Cabrillo College

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.

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

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

• Community college education
• Associate degree programs
• Career technical education
• Transfer pathway programs
• Workforce training services

Headquarters

HQ city

Aptos

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Community college tuition fees charged to students per unit, with additional fees for specific programs and services
2. State Funding: Per-capita and formula-based state funding from California Community College Chancellor's Office based on enrollment and FTES
3. Federal Grants (HEERF): Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds from CARES Act, CRRSAA, and ARP Act for institutional costs and student aid
4. Title V DHSI Grants: Federal grants for Hispanic Serving Institutions to expand educational opportunities and improve student attainment

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core 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

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered major and minor.

• UC Santa CruzmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 April 2026Cabrillo 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 DiagnosticsminorOthers · 1 March 2023Inspire 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 HospitalminorOthersDominican 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 ServicesminorOthersMonarch 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 CenterminorOthersCommunity resource providing 24-hour bilingual support for domestic violence and sexual assault victims, including legal advocacy, peer support, and support groups.
• Pajaro Valley Shelter ServicesminorOthersCommunity resource providing 24-hour emergency, temporary, and transitional housing services for community members in need.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct 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

• Xx.com/CabrilloCollege
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cabrillo-college
• Facebookfacebook.com/138117476198412

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cabrillo College