Coastline Highlights
Coastline students range in age and educational goals. Some attend Coastline as fresh-out-of-high-school teens working on their GE requirements with the goal of transferring to a four-year university. Others are adults looking to change careers by earning a certificate or A.A./A.S. degree in a new career field. Some want a class or two to add to their resume, and others want a super-packed, full schedule of classes (such as those in the STAR program) to help them finish their degree requirements fast.
Coastline also serves thousands of servicemen and women across the globe through Coastline Military Programs. This unique program allows those enlisted men and women to complete their degree requirements at a distance, without ever setting foot on a Coastline campus.
Academic Innovation
Coastline College continues to lead the way in academic innovation. In July 2025, Coastline College became the first to launch a direct assessment Competency-Based Education (CBE) program in the California Community College system, called PACE+. This program provides students with a more flexible and personalized way to earn their degree, meeting the needs of today’s learners who want to progress at their own pace.
Coastline College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education.
Coastline has received federal designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI), and a Black-Serving Institution (BSI).
Other Prestigious Federal Designations
Coastline is proud to be designated as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) by the National Security Agency (NSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Learn more about our Cyber Center.
View the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard to see how Coastline compares to national averages regarding student demographics, graduation rates, and more.