From short-term certificates in culinary arts to four-year degrees in Health Information Management and Cyber Defense and Analysis, students at SDCCD’s City, Mesa, and Miramar colleges and the adult-serving San Diego College of Continuing Education each semester are finding pathways to successful careers that are building the San Diego regional economy. Here are just a handful of highlights awaiting students this fall semester, which begins August 25, 2025 at City, Mesa, and Miramar, and August 28 at Continuing Education:
San Diego City College boasts a nursing program ranked No. 1 in the region and No. 3 in the nation, thanks to a 100% pass rate for program graduates taking the required state NCLEX-RN exam the past two years and four of the past five. Since 2019-20, just one of 262 graduates failed to pass the exam required for being licensed as a registered nurse. City will welcome students with a Fall Opening Day celebration on Thursday, August 22, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. that includes campus tours, a resource fair, San Diego Promise orientations, program-specific welcome sessions, and more.
San Diego Mesa College continues to strengthen its student-centered approach with initiatives like the Pride Scholars Learning Cohort and a new Family Resource Center. Students are raving about newly-opened spaces for KAPWA (geared toward Asian American and Pacific Islanders), Umoja (geared toward Black students), and Puente (geared toward Hispanic students). A $1.72 million federal grant expands support for first-generation and low-income students, and the World Art Collection, now with more than 2,000 global works, enriches the campus experience and reflects Mesa’s commitment to cultural and educational excellence. Meanwhile, career education options offer expanded hands-on training for adult students.
San Diego Miramar College this fall is offering a groundbreaking new bachelor’s degree program in Public Safety Management that has already reached its fall cohort capacity of 50 students, nearly all of whom are working professionals in fire service, law enforcement, lifeguard operations, or emergency medical response. The program’s 22 upper division options range from Contemporary Public Safety Practices and Ethics in Public Safety to Strategic Planning in Public Safety Management and Advanced Criminal Investigation for Law Enforcement. The inaugural baccalaureate cohort concludes with a semester-long, research project in the spring of 2027.
San Diego College of Continuing Education is launching its first-ever Rising Scholars Program, which provides comprehensive support services to formerly incarcerated students. Rising Scholars comes complete with academic counseling, peer mentoring, career training, mental health support, life-skills development, and strong community partnerships. The College of Continuing Education is also bolstering its Pathways Program, a retention effort focusing on homeless and housing insecure students, thanks to a generous grant from the nonprofit Lucky Duck Foundation.
Worried about affordability? The enrollment fees at City, Mesa, and Miramar colleges are not only a fraction of what you’d pay at a four-year college or university, but roughly half of students pay nothing at all. Nearly all College of Continuing Education classes are free. The SDCCD also provides a multitude of financial aid opportunities, including the San Diego Promise Program, which offers eligible first-time, full-time, military veterans, foster youth, LGBTQIA+ students, undocumented students, formerly incarcerated students, returning students, and others up to two years of a tuition-free education, along with a bevy of support services.