SANTA ANA, Calif. — Rancho Santiago Community College District (RSCCD) has reached a significant enrollment milestone, recording four consecutive years of full-time equivalent student growth as more students access educational opportunities at Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College.
RSCCD recorded 21,530 credit full-time equivalent students (FTES) and 11,542 noncredit FTES in 2025-26, for a combined 33,072 FTES. That represents a 6.62% increase over the previous year and an approximately 26% increase since 2021-22, when the District generated 26,203 combined FTES.
“The District has experienced four consecutive years of FTES growth, and in 2025-26, the year that just closed, RSCCD ranked second among California community college districts in growth revenue, earning approximately an additional $8.45 million,” said Acting Chancellor Iris Ingram. “Those numbers do not happen by accident. That is the result of the combined work of the faculty, classified professionals, administrators and enrollment teams at both colleges.”
The number of students accessing RSCCD programs has also grown significantly. Combined credit and noncredit headcount increased from 82,776 in 2021-22 to 115,586 in 2025-26. Dual enrollment nearly doubled during the same period, increasing from 4,394 students to 8,062.
Growth has been particularly significant in noncredit education. Noncredit FTES increased from 6,916 in 2021-22 to 11,542 in 2025-26, an increase of nearly 67%. Credit FTES increased from 19,287 to 21,530 during the same period.
The growth mirrors broader trends across California's community college system, where dual enrollment and noncredit education are among the primary areas driving increased enrollment. Statewide, 57% of community college districts are experiencing sufficient enrollment growth to earn additional growth funding.
RSCCD's enrollment growth has also generated additional resources to support students and college programs. Based on the state's July 2026 early recalculation using second principal apportionment FTES data, RSCCD earned approximately $8.45 million in growth revenue for 2025-26, the second-highest amount among California community college districts.
At Santa Ana College, enrollment growth is being paired with a broader completion agenda focused on increasing degrees, certificates and transfers, strengthening guided pathways and student equity, and creating stronger bridges from noncredit to credit programs. SAC has established a goal of doubling its completion rate over five years.
At Santiago Canyon College, credit and noncredit FTES increased 7.16% from 2024-25 to 2025-26, including a 15.48% increase in Continuing Education. SCC generated 3,616 Continuing Education FTES in 2025-26 and continues working toward reaching 10,000 combined credit and noncredit FTES.
For RSCCD, sustained enrollment growth provides greater access to higher education while strengthening the District's ability to invest in programs and services that support retention, completion, transfer and career preparation.
“Growth is important to our fiscal health, but the most important number is the number of students we are serving,” Ingram said.
Contact:
Eugene W. Fields
Interim Chief Communications Officer
Rancho Santiago Community College District
714.628.5936
fields_eugene@rsccd.edu
About Rancho Santiago Community College District
Rancho Santiago Community College District is one of California’s largest community college districts and includes Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College. RSCCD provides credit and noncredit education, transfer pathways, career education and workforce training to students throughout its communities.