Cuesta College
Cuesta College offers hands-on training in various skilled trades and technologies, including automotive, welding, and nursing. The automotive technology program is ASE Education Foundation Certified and prepares students for ASE certification exams. The welding program provides practical experience with 20 multi-process welding stations and offers certifications in structural steel and pipe welding to industry standards. Their Associate Degree Registered Nursing program includes diverse clinical settings and community-based internships, preparing graduates for the NCLEX-RN licensure exam.
Programs Analyzed
Avg Grad Earnings
Avg TradeSchoolOutlook Score
Tuition (In-State)
All Programs at Cuesta College
2 trade programs at Cuesta College, ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score (combines earnings, ROI, AI resilience, and job market size). Use the “compare” links to see how this school’s programs stack up against others nationally.
| Program | Score | Earnings | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Nursing
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Compare nationwide → Compare in CA → |
91 | $99,000/yr | — |
|
Business Administration
Business Administration, Management and Operations Compare nationwide → Compare in CA → |
80 | $29,983/yr | — |
Reading the table: Score combines earnings, ROI, AI resilience, and job market size on a 0–100 scale. Earnings = median first-year salary from College Scorecard. Debt = median federal debt at graduation (blank where Scorecard suppresses small samples). 10yr ROI = projected 10-year earnings ÷ in-state tuition. AI Risk reflects task-level AI exposure across mapped occupations. Job Market = annual openings nationwide for connected occupations.
More Trade Schools in California
Top-scored trade schools elsewhere in California, ranked by average TradeSchoolOutlook Score across their programs.
Apprenticeship Pathways in California
Earn-while-you-learn alternatives in California. Registered apprenticeships skip tuition and pay you during training, though training periods are typically longer.
Trade Schools Near San Luis Obispo
Other cities in California with multiple trade schools, sorted by distance from San Luis Obispo.
About This Data
TradeSchoolOutlook analyzes 2 trade and vocational programs at Cuesta College using earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and employment projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024–2034).
The TradeSchoolOutlook Score (0–100) combines graduate earnings, return on investment, AI resilience, and job market size. AI Risk reflects task-level exposure for the occupations each program feeds into. Job Market shows the size of the national hiring pool. Programs without published debt figures had small reporting samples that the College Scorecard suppresses for privacy.