Cuesta College
Cuesta College at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
About Cuesta College
According to Wikipedia, Cuesta College is a public community college in San Luis Obispo County, California. History The first community college in the San Luis Obispo area was founded in 1916 as a San Luis Obispo High School division. It lasted until 1919 with the United States involved in World War I. Cal Poly had a junior college division from 1927 to 1932. Miramonte College of Atascadero filled the void as a private institution from 1933 to 1936. The county's second public junior college was formed in 1936 as a part of San Luis Obispo High School District but ceased operation in June 1959. On April 16, 1963, voters in SLO County agreed to form a community college district, forming the San Luis Obispo County Junior College District.
Cuesta College Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Retention Rate | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| 73% | 53% |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Cuesta College Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $1,350 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Cuesta College Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Cuesta College students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $53,127 a year, and 85% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Cuesta College's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads |
|---|---|
| 14,945 | 14,945 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Cuesta College?
Cuesta College is located at Highway 1, San Luis Obispo, CA 93403-8106.
How Safe is Cuesta College?
Like every college that receives federal student aid, Cuesta College publishes an annual security report with its campus crime statistics and safety policies. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, Cuesta College has a violent crime rate of less than 0.01% and a property crime rate of 0.02%. San Luis Obispo has a violent crime rate of 0.42% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 2.67%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Cuesta College Known For?
Cuesta College is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Physics
- Computer Science
- Social Work
- Law
- Criminal Justice
- Mathematics
- Business
- Biology
- Earth Sciences
- Political Science
- Chemistry
- Engineering
- History
- Literature
- Economics
- Psychology
- Medical
- Philosophy
- Communications
- Education
Cuesta College's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Cuesta College's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Cuesta College ranks #1003 in the U.S. and #4111 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesCuesta College ranks #1647 in the U.S. and #6699 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesCuesta College ranks #1677 in the U.S. and #4413 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesCuesta College ranks #1788 in the U.S. and #5875 worldwide for influence in Law.
Cuesta College ranks #1954 in the U.S. and #3852 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesCuesta College ranks #1959 in the U.S. and #7222 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesCuesta College ranks #1972 in the U.S. and #7123 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesCuesta College ranks #2004 in the U.S. and #8058 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesCuesta College ranks #2119 in the U.S. and #7336 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesCuesta College ranks #2166 in the U.S. and #9194 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesCuesta College ranks #2224 in the U.S. and #7709 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesCuesta College ranks #2316 in the U.S. and #10374 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesCuesta College ranks #2361 in the U.S. and #7767 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesCuesta College ranks #2577 in the U.S. and #8362 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesCuesta College ranks #2636 in the U.S. and #10186 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesCuesta College ranks #2901 in the U.S. and #7696 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesCuesta College ranks #2921 in the U.S. and #10484 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesCuesta College ranks #3067 in the U.S. and #9905 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesCuesta College ranks #3286 in the U.S. and #11996 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesCuesta College ranks #3381 in the U.S. and #12557 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesWho Are Cuesta College's Most Influential Alumni?
Cuesta College's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Criminal Justice, Physics, and Social Work. Here are some of Cuesta College's most famous alumni:
