MiraCosta College
Rolling
Acceptance rate
$9,960
Tuition/yr
14,000
Enrollment
About MiraCosta College
Community college in Oceanside, CA (San Diego area). Strong transfer and marine programs.
MiraCosta College is a public two-year community college established in 1934 and located in Oceanside, in coastal North San Diego County, California. Accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), it serves approximately 14,500 students annually across its Oceanside campus and additional sites.
The college's primary academic strength is transfer preparation: it ranks first among all 56 Southern California community colleges for UC transfer acceptance rates, with 84% of MiraCosta applicants accepted into University of California campuses. Transfer acceptance rates to UC San Diego (74.3%), UC Berkeley (39.4%), and UCLA (37.7%) all significantly exceed those campuses' freshman admission rates. The college offers Associate Degrees for Transfer (ADT) aligned with CSU and UC requirements, and a Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) to six UC campuses.
MiraCosta's main campus sits on a hilltop in Oceanside, roughly 40 miles north of San Diego. The college enrolls around 125 international F-1 students from more than 30 countries and has operated a dedicated International Office since 1991. It also offers an English Language Institute (ELI) for students who need to strengthen English skills before entering credit-bearing coursework.
Campus & Location
CA
Suburban
Optional Practical Training (OPT)
All graduates qualify for 12-month OPT. STEM-designated programs (CS, Engineering, Data Science, Mathematics, Sciences) qualify for 24-month STEM OPT extension — 36 months total work authorisation.
For Nepali students
- MiraCosta's proven transfer pathway to UC campuses, including UC San Diego, UC Berkeley, and UCLA, offers Nepali students an affordable entry point into the University of California system, which would otherwise require direct freshman admission at highly competitive acceptance rates.
- Annual tuition and enrollment fees for international F-1 students are approximately $9,960 (24 units), with a total estimated cost of attendance of $28,500 for 2025-2026, making it one of the lower-cost options for studying in the United States before transferring to a four-year university.
- The college offers a dedicated international student scholarship of $1,100 for incoming F-1 students to help offset first-semester costs, and its general scholarship pool is also open to international students.
- After completing an associate degree and transferring to a four-year US university, students on an F-1 visa become eligible for Optional Practical Training (OPT), up to 12 months, or 36 months for STEM graduates, providing post-study work rights in the United States.
Admission requirements — Nepali equivalents
A rough translation of the published minimums for Nepali applicants:
Use our GPA converter to translate your exact score to the 4.0 scale.
Does my profile match MiraCosta College?
Enter your GPA and IELTS score for an instant admission likelihood check.
Uses published minimum requirements. Final decisions are always at the university's discretion. Use our GPA converter to get your score on the 4.0 scale.
Guides for studying in United States
View allSimilar universities in United States
Want us to verify MiraCosta College’s current requirements?
Our counselors can confirm the latest deadlines, tuition, and requirements directly with the admissions office — free, no signup required.