San Diego Mesa College

Community college education in San Diego began in 1914 when the Board of Education of the San Diego City Schools authorized post-secondary classes for San Diego high school students. In 1956, San Diego voters authorized the first of two bonds to establish and construct what would become San Diego Mesa College on an 85-acre mesa next to Stephen Watts Kearny High School . Classes began in 1963 with four faculty members serving 35 students at the 900 building at Kearny High while construction on the college’s campus was completed.

The college is administered by the San Diego Community College District. Mesa is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges .

San Diego Mesa College Math and Science building Courses are provided in general education, lower-division transfer programs, occupational and developmental education. As of February 2024, Mesa College offered almost 200 associate degree and certificate programs. [ 6 ] In 2016, Mesa was one of the first California Community Colleges to be approved to offer a bachelor’s degree program. [ 5 ] The first class with a Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management graduated in spring 2018. [ 7 ] 22 students graduated with a B.S. from the Health Information Management Program in Spring 2023. [ 8 ] In October 2023, Mesa was approved to offer an additional bachelor’s program in the Physical Therapist Assistant Program. [ 9 ] Transfers San Diego Mesa college offers Transfer Admission Guarantee programs that provide pathways to San Diego State University and the University of California, San Diego . Additionally, the college offers associate degree for transfer programs in many departments. Mesa also staffs a Transfer Center in its Student Support department, providing dedicated counseling and resources.

The Mesa College Foundation offers scholarships to Mesa students. In 2023, it awarded $159,566 in scholarships across 118 opportunities to 168 student recipients. [ 10 ]