Why this matters
After years of financial troubles and low enrollment, San Diego Christian College’s status — and the roughly 100 students it had served — remains unclear.
San Diego Christian College’s monument sign has been removed. The only remnant of its campus is the school logo emblazoned on the side of trash bins left behind.
The small, more than 50-year-old college vacated its lease and moved out of the Riverview Parkway property in Santee at least a month ago, according to multiple sources, including a representative with the property’s management company and employees from other businesses within the complex.
But whether the school is still offering courses is unclear.
David Poole, president and CEO of San Diego Christian, and other top officials did not respond to several questions regarding the school’s status despite multiple attempts by inewsource via phone and email.
Prospective students can still access an application — and an academic calendar for the upcoming year — on the school’s website. The college has offered online courses in the past.
For years, San Diego Christian’s budget struggles have threatened its accreditation. As inewsource previously reported, school officials weren’t able to account for more than $20 million in expenses on its public tax returns.
In 2024, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges — or WASC — issued the school a formal warning, citing its significant budget deficit despite an influx of donations at the time. The school also needed to demonstrate that it had reached its goal of tripling its enrollment to 300 students.
The regional accrediting agency removed that warning last year after the college made progress in its budget planning and improved its short-term fiscal outlook. Still, the agency told San Diego Christian that it must continue to address its low enrollment and revenue problems in order to reach long-term financial sustainability. The school remains under a notice of concern. If the commission’s concerns aren’t addressed by the next interaction, a sanction may be imposed, according to the written notice.
WASC spokesperson Evelyn Somoza said its accrediting commission is scheduled to review the college’s reporting and data in the fall. An in-person accreditation visit is also scheduled for the spring.
She said questions about the college’s institutional operations should be directed to San Diego Christian leaders. The WASC website’s information about the college makes no mention of any program changes since 2017.
If the school were to lose its accreditation, students would no longer have access to federal grants and student loans.
About 100 students were enrolled at San Diego Christian College, according to federal government data. Last year, the school’s tuition and fees totaled nearly $30,000, and a majority of students received federal or state loans.
Enrollment across nonprofit colleges has stayed about the same nationwide, while other higher education institutions, including for-profit colleges, saw a slight bump, data from the National Student Clearinghouse shows.
Type of Content
News: Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
