California · Public · Predominantly associate's

Southwestern College

Chula Vista, California. 16,640 undergraduate students. 133 programs in the federal Field-of-Study dataset.

ANOMALY ENGINE · NOTABLE SIGNALS

What the data flags at Southwestern College

Short-arc shifts (recent 3-year window), peer outliers, earnings trend breaks, completion drops, enrollment cliffs, and debt-to-earnings warnings — surfaced deterministically from the federal record. Multi-decade shifts are reported separately in the Long Arc section, since 25-year tuition drift isn't really an anomaly.

LONG-ARC SHIFT · TRENDING WORSE+49%

In-state tuition

In-state tuition at Southwestern College rose 49% between 2007 and 2010 ($518 → $772).

LONG-ARC SHIFT · TRENDING BETTER-100%

3-year cohort default rate

3-year cohort default rate at Southwestern College fell 100% between 2021 and 2024 (4.2% → 0.0%).

LONG-ARC SHIFT · TRENDING WORSE+35%

Median federal debt at exit

Median federal debt at exit at Southwestern College rose 35% between 2007 and 2010 ($2.6k → $3.5k).

LONG-ARC SHIFT · TRENDING WORSE+13%

Out-of-state tuition

Out-of-state tuition at Southwestern College rose 13% between 2021 and 2024 ($9.4k → $10.6k).

SECTION 01 · OUTCOMES SNAPSHOT

The numbers, vs. California

Each tile compares this institution to the California median for the same metric. Sub-line shows the comparison value, not an interpretation. Sparklines trace the federally available history.

MEDIAN EARNINGS · 10Y
$40,060+18% · 6→10y
California median $42,588
MEDIAN EARNINGS · 6Y
$33,970
Treasury earnings · 6y post-entry
COMPLETION · 150%
31.5%-32% · '97→'10
California median 61.3%
MEDIAN FEDERAL DEBT
$4,044±0% · '97→'10
At program completion
UNDERGRAD ENROLLMENT
16,640+46% · '96→'10
latest IPEDS
RETENTION
77.1%-9% · '04→'10
first-time, full-time
ADMISSION RATE
latest cohort
IN-STATE TUITION
$1,344+127% · '00→'10
out-of-state $9,492
SECTION 02 · EARNINGS HORIZONS

How earnings spread, 4 to 10 years after entry

Treasury tax-record earnings for federally aided students who first enrolled at this institution. Each point is a horizon from the most-recent vintage. Single median per horizon (no p25/p75 publishing).

ALL FEDERALLY AIDED STUDENTS · TAX-RECORD EARNINGSVINTAGE 2025-05
Earnings widen with time post-entry. Selection: federal-aid recipients only — not all graduates.Methodology →
SECTION 03 · DEBT-TO-EARNINGS

What loans cost relative to earnings

Annual debt service as a share of median earnings 10 years after entry, computed under federal Direct loan terms (10-year fixed at 6%). The 8% line is the gainful-employment threshold from federal regulation; above 12% has historically been considered “failing” under prior rule cycles.

Institution-wide

1.3%
0%8% · GE20%+

Median federal debt $4,044 amortized over 10 years vs. median earnings $40,060 (10y after entry).

SECTION 04 · LONG ARC

Ten-plus year arc

Federally available history. Coverage varies by metric — IPEDS publishes some series only after 2009 and others only before.

UNDERGRAD · 1996201017,435
18,5529,62019962010
Undergraduate enrollment.IPEDS EF
COMPLETION 150% · 1997201024.1%
37%20%19972010
150%-time completion rate.IPEDS GR
MEDIAN DEBT · 19972010$3,500
$3,500$2,60019972010
Median federal student debt at exit.SCORECARD
COMPLETION · 150% · 19972010-32%

Southwestern College · completion · 150% fell

35.4% → 24.1%

UNDERGRAD ENROLLMENT · 19962010+46%

Southwestern College · undergrad enrollment rose

11,923 → 17,435

IN-STATE TUITION · 20002010+43%

Southwestern College · in-state tuition rose

$340 → $772

OUT-OF-STATE TUITION · 20002024+167%

Southwestern College · out-of-state tuition rose

$3,980 → $10,640

COHORT DEFAULT RATE · 20112024-100%

Southwestern College · cohort default rate fell

16.8% → 0.0%

SECTION 05 · PROGRAMS

Ranked by 5-year earnings

Each row is one (CIP × credential) program reported by the institution in College Scorecard's Field-of-Study data. Cohort floor is 30 students; below this, federal data is suppressed.

SECTION 06 · BY CIP FAMILY

3 programs with earnings, grouped

Programs are grouped by 2-digit CIP family. Programs without reported earnings are hidden to keep the list focused.

PSYCHOLOGY · CIP 42

HOMELAND SECURITY & PROTECTIVE SERVICES · CIP 43

BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT & MARKETING · CIP 52

CAUSAL DISCIPLINE

Southwestern College graduates earn $X” — not “Southwestern College makes you earn $X”

Median earnings describe what cohorts earned. They do not describe what attending Southwestern College caused. Selection effects (who admits, who enrolls, who completes) are real. We publish federal data with strict descriptive phrasing — and link the methodology where you can read about the limitations directly.

Methodology →