Admissions & Records Office

Oceanside, Building 3300: 760.795.6620
San Elijo, Building 1100: 760.634.7870
Community Learning Center, Building 300: 760.795.8710

miracosta.edu/studentservices/admissions

Eligibility for Admission

To attend MiraCosta College, a student must be one of the following:

• Eighteen years of age or older and able to benefit from instruction
• A high school graduate or equivalent
• Any student who has completed the 8th grade or is at least 15 years of age. Home-schooled students must provide proof of filing as a private school with the Superintendent of Public Instruction or may obtain sign off from the local public high school that the student would normally be attending.

Residency Requirements

The Admissions and Records Office determines a student’s residency classification when the student applies to MiraCosta and whenever a student has not attended the college for more than one semester. Students will be notified about their residence classification within 14 calendar days of submitting their application or 14 calendar days after the beginning of the session for which the student has applied.

The residence determination date is the day immediately preceding the first day of instruction of the semester or term during which the student proposes to attend MiraCosta College. At any residence determination date, a student previously classified as a nonresident may be reclassified.

Students should contact Admissions and Records for further information regarding residency requirements.

Admission of International Students

As part of its educational program, MiraCosta promotes the internationalization of its college community by attracting capable international students. MiraCosta is authorized under federal law to enroll nonimmigrant F-1 visa students.

The college's International Office processes international student admissions and provides support services for F-1 students attending MiraCosta College. Prospective international students can be considered for admission to MiraCosta after submitting a completed International Student Application (for F-1 Visa) Form and all required application materials as outlined by Administrative Procedure 5012 including the following:

• Official high school (secondary school) transcript translated to English
• Official transcripts in English from all colleges and universities attended
• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score or other proof of English proficiency
• Proof of financial certification for all educational and personal expenses while attending college as an F-1 visa student.

All F-1 visa students must contact the International Office prior to enrolling at MiraCosta. The priority deadline to submit an application for fall semester is July 1 of the application year; the priority deadline to submit an application for spring semester (which begins in January) is November 15 of the previous year.

International students who do not meet the college's English language proficiency requirement and/or wish to improve their English skills can apply for full-time English language training offered by the college's Community Services program, the English Language Institute.

Applications for admission and details regarding MiraCosta's international student programs are available at the International Office (located on the Oceanside Campus) or on the office's website.

Special Admission Programs

Nursing

Nursing students have special application and registration procedures. Specific details about MiraCosta College's nursing programs as well as the admissions requirements are available under the Nursing area of study and on the Nursing webpage.

Biomanufacturing

MiraCosta College offers a bachelor's degree program in biomanufacturing. Information about the program's eligibility requirements, admissions process, and additional tuition for upper-division coursework is available under the Biotechnology area of study. 

Information for Veterans

Oceanside, Building T100: 760.795.6750

Students receiving GI Bill^® educational benefits are subject to the following general policies ("GI Bill^®" is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs [VA]):

• Students must declare a major and enroll in classes required for their major.
• Students must have ALL prior college and military credit evaluated.
• Transcripts must be received by the college before the end of their first semester.
• Students must meet with a MiraCosta academic counselor to obtain an educational plan during their first semester.
• Students must be making satisfactory progress toward their educational goals.
• Students must report all changes in their educational status, including adds and drops in class schedule, education plans, or Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) agreements, to MiraCosta's Veterans Services Office.

Continuing students should notify the appropriate staff member of their intention to continue the GI Bill^® prior to the end of each term to prevent interruption. Because not all classes are VA approved, students should have their classes reviewed by a Veterans counselor.

Students changing their major must file the necessary paperwork and make a counseling appointment to update their education plan. It takes approximately 6 to 8 weeks to process a VA Education Claim.

Readmission Policy

Any student who was enrolled at MiraCosta College but who has been absent for two or more primary terms (summer session not included) is required to submit a new free application for admission. Upon completion and submission of an application, students will be able to continue their studies. For catalog rights information, please refer to catalog forward or meet with an academic counselor.

Service members of an active or reserve United States military service who receive orders compelling a withdraw from courses are afforded the opportunity to continue their studies and will be able to maintain the same academic status they had when they last attended, whether they were out one or more terms (fall or spring). For any student who is out two or more primary terms will also need to submit a new free application for admission. For any student where the program (major of study) the student was enrolled in is no longer available or for which catalog rights have changed, the student may enroll into the most closely related program to minimize any disruption toward finishing their educational goals. 

Early Military Discharge

Military service personnel who plan to request an early discharge in order to attend MiraCosta College should complete an Application for Admission and request confirmation from the Admissions and Records Office.

Full/Part-Time Student Status

Full-time status is required for certain programs, including the following:

• Intercollegiate sports: Students must be actively enrolled in at least 12 units.
• Veterans: Students must be enrolled in at least 12 units to receive the maximum benefit through the GI Bill^®. Reduced benefits are available for students taking at least 6 units.
• Financial aid: Most programs require at least half-time enrollment, which is 6 units.
• EOPS: Students must be enrolled in at least 12 units or 14 contact hours per week.