Cuesta College begins fall semester with enrollment growth
Students will return to a new schedule and expanded facilities
Students will return to a new schedule and expanded facilities– Cuesta College will begin its academic year Monday, Aug. 17, with a new 16-week semester format, block scheduling, expanded campus facilities, and continued enrollment growth.
Preliminary fall enrollment figures show 7,969 students enrolled, representing 2,964 full-time equivalent students. The full-time equivalent enrollment increased 3.7% compared with last fall.
During the 2025-26 academic year, the college generated 8,080 full-time equivalent students, up from 7,758 in 2024-25. The total marked the college’s highest annual full-time equivalent enrollment in 13 years and surpassed its pre-pandemic 2019-20 level.
“We’re entering the 2026-27 academic year with tremendous momentum and an even stronger focus on the student experience,” said Jill Stearns, superintendent and president of Cuesta College. “Our new 16-week schedule and College Hour create intentional time for students to connect, get support, and become part of campus life, while new and expanded facilities are opening even more opportunities for learning. We want every student who comes to Cuesta College to have the support, connections, and opportunities they need to succeed.”
The new semester format includes a College Hour from 12:20 to 1:20 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday. Students can use the time to meet with counselors, attend workshops or club meetings, visit faculty members during office hours, eat lunch, or take a break between classes without missing class.
Students at the San Luis Obispo Campus will also have access to the college’s new Campus Center. The 33,728-square-foot facility, also known as Building 3000, houses enrollment support, counseling, financial aid, and other student resources in one location.
At the North County Campus in Paso Robles, students will begin using a new instructional facility that the college completed in June. The building includes classrooms, laboratories, and outdoor instructional areas for commercial driver training, soil science, blacksmithing, kinesiology, lifelong learning, and other programs. The college designed the facility to accommodate changing workforce needs and provide specialized educational programs in North County.
Cuesta College also served approximately 5,200 high school students through dual enrollment during the 2025-26 academic year. Those students generated 784 full-time equivalent students, accounting for 9.7% of the college’s total.
The Cuesta Promise, which provides two years without enrollment fees to eligible San Luis Obispo County high school graduates, has supported more than 10,000 students. A total of 842 new Cuesta Promise students will begin attending the college this fall.
“I chose Cuesta because two years of free education allows me to stay close to home and begin my college education debt-free,” said Carson Hook, an agriculture science student who plans to transfer to Cal Poly.
Cuesta College has campuses in San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles, a South County Center in Arroyo Grande, and online courses. The college offers affordable tuition, flexible learning options, career-focused programs, and student support services.
The college accepts applications year-round. Students can register for available courses through the myCuesta student portal. Information about applying and available fall classes is available at cuesta.edu.
