The fall terms have begun for two of the region’s largest community colleges.
Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo County and Allan Hancock in Santa Maria both started their fall terms on Monday.
Cuesta College, which had a 2021-2022 academic year enrollment of almost 10,000, is seeing an in-person attendance that is lower than pre-pandemic levels.
“Pre-pandemic we were about 76% in person,” said Dr. Jill Stearns, the superintendent/president of Cuesta College. “This term we are above 60% in person but we know that distance education is going to remain an important piece of what we do at Cuesta College.“
In 2021, Cuesta College had an 11.6% transfer rate to four-year universities, which is higher than the statewide average of 9.9%, according to data collected by Cal Matters.
In-state students can expect to pay about $1,400 in tuition at the college.
Allan Hancock is back and Samantha Martinez, who is the school’s student body president, said they are excited about the fun events planned this semester in addition to the new mental wellness club on campus.
"I believe that mental health is just as important as your physical health,” Martinez said. “It goes hand in hand to be a well-rounded person, especially students who are working so hard in order to pursue their educational journey so that they can make a great life for themselves and their families."
Allan Hancock had an enrollment of 9,836 in the 2021-2022 academic year, according to UnivStats.
The 2021 transfer rate to four-year universities is 8.8%, lower than the statewide average of 9.9%, according to data collected by Cal Matters.
In-state students can expect to pay just over $1,100.
