Study by SmartAsset™ and Published in The Miami Herald Ranks Cabrillo First for Retention Rates, Student-to-Faculty Ratios, and Cost of Tuition and Fees 

APTOS, CA— Cabrillo College today announces that it has been ranked the best community college in California, based upon a study released by SmartAsset that was published in the October 21 issue of The Miami Herald. The same study ranked Cabrillo College 37th overall in the United States.

 For the study to determine the best community colleges in the U.S., SmartAsset compared 616 two-year colleges that offer associate degrees and have at least 500 full-time students. The awards were granted based upon the colleges’ retention rates, student-to-faculty ratios, and tuition and fees. The study was based upon publicly available data from 2022-23.

“This ranking provides a tangible reference for what I’ve heard anecdotally since arriving at Cabrillo seven years ago, that Cabrillo is the best community college in the state,” said Matt Wetstein, Superintendent and President at Cabrillo College. “I’ve had people tell me their best professors were at Cabrillo…even better than teachers they had at some of the highest rated universities in the world.”

Ranked first in California with a full-time student retention rate of 74% and a student-to-faculty ratio of 16 :1, Cabrillo College is also highly affordable, with full-time, in-state tuition and fees costing $1,262. A federally-designated Hispanic Serving Institution with locations in Aptos and Watsonville, approximately half of Cabrillo's students are Latinx. Cabrillo’s beautiful campus boasts a view of the Pacific Ocean, borders the redwoods of Nisene Marks State Park, and is situated amidst some of the nation’s leading agriculture and technology centers.

Collectively, California community colleges scored well in the study’s 'least expensive' ranking, taking the top 50 spots for least expensive schools, with tuition and fees costing less than $1,500 per year. 

About Cabrillo College

Cabrillo College is a leading California community college serving Santa Cruz County with locations in Aptos and Watsonville. It is ranked #1 in transfers to UC Santa Cruz. Founded in 1959, the college offers over 100 academic and career technical education programs that serve multiple educational goals such as A.A. and A.S. degrees, certificates of achievement, skills certificates, transfer to 4-year institutions or for lifelong learning and personal enrichment. With a commitment to quality and equity, we connect all learners to pathways that propel them from where they are to where they aspire to be, including: academic, personal, and career growth.