MiraCosta College

The MiraCosta Community College District is one of California’s 112 public community colleges and is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

MiraCosta College offers associate degrees, university-transfer courses, career-and-technical education, certificate programs, basic-skills education, and lifelong-learning opportunities. The college’s fee-based Community Education program provides a wide variety of classes, workshops, and excursions.  Tuition-free, noncredit classes also present a variety of learning opportunities at the Community Learning Center and throughout the community.

MiraCosta students are diverse, including representation from all of California’s major racial/ethnic groups and ages.  Diversity is also evidenced by student-veterans, reentry students, individuals with disabilities, and international students.

THE SITES

The district consists of three campus sites and robust online education offerings.  The Oceanside Campus, serving about 14,500 credit students has been located since 1964 on a panoramic, 121-acre hilltop site with views of the ocean and mountains.

The San Elijo Campus is located in Cardiff, 17 miles south of Oceanside, on 48 acres below the bluffs overlooking the San Elijo Lagoon Reserve.  The San Elijo Campus opened in September 1988, and now attracts about 3,000 credit students.

The Community Learning Center in downtown Oceanside hosts about 3,000 students in the college’s noncredit classes, including English as a Second Language, the Adult High School Diploma Program, and other tuition-free, noncredit classes as well as some college credit classes.

MiraCosta College began offering online courses in 1995.  The district typically offers approximately 200 fully online class sections each semester, with another 100 sections offered partially online, serving about 6,000 students.

MiraCosta also partners with the North San Diego Small Business Development Center, which provides customized on-site training for local businesses in North San Diego and Imperial Counties.

MIRACOSTA HIGHLIGHTS

• Reasonable tuition -- $46 per unit for all California residents
• Small classes and personal attention from instructors
• Highly qualified faculty members, most of whom have master's degrees and many of whom hold doctorates
• New and remodeled facilities with state-of-the-art computer labs
• Honors program for students seeking academic challenges
• Free tutoring in every subject area
• Study-abroad opportunities
• Concerts, lectures, theatre performances, art exhibits
• Services for disabled students
• Assistance for those who need financial aid

THE AREA

Situated between San Diego and Los Angeles, MiraCosta College benefits from multicultural influences and cultural opportunities.  Interstate 5, Amtrak, and Carlsbad regional airport provide easy access to either metropolis and to Mexico.  The district, which extends 25 miles along the Pacific Ocean from Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base to the city of San Diego, attracts diverse ethnic and socioeconomic populations who live in urban and suburban communities.  The intellectual environment is enhanced by the college’s proximity to the University of California San Diego, California State University San Marcos and other institutions of higher education.  Along with numerous theaters, galleries, and museums, residents enjoy a moderate year-round climate, which provides many opportunities for outdoor activities.