48%
Graduation Rate
10%
Transfer-out Rate
73%
Retention Rate
[updated for 2024-2025 graduation data]
At Cuesta College, the graduation rate is 48 % within 150% normal time, the retention rate is 73 %, and the transfer-out rate is 10 %, as of August 31, 2025.
Its graduation rate is higher than the average rate when comparing similar colleges' rate of 34.69% (public medium Associate's college).
Graduation Rates in Reasonable Completion Time
For the academic year 2024-2025, 247 students out of 511 candidates have completed their courses within 150% normal time (i.e. in 3 years for 2-year Associate degree) at Cuesta College.
By gender, 141 male and 106 female students graduated the school last year completing their jobs in the period.
| Candidates | Completers | Graduation Rates |
| Total | 511 | 247 | 48.34% |
| Men | 282 | 141 | 50.00% |
| Women | 229 | 106 | 46.29% |
Graduation Rate By Race/Ethnicity
The following table shows graduation rate by race and at Cuesta College.
- American Indian or Alaska Native: 50.00%
- Asian: 62.50%
- Black (Non-Hispanic): 60.00%
- Hispanic: 42.21%
- White: 49.63%
- Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: 0.00%
- Two or More Race: 59.26%
- Unknown: 75.00%
Graduation Rate by Gender
| Total | Male | Female |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 50.00%(1/2) |
- |
50.00%(1/2) |
|---|
| Asian | 62.50%(5/8) |
60.00%(3/5) |
66.67%(2/3) |
|---|
| Black (Non-Hispanic) | 60.00%(3/5) |
33.33%(1/3) |
100.00%(2/2) |
|---|
| Hispanic | 42.21%(65/154) |
44.83%(39/87) |
38.81%(26/67) |
|---|
| White | 49.63%(135/272) |
52.05%(76/146) |
46.83%(59/126) |
|---|
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 0.00%(-/1) |
- |
- |
|---|
| Two or More Race | 59.26%(32/54) |
60.71%(17/28) |
57.69%(15/26) |
|---|
| Unknown | 75.00%(3/4) |
100.00%(2/2) |
50.00%(1/2) |
|---|
Transfer-out and Retention Rates
At Cuesta, the transfer-out rate is 9.98%. Its transfer-out rate is lower than the average rate when comparing similar colleges' rate of 16.90%.
Cuesta's retention rate is 73% for full-time students and 39 % for part-time students last year. Its retention rate is relatively higher than the average rate when comparing similar colleges' rate of 65.06%.
Non-Resident Alien Graduation Rate
A non-resident alien student is not a US citizen/green card holder and studies with a student visa, such as an F visa, in the United States. At Cuesta College, 3 of 11 non-resident alien students completed their studies and the graduation rate was 27.27%.