What Saddleback College does

Saddleback College is a public community college founded in 1968 and headquartered in Mission Viejo, California, operating as part of the South Orange County Community College District (SOCCCD) alongside Irvine Valley College. The institution delivers higher education across five academic schools (Arts/Media/Performance/Design, Business and Industry, Health and Wellness, Humanities and Social Sciences, and STEM) with over 100 degree and certificate programs. Its core technology infrastructure consists of the Canvas Learning Management System for online and hybrid course delivery, supplemented by a California Virtual Campus partnership; the college offers Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) classes as a notable cost-efficiency feature.

The college serves multiple student segments: traditional college students pursuing associate degrees and transfer pathways, adult learners seeking career retraining, emeritus students aged 55+ through the Emeritus Institute, dual enrollment high school students, and career-technical education students. A new Tustin campus opened in August 2025 with a $60-70 million investment, representing a strategic shift from healthcare training toward advanced culinary and automotive programs including Electric Vehicle Technician training. Revenue is generated through California state-set per-unit tuition fees, campus-specific fees (parking, health services, student activities), Pell Grants, Cal Grants, scholarships, and state allocations through SOCCCD.

The institution holds multiple competitive credentials including WalletHub Top Ten Community College ranking, Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) designation from the U.S. Department of Education, and ACCJC institutional accreditation (reaffirmed 2024). Notable partnerships include a formalized transfer agreement with National University offering up to 46% tuition reduction for Associate Degree for Transfer completers, $24 million in Samueli Foundation funding for workforce development, and articulation agreements with UC and CSU systems. A presidential transition to Dr. Lonita Cordova in 2026 coincides with this expansion phase.

Name

Saddleback College

Legal name

Saddleback College

Website

https://saddleback.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Saddleback College is a public community college in Mission Viejo, California, serving South Orange County students across five academic schools with 100+ degree and certificate programs, recently expanding to a second Tustin campus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community College Education

NAICS

Junior Colleges (61121), Junior Colleges (6112), Junior Colleges (611210)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Community Colleges (Transfer + Workforce) (EDAHADAE)

Keywords

• Community college education
• Associate degree programs
• University transfer pathways
• Career technical training
• Adult continuing education

Headquarters

HQ city

Mission Viejo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Per-unit tuition fees for California resident and non-resident students, with additional campus-based fees. Financial aid available including Pell Grants, Cal Grants, and scholarships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Saddleback College is a public community college delivering higher education services, primarily associate degrees for transfer (ADTs), associate of arts/science degrees, credit and non-credit certificates, and university transfer preparation. Instruction spans humanities, sciences, social sciences, business, health sciences, career-technical fields, and adult education, delivered through on-campus, hybrid, and online modalities to residents of South Orange County and the broader California community college service area.

Product overview

Saddleback College is a comprehensive community college offering a multi-school academic portfolio spanning five major schools: Arts/Media/Performance/Design, Business and Industry, Health and Wellness, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Science/Technology/Engineering/Math. The college delivers educational programs through multiple formats including credit degree and certificate programs, non-credit offerings via the Emeritus Institute and Community Education, and online distance education. Student support services include financial aid, transfer counseling, health services, and specialized programs like Honors and MESA. The institution serves approximately 100+ program areas across career-technical education for direct employment and university transfer pathways for students pursuing bachelor's degrees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Associate of Arts (A.A.) and Associate of Science (A.S.) degree programs Two-year undergraduate degree programs designed for students planning to transfer to four-year universities or enter the workforce; open to any student meeting community college eligibility requirements.
• Associate Degrees for Transfer (ADT) to CSU Transfer-oriented associate degrees designed to provide guaranteed or priority admission to California State University campuses in aligned majors.
• Credit and non-credit certificate programs Certificate programs, both credit-bearing and non-credit, providing workforce credentials in specific occupational areas for students and working professionals.
• Career-technical education (CTE) programs Workforce-aligned vocational and technical training programs preparing students for specific occupations and industry-recognized credentials.
• Online and distance-learning courses Courses delivered remotely via online and hybrid modalities, allowing flexible scheduling for working adults and remote students.
• Continuing and adult education programs Non-credit and continuing education courses serving adult learners seeking personal enrichment, basic skills, ESL, or short-term workforce training.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students earn average $14 more per hour after career training ($29,120/year increase)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• National UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 April 2026Transfer partnership creating clear pathways for Saddleback College students to continue education at bachelor's and graduate levels. Includes 46% tuition reduction for Associate Degree for Transfer completers and formalized transfer pathways with dedicated academic advising. Builds on National University's statewide collaboration with California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office.
• Industry Partners (Tustin Campus)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 November 2025Industry partnerships supporting new Tustin campus culinary and automotive programs. Part of strategic shift under President Elliot Stern to focus on advanced culinary and automotive career programs with projected enrollment doubling within five years.
• South Orange County Community College District (SOCCCD)coreOthersSaddleback College is one of two colleges in the district, along with Irvine Valley College. The district also operates ATEP (Advanced Technology and Education Park).
• UC and CSU Transfer PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransfer Center provides UC and CSU transfer and admission guarantees, with articulation agreements and application workshops supporting student transfer to four-year universities.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mt. San Antonio College: One of the largest California community colleges with extensive CTE, transfer, and workforce programs; comparable in multi-school portfolio breadth and student outcomes orientation.
• El Camino College: Southern California community college with broad academic, CTE, and workforce programs; directly comparable as a comprehensive community college serving a similar suburban population.
• Coastline College: Another Coast Community College District member with strong online/distance education focus; comparable to Saddleback's online delivery model via Canvas LMS and California Virtual Campus.
• Golden West College: Orange County-based community college offering associate degrees, transfer programs, and CTE; geographically adjacent and structurally similar to Saddleback as a public two-year institution.
• Orange Coast College: Large California community college in Costa Mesa with comparable transfer pathways, CTE, and continuing education offerings; a direct peer in scope, scale, and program mix.
• Santa Monica College: Prominent California community college known for transfer outcomes; comparable peer in academic reputation, transfer guarantees, and comprehensive program offerings.
• Irvine Valley College: Sister college in the South Orange County Community College District; offers overlapping transfer, CTE, and continuing education programs serving the same South Orange County population, making it Saddleback's closest direct peer.
• Pasadena City College: Large, well-regarded California community college with strong transfer and CTE programs; comparable in scale, Hispanic Serving Institution characteristics, and student outcome focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/saddlebackcollege
• Facebookfacebook.com/20145414521
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saddleback-college
• Instagraminstagram.com/saddlebackcollege
• Xx.com/gauchogirl

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Saddleback College