Saddleback College
Mission Viejo, CA · official site ↗
vs. 98 peers in its group
Saddleback College is a public institution in Mission Viejo, CA, classified by Carnegie as “Associate's: High Transfer-Mixed Traditional/Nontraditional.”
It enrolls about 17,684 undergraduates and is benchmarked here against 98 peer institutions (Associate's: High Transfer-Mixed Traditional/Nontraditional · Public).
On Ibex's Financial Resilience score it rates 36 out of 100 within that peer group, a transparent composite of endowment per undergraduate, net tuition revenue per student, and instructional spend per student.
Its strongest standing relative to peers is first-year retention (77.1%, 98th percentile).
Its weakest is direct competitors within 100 mi (10).
Associate's: High Transfer-Mixed Traditional/Nontraditional · Public
98 institutions
How exposed Saddleback College is to the structural shifts reshaping higher ed: a composite structural-risk index plus the 2025 federal budget law’s endowment excise tax, Grad PLUS elimination, new Parent PLUS borrowing cap and new Workforce Pell short-term-credential opportunity, and the demographic enrollment cliff. Only signals that apply to this institution are shown.
Indicative signals, not forecasts, see each metric’s definition and the methodology. Endowment-tax, Grad PLUS, Parent PLUS and Workforce Pell figures appear only where the institution is actually exposed; “nationally” compares against all schools that report each signal.
Seeing exposure is step one. Ibex builds AI agents that monitor and act on exactly these pressures, explore an interactive demo. Live demos run real workflows; the rest are working mockups we build to your institution’s data.
Government appropriations is the largest single source at 62% of revenue.
Where each dollar of revenue comes from, as a share of total positive revenue. Sources are standardized across public (GASB) and private (FASB) reporting; a net investment loss in a down market is shown as 0% and excluded from the mix.
Average annual net price (total cost minus grant and scholarship aid) paid by federal-aid recipients in each family-income band. Lower-income bands often pay less where need-based aid is strong.
Not reported, this institution has no first-time, full-time bachelor's-degree cohort, so the graduation rate does not apply. See the all-students completion rate.
28.8% earned a degree or certificate within 8 years (IPEDS Outcome Measures)
The broader cohort, also counts part-time entrants and transfer-ins, and any credential. More inclusive, so it can run higher than the graduation rate.
Why two numbers? They measure different students over different windows, so they are not directly comparable. The graduation rate is the standard federal headline but tracks only first-time, full-time students through a bachelor's; the all-students completion rate adds the part-time and transfer students it leaves out, over a longer window. Read each for what it covers. Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS Graduation Rates & Outcome Measures, via College Scorecard.
Undergraduate enrollment by race and ethnicity, as reported to IPEDS (College Scorecard). “International” denotes nonresident students; “Unknown” means race/ethnicity was not reported.
Annual earnings of working former students measured ten years after they first enrolled (College Scorecard), shown as a range rather than a single number. The middle half of this school’s graduates earn between the 25th- and 75th-percentile figures; the Median bar matches the headline earnings figure. A wider gap means more variation in how graduates fare. Bars are scaled to the highest value shown.
Saddleback College’s largest fields by completions, with graduate earnings (4 years out) and debt benchmarked against the same field at its peer group. Sparklines show the 8-year completions trend.
| Field | Completions / yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs out | Median debt | Earnings premium | Risk score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts & Humanities | 2,407 | – | $7,125 23th pct · 13 peers | – | Low · 5 |
| Liberal Arts & Humanities | 1,544 | – | $7,000 28th pct · 71 peers | – | Low · 0 |
| Business, Management & Marketing | 407 | – | – | – | Low · 0 |
| Health Professions & Clinical Sciences | 345 | – | $11,750 46th pct · 68 peers | – | Low · 16 |
| Business, Management & Marketing | 249 | – | – | – | Low · 0 |
| Social Sciences | 244 | – | – | – | Low · 0 |
| Health Professions & Clinical Sciences | 241 | – | – | – | High · 67 |
| Psychology | 184 | – | – | – | Low · 25 |
| Personal & Culinary Services | 182 | – | – | – | Moderate · 45 |
| Communication & Journalism | 175 | – | – | – | Low · 0 |
Earnings-premium status is an indicative estimate: median graduate earnings four years out vs the CA state median earnings of a high-school graduate (undergraduate credentials) or a bachelor’s-degree holder (graduate credentials) from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2022 ACS 5-year). The official U.S. Department of Education determination uses its own cohort definition and may differ.
The risk score (0–100) is an indicative blend of earnings-premium margin and the five-year completions trend, higher means a field pays closer to (or below) the benchmark and is shrinking. A directional screen, not an official determination.
Liberal Arts & Humanities – 1 CIP program (4-digit), 0 with earnings
| Major (CIP 4-digit) | Compl./yr | Earn 4yr | Earn 1yr | % > threshold | Median debt | Debt/earn | Earnings premium | 2 of 3 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesCIP 2401 › | 2,407 | – | – | – | $7,125 | – | – | – |
Major-level earnings, debt and threshold pass-rates are reported by College Scorecard only where enough graduates exist to protect privacy, so 0 of 1 major shows an earnings figure; the rest read “–”. % > threshold is ED’s own share of graduates out-earning the federal earnings threshold (the do-no-harm pass rate), drawn from the best available measurement window (4-, 5- or 1-year) pooled across all nine College Scorecard Field-of-Study releases; a small chip marks any figure not on the 4-year window, and hovering names the cohort size and source release. 2 of 3 yrs flags fields below the earnings-premium benchmark in two of the latest three reported cohort-years, the statutory trigger under the 2025 test (effective July 1, 2026). Indicative; the Department of Education’s official determination may differ. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard Field of Study (2014–15 through 2022–23 cohorts + most-recent snapshot), accessed March 2026.
Liberal Arts & Humanities – 1 CIP program (4-digit), 0 with earnings
| Major (CIP 4-digit) | Compl./yr | Earn 4yr | Earn 1yr | % > threshold | Median debt | Debt/earn | Earnings premium | 2 of 3 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesCIP 2401 › | 1,544 | – n=110 | – | 65.5% | $7,000 | – | – | – |
Major-level earnings, debt and threshold pass-rates are reported by College Scorecard only where enough graduates exist to protect privacy, so 0 of 1 major shows an earnings figure; the rest read “–”. % > threshold is ED’s own share of graduates out-earning the federal earnings threshold (the do-no-harm pass rate), drawn from the best available measurement window (4-, 5- or 1-year) pooled across all nine College Scorecard Field-of-Study releases; a small chip marks any figure not on the 4-year window, and hovering names the cohort size and source release. 2 of 3 yrs flags fields below the earnings-premium benchmark in two of the latest three reported cohort-years, the statutory trigger under the 2025 test (effective July 1, 2026). Indicative; the Department of Education’s official determination may differ. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard Field of Study (2014–15 through 2022–23 cohorts + most-recent snapshot), accessed March 2026.
Business, Management & Marketing – 10 CIP programs (4-digit), 0 with earnings
| Major (CIP 4-digit) | Compl./yr | Earn 4yr | Earn 1yr | % > threshold | Median debt | Debt/earn | Earnings premium | 2 of 3 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsCIP 5202 › | 333 | – | – | 90.9% 5yr | – | – | – | – |
| Accounting and Related ServicesCIP 5203 › | 17 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Business/Commerce, GeneralCIP 5201 › | 17 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Real EstateCIP 5215 › | 14 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing OperationsCIP 5218 › | 9 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| International BusinessCIP 5211 › | 7 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business OperationsCIP 5207 › | 5 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Business Operations Support and Assistant ServicesCIP 5204 › | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing OperationsCIP 5219 › | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| TaxationCIP 5216 › | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Major-level earnings, debt and threshold pass-rates are reported by College Scorecard only where enough graduates exist to protect privacy, so 0 of 10 majors show an earnings figure; the rest read “–”. % > threshold is ED’s own share of graduates out-earning the federal earnings threshold (the do-no-harm pass rate), drawn from the best available measurement window (4-, 5- or 1-year) pooled across all nine College Scorecard Field-of-Study releases; a small chip marks any figure not on the 4-year window, and hovering names the cohort size and source release. 2 of 3 yrs flags fields below the earnings-premium benchmark in two of the latest three reported cohort-years, the statutory trigger under the 2025 test (effective July 1, 2026). Indicative; the Department of Education’s official determination may differ. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard Field of Study (2014–15 through 2022–23 cohorts + most-recent snapshot), accessed March 2026.
Health Professions & Clinical Sciences – 6 CIP programs (4-digit), 0 with earnings
| Major (CIP 4-digit) | Compl./yr | Earn 4yr | Earn 1yr | % > threshold | Median debt | Debt/earn | Earnings premium | 2 of 3 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, GeneralCIP 5100 › | 229 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingCIP 5138 › | 74 | – | – | 87.3% 5yr | $11,750 | – | – | – |
| Health and Medical Administrative ServicesCIP 5107 › | 14 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsCIP 5115 › | 11 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied ProfessionsCIP 5110 › | 10 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsCIP 5109 › | 7 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Major-level earnings, debt and threshold pass-rates are reported by College Scorecard only where enough graduates exist to protect privacy, so 0 of 6 majors show an earnings figure; the rest read “–”. % > threshold is ED’s own share of graduates out-earning the federal earnings threshold (the do-no-harm pass rate), drawn from the best available measurement window (4-, 5- or 1-year) pooled across all nine College Scorecard Field-of-Study releases; a small chip marks any figure not on the 4-year window, and hovering names the cohort size and source release. 2 of 3 yrs flags fields below the earnings-premium benchmark in two of the latest three reported cohort-years, the statutory trigger under the 2025 test (effective July 1, 2026). Indicative; the Department of Education’s official determination may differ. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard Field of Study (2014–15 through 2022–23 cohorts + most-recent snapshot), accessed March 2026.
Business, Management & Marketing – 10 CIP programs (4-digit), 0 with earnings
| Major (CIP 4-digit) | Compl./yr | Earn 4yr | Earn 1yr | % > threshold | Median debt | Debt/earn | Earnings premium | 2 of 3 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real EstateCIP 5215 › | 88 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Business/Commerce, GeneralCIP 5201 › | 56 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Accounting and Related ServicesCIP 5203 › | 38 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsCIP 5202 › | 35 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing OperationsCIP 5218 › | 10 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| TaxationCIP 5216 › | 6 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business OperationsCIP 5207 › | 5 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing OperationsCIP 5219 › | 5 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| International BusinessCIP 5211 › | 4 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Business Operations Support and Assistant ServicesCIP 5204 › | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Major-level earnings, debt and threshold pass-rates are reported by College Scorecard only where enough graduates exist to protect privacy, so 0 of 10 majors show an earnings figure; the rest read “–”. % > threshold is ED’s own share of graduates out-earning the federal earnings threshold (the do-no-harm pass rate), drawn from the best available measurement window (4-, 5- or 1-year) pooled across all nine College Scorecard Field-of-Study releases; a small chip marks any figure not on the 4-year window, and hovering names the cohort size and source release. 2 of 3 yrs flags fields below the earnings-premium benchmark in two of the latest three reported cohort-years, the statutory trigger under the 2025 test (effective July 1, 2026). Indicative; the Department of Education’s official determination may differ. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard Field of Study (2014–15 through 2022–23 cohorts + most-recent snapshot), accessed March 2026.
Social Sciences – 6 CIP programs (4-digit), 0 with earnings
| Major (CIP 4-digit) | Compl./yr | Earn 4yr | Earn 1yr | % > threshold | Median debt | Debt/earn | Earnings premium | 2 of 3 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EconomicsCIP 4506 › | 107 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Political Science and GovernmentCIP 4510 › | 58 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| SociologyCIP 4511 › | 42 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| AnthropologyCIP 4502 › | 28 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Geography and CartographyCIP 4507 › | 8 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Social Sciences, GeneralCIP 4501 › | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Major-level earnings, debt and threshold pass-rates are reported by College Scorecard only where enough graduates exist to protect privacy, so 0 of 6 majors show an earnings figure; the rest read “–”. % > threshold is ED’s own share of graduates out-earning the federal earnings threshold (the do-no-harm pass rate), drawn from the best available measurement window (4-, 5- or 1-year) pooled across all nine College Scorecard Field-of-Study releases; a small chip marks any figure not on the 4-year window, and hovering names the cohort size and source release. 2 of 3 yrs flags fields below the earnings-premium benchmark in two of the latest three reported cohort-years, the statutory trigger under the 2025 test (effective July 1, 2026). Indicative; the Department of Education’s official determination may differ. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard Field of Study (2014–15 through 2022–23 cohorts + most-recent snapshot), accessed March 2026.
Health Professions & Clinical Sciences – 6 CIP programs (4-digit), 0 with earnings
| Major (CIP 4-digit) | Compl./yr | Earn 4yr | Earn 1yr | % > threshold | Median debt | Debt/earn | Earnings premium | 2 of 3 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsCIP 5109 › | 84 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingCIP 5138 › | 74 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesCIP 5108 › | 39 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Health and Medical Administrative ServicesCIP 5107 › | 20 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsCIP 5115 › | 17 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied ProfessionsCIP 5110 › | 7 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Major-level earnings, debt and threshold pass-rates are reported by College Scorecard only where enough graduates exist to protect privacy, so 0 of 6 majors show an earnings figure; the rest read “–”. % > threshold is ED’s own share of graduates out-earning the federal earnings threshold (the do-no-harm pass rate), drawn from the best available measurement window (4-, 5- or 1-year) pooled across all nine College Scorecard Field-of-Study releases; a small chip marks any figure not on the 4-year window, and hovering names the cohort size and source release. 2 of 3 yrs flags fields below the earnings-premium benchmark in two of the latest three reported cohort-years, the statutory trigger under the 2025 test (effective July 1, 2026). Indicative; the Department of Education’s official determination may differ. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard Field of Study (2014–15 through 2022–23 cohorts + most-recent snapshot), accessed March 2026.
Psychology – 1 CIP program (4-digit), 0 with earnings
| Major (CIP 4-digit) | Compl./yr | Earn 4yr | Earn 1yr | % > threshold | Median debt | Debt/earn | Earnings premium | 2 of 3 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology, GeneralCIP 4201 › | 184 | – | – | 75.9% 5yr | – | – | – | – |
Major-level earnings, debt and threshold pass-rates are reported by College Scorecard only where enough graduates exist to protect privacy, so 0 of 1 major shows an earnings figure; the rest read “–”. % > threshold is ED’s own share of graduates out-earning the federal earnings threshold (the do-no-harm pass rate), drawn from the best available measurement window (4-, 5- or 1-year) pooled across all nine College Scorecard Field-of-Study releases; a small chip marks any figure not on the 4-year window, and hovering names the cohort size and source release. 2 of 3 yrs flags fields below the earnings-premium benchmark in two of the latest three reported cohort-years, the statutory trigger under the 2025 test (effective July 1, 2026). Indicative; the Department of Education’s official determination may differ. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard Field of Study (2014–15 through 2022–23 cohorts + most-recent snapshot), accessed March 2026.
Personal & Culinary Services – 2 CIP programs (4-digit), 0 with earnings
| Major (CIP 4-digit) | Compl./yr | Earn 4yr | Earn 1yr | % > threshold | Median debt | Debt/earn | Earnings premium | 2 of 3 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming ServicesCIP 1204 › | 169 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Culinary Arts and Related ServicesCIP 1205 › | 13 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Major-level earnings, debt and threshold pass-rates are reported by College Scorecard only where enough graduates exist to protect privacy, so 0 of 2 majors show an earnings figure; the rest read “–”. % > threshold is ED’s own share of graduates out-earning the federal earnings threshold (the do-no-harm pass rate), drawn from the best available measurement window (4-, 5- or 1-year) pooled across all nine College Scorecard Field-of-Study releases; a small chip marks any figure not on the 4-year window, and hovering names the cohort size and source release. 2 of 3 yrs flags fields below the earnings-premium benchmark in two of the latest three reported cohort-years, the statutory trigger under the 2025 test (effective July 1, 2026). Indicative; the Department of Education’s official determination may differ. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard Field of Study (2014–15 through 2022–23 cohorts + most-recent snapshot), accessed March 2026.
Communication & Journalism – 3 CIP programs (4-digit), 0 with earnings
| Major (CIP 4-digit) | Compl./yr | Earn 4yr | Earn 1yr | % > threshold | Median debt | Debt/earn | Earnings premium | 2 of 3 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communication and Media StudiesCIP 0901 › | 115 | – | – | 68.8% 5yr | – | – | – | – |
| Radio, Television, and Digital CommunicationCIP 0907 › | 46 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| JournalismCIP 0904 › | 14 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Major-level earnings, debt and threshold pass-rates are reported by College Scorecard only where enough graduates exist to protect privacy, so 0 of 3 majors show an earnings figure; the rest read “–”. % > threshold is ED’s own share of graduates out-earning the federal earnings threshold (the do-no-harm pass rate), drawn from the best available measurement window (4-, 5- or 1-year) pooled across all nine College Scorecard Field-of-Study releases; a small chip marks any figure not on the 4-year window, and hovering names the cohort size and source release. 2 of 3 yrs flags fields below the earnings-premium benchmark in two of the latest three reported cohort-years, the statutory trigger under the 2025 test (effective July 1, 2026). Indicative; the Department of Education’s official determination may differ. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard Field of Study (2014–15 through 2022–23 cohorts + most-recent snapshot), accessed March 2026.
See the interactive dashboard for all fields and credential levels (associate through doctoral). Source: College Scorecard Field of Study.
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Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard & IPEDS (most recent releases), with the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS), the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Employment Projections, field-demand outlook) and WICHE (enrollment-cliff projections). Figures lag the current academic year by roughly two to three years. Percentiles and medians are computed within the institution's peer group. Financial Resilience is a transparent composite, see each component above. Compiled by Ibex Insights.