Cabrillo College
Public community college in Santa Cruz County, California, offering associate degrees, transfer pathways, career education, dual enrollment, and continuing education across Aptos and Watsonville campuses, serving approximately 17,000 students annually as a federally designated Hispanic Serving Institution.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1959
- HeadquartersAptos, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Cabrillo College does
Cabrillo College is a public community college founded in 1959, operated by the Cabrillo Community College District as part of the California Community Colleges System. The institution serves approximately 17,000 students annually across two campuses in Aptos (main campus at 6500 Soquel Drive) and Watsonville (318 Union Street), with a 48% Latinx student population that supports its federally designated Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) status. The college delivers credit and noncredit courses across 70+ fields of study, including 26 career education programs, organized through Career and Academic Pathways (CAPS) with guided pathways from enrollment to completion, and ranked #1 in California for transfers to UC Santa Cruz.
The technology backbone consists of Canvas Learning Management System for online and hybrid instruction, Ellucian Cloud for student information management via the My Cabrillo portal, Google Workspace for productivity, and BoardDocs for governance. Core academic products include transfer programs, career education, honors transfer, dual enrollment via Running Start for high school seniors, and online/distance education. Supporting student services include mental health counseling, accessibility services (ASC), health services, food security (NEST pantry), DREAM resources for immigrant students, veterans support, and tutoring. Specialized offerings include a dental hygiene teaching clinic (currently on three-year state probation), culinary arts/Pino Alto restaurant, makerspace, and Small Business Development Center.
As a public educational institution, Cabrillo is funded through California Community Colleges state apportionment (per-capita and FTES-based), local property taxes, student tuition and fees, and federal grants including HEERF (~$16.6M total across CARES/CRRSA/ARP Acts), Title V DHSI grants (~$1.6M), and an NTIA grant of ~$3M. Go-to-market relies on direct-to-consumer open enrollment, with marketing via the college website, campus tours, high school partnerships, dual enrollment programs, and community outreach. Key partnerships include UC Santa Cruz (transfer pathways and a 600+ bed housing partnership announced April 2026), Inspire Diagnostics (COVID testing), and various community organizations for victim advocacy and health services.
Cabrillo College firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cabrillo College
- Legal name
- Cabrillo Community College District
- Website
- https://cabrillo.edu
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1959
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Public community college in Santa Cruz County, California, offering associate degrees, transfer pathways, career education, dual enrollment, and continuing education across Aptos and Watsonville campuses, serving approximately 17,000 students annually as a federally designated Hispanic Serving Institution.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cabrillo College industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community College Education
- NAICS
- Junior Colleges (61121)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Community Colleges (EDAHADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Comprehensive Community Colleges (Transfer + Workforce) (EDAHADAE), Junior Colleges (Associate-Degree Granting) (EDAHADAC), Workforce Development & Continuing Education Divisions (Noncredit) (EDAHADAG)
Keywords
Where Cabrillo College is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Aptos
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Cabrillo College business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Tuition and Fees: Community college tuition fees charged to students per unit, with additional fees for specific programs and services
- State Funding: Per-capita and formula-based state funding from California Community College Chancellor's Office based on enrollment and FTES
- Federal Grants (HEERF): Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds from CARES Act, CRRSAA, and ARP Act for institutional costs and student aid
- Title V DHSI Grants: Federal grants for Hispanic Serving Institutions to expand educational opportunities and improve student attainment
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Per semester | In-state tuition per unit for credit courses |
| Subscription | Others | Non-credit courses offered free of charge |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Cabrillo College product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cabrillo College is a public community college offering credit and noncredit courses across 70+ fields of study, including associate degrees, transfer pathways to four-year universities, and 26 career education programs. The college delivers instruction through in-person, hybrid, and online modalities across two campuses (Aptos and Watsonville) and supplements academics with student support services such as mental health counseling, accessibility support, food assistance, and a dental hygiene teaching clinic.
Product overview
Cabrillo College is a two-year community college offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs and student support services. The institution provides credit and noncredit courses across 70+ fields of study, organized through Career and Academic Pathways (CAPS) with guided pathways from enrollment to completion. Core academic offerings include transfer programs, career education (26 programs), honors transfer, and dual enrollment for high school students. The college delivers instruction through on-campus, hybrid, and online formats via Canvas LMS. Student support services include mental health counseling, accessibility services (ASC), health services, food security (NEST pantry), DREAM resources for immigrant students, veterans support, tutoring, career services, and library resources. Specialized programs include dental hygiene clinic, culinary arts restaurant, makerspace, Small Business Development Center, and Extension continuing education. The college operates two campuses: Aptos (main campus) and Watsonville Center, serving approximately 17,000 annual students with 48% Latinx population as a Hispanic-Serving Institution.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Academic Programs Credit and noncredit courses across 70+ fields of study, including transfer programs, career education, and workforce development offerings at the Aptos Campus and Watsonville Center, designed for students seeking associate degrees, transfer to four-year universities, or job training.
- Career and Academic Pathways (CAPS) Guided academic pathway programs helping students navigate from enrollment through completion with structured support and clear program maps, intended for prospective and current students needing academic planning.
- Dual Enrollment / Running Start
- Online Learning / Distance Education
- Honors Transfer Program
- School of Career Education and Workforce Development (CEWD)
- Cabrillo Extension
- Dental Hygiene Clinic
- Culinary Arts and Pino Alto Restaurant
- Small Business Development Center
- Makerspace
- Athletics
Quantifiable outcome
- #1 community college for transfers to UC Santa Cruz
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Cabrillo College
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Cabrillo College technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
Feature2 records
Cabrillo College partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered major and minor.
- UC Santa CruzmajorCabrillo College has a housing partnership with UC Santa Cruz as part of UCSC's Long Range Business Plan. This partnership is projected to provide 600+ beds for UCSC students. UCSC's CHES Long Range Business Plan received the 2026 Outstanding Innovation in Housing and Residential Life Award from ACPA.
- Inspire DiagnosticsminorInspire Diagnostics partnered with Cabrillo College during Spring 2023 to conduct on-campus COVID-19 testing and vaccination clinics. Over 18 vaccine clinics were held at both Watsonville and Aptos campuses, distributing over 300 no-cost COVID-19 vaccines and 120 flu vaccines.
- Dominican HospitalminorDominican Hospital provides Sexual Assault Forensic Examination (SAFE) services for Cabrillo College students who experience sexual assault. SAFE exams are a free service performed by Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, available up to 10 days after an assault.
- Monarch ServicesminorMonarch Services provides 24-hour bilingual crisis support for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Advocates from Monarch Services accompany victims/survivors to SAFE exams and provide crisis counseling and emergency shelter referrals.
- Walnut Avenue Family and Women's CenterminorCommunity resource providing 24-hour bilingual support for domestic violence and sexual assault victims, including legal advocacy, peer support, and support groups.
- Pajaro Valley Shelter ServicesminorCommunity resource providing 24-hour emergency, temporary, and transitional housing services for community members in need.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Cabrillo College competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hartnell College: Hartnell College is a public California community college in Salinas, CA, serving a comparable demographic including a large Latinx population. Like Cabrillo, it offers associate degrees, transfer pathways, and career education under the California Community Colleges system, making it a directly comparable regional peer.
- Monterey Peninsula College: Monterey Peninsula College is the closest California community college to Cabrillo in the Monterey Bay region, sharing similar geography, demographic profile, and workforce development mission. It directly competes for transfer-bound students in the same service area.
- Gavilan College: Gavilan College is a California community college serving southern Santa Clara and northern Monterey counties. It overlaps with Cabrillo's southern district catchment and competes for the same transfer and CTE students.
- De Anza College: De Anza College is one of the largest California community colleges, located in Cupertino. It is a comparable comprehensive community college with strong transfer programs and a similar mix of academic and career education offerings.
- Foothill College: Foothill College is a California community college in Los Altos Hills paired with De Anza in the Foothill-De Anza district. It is comparable in offering transfer pathways, online education, and a broad CTE catalog similar to Cabrillo's.
- West Valley College: West Valley College is a California community college in Saratoga serving a similar Silicon Valley-adjacent population. It competes for transfer-bound and CTE students in a region neighboring Cabrillo's broader catchment.
- Skyline College: Skyline College is a California community college in San Bruno offering comparable associate degree, transfer, and career education programs. It is a comparable peer within the same state funding system with similar student support services.
Broad incumbents
- CSU Monterey Bay: CSU Monterey Bay is the nearest four-year public university and a primary transfer destination for Cabrillo students. As a regional higher education incumbent, it is relevant for benchmarking transfer outcomes and competitive positioning.
- UC Santa Cruz: UC Santa Cruz is Cabrillo's top transfer destination and current strategic housing partner. As a major four-year research university in the same region, it shapes Cabrillo's transfer pipeline and academic reputation.
Emerging players
- University of Phoenix: University of Phoenix is a large online-focused institution competing for the same adult, working, and non-traditional learners that Cabrillo's Extension and online programs target. It is an emerging competitor for adult learners who might otherwise enroll at a community college for upskilling.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Cabrillo College social profiles
Digital presenceCabrillo College compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Cabrillo College financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cabrillo College leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Cabrillo College funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cabrillo College M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cabrillo College
What does Cabrillo College do?
Cabrillo College is a public community college offering credit and noncredit courses across 70+ fields of study, including associate degrees, transfer pathways to four-year universities, and 26 career education programs. The college delivers instruction through in-person, hybrid, and online modalities across two campuses (Aptos and Watsonville) and supplements academics with student support services such as mental health counseling, accessibility support, food assistance, and a dental hygiene teaching clinic.
Is Cabrillo College a public or private company?
Cabrillo College is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Cabrillo College founded?
Cabrillo College was founded in 1959. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Cabrillo College based?
Cabrillo College is headquartered in Aptos, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cabrillo College make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Tuition and Fees are the primary driver. The others are state Funding, federal Grants (HEERF) and title V DHSI Grants.
Who are Cabrillo College's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hartnell College, Monterey Peninsula College, Gavilan College, De Anza College, Foothill College, West Valley College and Skyline College. Broad incumbents are CSU Monterey Bay and UC Santa Cruz. University of Phoenix is listed as an emerging player.
Does Cabrillo College have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cabrillo College.
What industry is Cabrillo College in?
Cabrillo College's product category is Community College Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHADAA, Public Community Colleges, with a secondary code of EDAHADAE, Comprehensive Community Colleges (Transfer + Workforce). Its NAICS code is 61121 and its SIC code is 8200.