The student population at Cuesta College is 11,283 (all undergraduate). The number of students has increased by 1,683 (17.53%) over the past decade.
The average student population over the last 11 years is 10,436 where 11,283 students are attending the school for the academic year 2024-2025.
Total enrollment fluctuated between 2016 and 2025, with 7 year-over-year increases and 2 decreases. It peaked at 11,283 students in 2025 and was lowest at 9,600 in 2016. Overall, enrollment rose from 9,600 to 11,283 students, a net gain of 1,683 (17.5%).
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in student population by gender at Cuesta College since 2015.
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 9,600 | 4,581 | 5,019 |
| 2016-17 | 10,232 632 | 5,092 511 | 5,140 121 |
| 2017-18 | 10,836 604 | 5,366 274 | 5,470 330 |
| 2018-19 | 11,024 188 | 5,418 52 | 5,606 136 |
| 2019-20 | 11,281 257 | 5,565 147 | 5,716 110 |
| 2020-21 | 10,093 -1,188 | 4,741 -824 | 5,352 -364 |
| 2021-22 | 9,661 -432 | 4,632 -109 | 5,029 -323 |
| 2022-23 | 9,908 247 | 4,876 244 | 5,032 3 |
| 2023-24 | 10,437 529 | 5,154 278 | 5,283 251 |
| 2024-25 | 11,283 846 | 5,492 338 | 5,791 508 |
| Average | 10,436 | 5,092 | 5,344 |
The percentage of white students is 47.31% and the percentage of black students is 1.81% at Cuesta College. 2.82% of enrolled students is Asian. Hispanic students comprise 35.52% of the student body.
Over the past 10 years, the racial composition has shifted. The percentage of white students decreased from 58.47% to 47.31%. Asian enrollment declined from 2.98% to 2.82%. Black student enrollment increased from 1.61% to 1.81%. Hispanic student representation expanded from 29.76% to 35.52%.
The overall racial diversity, measured by the Census Bureau Diversity Index, is 0.6442 which indicates that moderately diverse. This increased from 0.5656 a decade ago, suggesting that racial diversity has improved.
The following table and chart illustrate the student population trends by race/ethnicity at Cuesta College over the past 11 years (2015-2025).
| Year | American Indian or Native American | Asian | Black | Hispanic | Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | White | Two or More Races |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 60 | 286 | 155 | 2,857 | 19 | 5,613 | 503 |
| 2016-17 | 56 | 298 | 204 | 3,178 | 14 | 5,704 | 549 |
| 2017-18 | 68 | 320 | 226 | 3,588 | 12 | 5,881 | 589 |
| 2018-19 | 69 | 332 | 262 | 3,689 | 18 | 5,898 | 640 |
| 2019-20 | 69 | 358 | 259 | 3,754 | 23 | 5,520 | 561 |
| 2020-21 | 41 | 348 | 315 | 3,192 | 29 | 5,341 | 542 |
| 2021-22 | 35 | 332 | 250 | 3,165 | 25 | 4,994 | 601 |
| 2022-23 | 45 | 310 | 251 | 3,358 | 24 | 4,903 | 642 |
| 2023-24 | 47 | 295 | 207 | 3,668 | 23 | 5,061 | 700 |
| 2024-25 | 46 | 318 | 204 | 4,008 | 17 | 5,338 | 767 |
| Average | 54 | 320 | 233 | 3,446 | 20 | 5,425 | 609 |
3,291 students are enrolled in online degree programs exclusively for the academic year 2024-2025, which is 29% of total students. The number of online students has increased 262.05% since 2015. The following table and chart illustrate the changes in the online student population by enrolled type at Cuesta College from 2015 to 2025.
| Year | Total Enrollment | Online Completely | Enrolled in Some Online Courses | Not Enrolled in Online Courses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 9,600 | 909 | 1,442 | 7,249 |
| 2016-17 | 10,232 | 1,009 | 1,487 | 7,736 |
| 2017-18 | 10,836 | 1,129 | 1,744 | 7,963 |
| 2018-19 | 11,024 | 1,375 | 2,099 | 7,550 |
| 2019-20 | 11,281 | 1,702 | 2,258 | 7,321 |
| 2020-21 | 10,093 | 8,486 | 1,205 | 402 |
| 2021-22 | 9,661 | 4,999 | 2,248 | 2,414 |
| 2022-23 | 9,908 | 3,285 | 3,000 | 3,623 |
| 2023-24 | 10,437 | 3,221 | 3,191 | 4,025 |
| 2024-25 | 11,283 | 3,291 | 3,319 | 4,673 |
| Average | 10,436 | 2,941 | 2,199 | 5,296 |
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