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Saddleback College

Mission Viejo, California · Public community college

Cosmetology schoolsEMT & paramedic trainingAuto mechanic schoolsCulinary & pastry schoolsMedical assistant programsMedical billing & coding programsConstruction trades programs
48%completion rate · California avg 64%
$9,500median debt of graduates
$36,605median earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$50,874median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
not reportedannual cost of attendance
Yesfederal aid (FAFSA / Pell) eligible
Accreditation: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing | Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (Accredited)
Address: 28000 Marguerite Pky, Mission Viejo, CA 92692 · Phone: (949) 582-4500 · School website ↗ · Verify on College Scorecard ↗
Accountability record (federal accreditation database, last 36 months; Department of Education oversight)
No accreditor sanctions in the last 36 months
Sanctions are probation, warning, show-cause and loss-of-accreditation actions by any recognized accreditor, including program-specific accreditors (a nursing-program probation counts for the campus). Routine monitoring reviews and voluntary withdrawals are not counted. Ask the school what the action concerned and how it was resolved.
Completion rate vs. benchmarks
Saddleback College Saddleback College: 48% 48% California average California average: 64.2% 64.2% National average National average: 62.1% 62.1%

What these trades pay once you're working

OccupationStarting (10th pct)MedianExperienced (75th)
Hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists$35,360$38,660$49,030
Emergency medical technicians$38,740$46,380$59,180
Automotive service technicians and mechanics$38,180$64,980$77,060
Chefs and head cooks$37,380$64,500$81,040
Medical assistants$39,290$49,660$61,870
Medical records specialists$43,800$61,810$80,630
Construction laborers$40,950$60,270$78,520

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wages for everyone employed in the occupation in California (May 2025; national where the state figure is not published). The program table below shows what this campus's own graduates earned in their first year, whatever job they took.

Trade programs at this campus

ProgramCredentialGrads / yrEarnings, yr 1Earnings, yr 2Median debt
Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services Certificate, 300–899 hours 95 not reported not reported not reported
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions Certificate, 300–899 hours 78 not reported not reported not reported
Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services Certificate, 1–2 years 40 not reported not reported not reported
Culinary Arts and Related Services Certificate, 300–899 hours 19 not reported not reported not reported
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians Certificate, 300–899 hours 19 not reported not reported not reported
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services Certificate, 300–899 hours 17 not reported not reported not reported
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions Certificate, 1–2 years 12 not reported not reported not reported
Health and Medical Administrative Services Associate degree 10 not reported not reported not reported
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services Certificate, 1–2 years 9 not reported not reported not reported
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians Associate degree 9 not reported not reported not reported
Culinary Arts and Related Services Associate degree 8 not reported not reported not reported
Health and Medical Administrative Services Certificate, 1–2 years 7 not reported not reported not reported
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians Certificate, 1–2 years 7 not reported not reported not reported
Culinary Arts and Related Services Certificate, 1–2 years 6 not reported not reported not reported
Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection Certificate, 300–899 hours 5 not reported not reported not reported
Health and Medical Administrative Services Certificate, 300–899 hours 5 not reported not reported not reported
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians Certificate, 300–899 hours 3 not reported not reported not reported
Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection Associate degree 2 not reported not reported not reported
Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services Associate degree 2 not reported $9,167 not reported
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions Associate degree 1 not reported not reported not reported
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians Associate degree 1 not reported not reported not reported

Earnings are median wages and self-employment income reported to the IRS (W-2 and Schedule SE) for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled, measured in the calendar year after finishing. They are pay only: health insurance, retirement contributions and other benefits are not included.

Graduates per year from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2022-23 Completions survey. Earnings and debt are College Scorecard field-of-study medians for graduates of this program at this campus (reported at the 4-digit program level, so closely related programs share a figure); "not reported" means too few graduates were counted to publish a figure.

Visit the school's website ↗

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Data: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2022-23 Completions survey; College Scorecard June 2026; Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP), September 2026. Figures are the U.S. Department of Education's official measures, not Career Training Path's opinion. Tuition, schedules and program availability change — confirm with the school before enrolling.

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