 on our ROI scale. At $992 a year after aid the typical graduate earns $49,766 ten years after entry, so it takes about 9.7 years to earn the cost back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
How much does San Diego Christian College cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $992 a year, or roughly $3,968 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do San Diego Christian College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $49,766 ten years after enrolling, roughly $7,966 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off San Diego Christian College?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 9.7 years for San Diego Christian College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do San Diego Christian College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $24,941, against average earnings of $31,000 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.81. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at San Diego Christian College?
The six-year graduation rate is 19.7%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.