Cuesta is great. I went here before transferring to Cal Poly and my experience at Cuesta was way better. More engaged and caring professors, smaller class sizes, better academic counselors, more scheduling options for classes, fewer bureaucratic hurdles. It really felt like Cuesta's mission was to help students graduate. The parking does suck, and driving there also sucks. But so does parking/driving to Cal Poly, so it isn't like there's some secret school with fantastic parking around here. Bottom line: Cuesta changed my life. It got me out of the restaurant industry and into grad school. It barely cost anything and I learned a lot. If you're looking to have a traditional college experience/meet and party with lots of new friends, Cuesta is going to feel serious and quiet to you. If you're driven to get your education, you'll do well and have tons of support. read more

Campus is good size, clean, ample parking (don't forget to pay for parking). Swimming pool is big, deep and a lot of fun. We love the family night swim on Thursdays. Athletic and workout fields are kept well. Classes are easy to find. We truly like the programs offered for adults, kids, families. The website is very user friendly. Check out what Cuesta has to offer :)) read more

Transitioning from working full time, adjusting to inevitable change, meeting new challenges, I am not sure how the EMERITUS Program through Cuesta College eluded me for all these years. Regardless, the last two weeks have corrected that gap in my knowledge of this exceptional resource. My friends kind of chuckle when they hear of me in a PowerPoint class, but yes, present and accounted for, and happily unraveling one of my personal technology mysteries. Thank you Mr. Meletta. This is fun! Working on Water Color homework today in preparation for an afternoon with Joy Krull tomorrow. No more muddy results, a new command of this medium will soon be mine. Grateful to have looked at the Cuesta Catalogue and taken action. Nancy Fiske read more

I have taken several classes here and they have been fantastic. The teachers that I had really cared about me and worked hard to help me succeed. The campus is beautiful - it feels like being in the country. This has been a wonderful school for me. read more

Cuesta College - Colleges & Universities Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

This place sucks in terms of bureaucracy, management and administration. The full-time faculty are great, but too many courses are online now. read more

I'm surprised by how accurately most of the previous reviewers have summed up the inimitable Cuesta experience. Let's start with what everyone loves to hate, the parking situation. It's true that cowboys and cowgirls with their big-ass trucks always take the spots reserved for compact cars only. Many is the time during my lunch break when I had to crawl into my car through the passenger side door because I'd been blocked in. Now, on to what you really care about. The professors. They are good and bad at Cuesta, like everywhere. But the mix here is highly unpredictable. In general, the humanities instructors are not as great as the science professors, though of course it varies by individual. That said, my speech professor liked to regale us with stories of getting arrested while drunk, and my psychology professor wanted to teach us how to channel the spirits of dead relatives. In contrast, my anatomy professor was so challenging (in a good way) that his class is (in)famous statewide. My chemistry professor was available all the time online for help and to answer questions, and is a campus leader in reforming Cuesta's teaching standards and overall performance. The campus is gorgeous, and easy to navigate except for the parking situation. Though Cuesta isn't the most supportive of nontraditional students, Susan Gossard in the counseling department was fantastic and the pre-nursing counselor, who is always overbooked, is very knowledgeable. I'm thankful to Cuesta for helping me get grad school prerequisites out of the way. Now that I'm in the Bay Area, I realize there are far worse community colleges out there. Cuesta is a place to start your educational journey, especially for allied health majors. But don't forget to set your sights higher and move on. Think of it as a stepping stone, not the finish line. read more

Cuesta College - The end of my morning commute to the grandiosely named Science Forum. - Colleges & Universities Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

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I signed up for two architecture classes back in, oh, fall 2010. I attended the first class and realized that it wasn't what I was looking for. I dropped the classes so that students attempt to crash the classes could sign up. This was my only interaction with Cuesta....ever. Until. TWO YEARS later, without any prior warning, I received a notice to pay Cuesta $120 for fees incurred, or they would report me to the California Franchise Tax Board. WHAT. I contacted Cuesta and asked why I had these fees when I had dropped the classes almost immediately. They refused to redact the charges. Rude. I received no correspondence prior to this letter threatening to report me to the CFTB so Cuesta College gets ONE star. In the end I wrote them a check and in the memo line I wrote EXTORTION. read more

An amazing educational institution. Experienced caring instructors make this educational journey a must.

The unbelievably poor reviews compel me to write about my experience. I am leaving this review 2 years after graduation. I loved every minute here. First of all, the address is wrong: Highway 1, San Luis Obispo, CA 93403. Regarding the teachers, PICK A PROF. However, I didn't use that website because I did not want to be influenced by others' experience...you make it what it is. And, of course, you will have some teachers that give a crap and some that don't--just like the students, you either care or don't to get a good grade. Third, parking, yes, it sucks when the semester starts...give it a few weeks, you will see half the parking lot empty soon. And then after that, if you get a ticket its your fault. Fourth, the cafeteria, it is expensive, but that is why I either brought my lunch or didn't, or had money and got the meal of the day which was always good. It was a nice place to hang out, study, and meet with friends. Financial aid worked just great for me. Of course, waiting and wanting to talk to someone in the office is difficult and frustrating. Honestly, the hoops you have to jump through for anything can make a person want to give up, but you just don't. Sixth, the people who helped me make my SEP were always very helpful and informative constantly giving me examples and direction. I really appreciated talking to them. Lastly, having incurred an injury half-way though a semester, the teachers did care, did help, were very, very responsive to my needs. I got into Calpoly from here, and I hated every minute there. *I will say, I attended JC in Austin, TX, and I definitely appreciated their fast moving lines (financial aid, cashier, admissions...any office at this CA campus, basically) unlike at Cuesta. read more

I went here! Amazing place! Nice buildings, lovely teachers! Outstanding campus police! So much support for students. Guidance counseling recommended! read more

The online Library/Information Technology A.S. program is pretty cool. For the most part the instructors are accessible, involved, passionate, current and across the board smart librarians. The older staffers on the LIBT team are the coolest though and I hope as they retire they will be replaced with just as informative professors because they are the ones that really make the program special. I've visited the campus and took online classes outside of the LIBT program. I didn't have trouble parking like the some of the other reviewers. I don't have trouble using my legs and following clear directions though so people that are challenged might take issue while an able bodied person wouldn't. As a leftist I was startled by some of the right wing extremist bumper stickers though. I don't see too many of those in Los Angeles. Like any college though I'd avoid the bookstore. College bookstore prices are criminal. The food is pretty icky and unhealthy at the canteen there but that's state wide as far as I can tell. I found some of the labs and the counselors really helpful. The counselors would even make telephone appointments with me since I live in Los Angeles. The library is great, the campus is serene but I didn't have a good experience with admissions staff the one time I dropped a class. They were full of misinformation. There's no need to go to admissions because their online admissions is super easy to navigate, clear, intuitive and helpful. All the California community colleges should mimic Cuesta's Student Portal. It's perfect. read more

I must admit that I have a love hate relationship with Cuesta. I went here during the times when it was 11 dollars a unit and when professors seemed to be excited to teach. I came back to finish up my AA and transfer to CSU and I feel that there is something different about Cuesta. I am not talking about the lack of parking and the large amount of rude students, but rather the professors. They seem like they are just not into it. They are taking roll at an alarming rate and actually dropping students. They also seem to take more and more time to remind us campus policy. I feel less of an adult at Cuesta these days and more like a child in high school. I do have to admit that there are still some really great professors at Cuesta and I hope that they can keep their heads up and know that there are some people that really enjoy the knowledge that they give us. read more

My experience with Cuesta College has been a "50/50" experience. It was not a terrible experience, but it also wasn't the best one neither. Good: -I've had lots of WONDERFUL professors throughout my time at Cuesta. - You save TONS of money going to a community college then transferring. Even though the prices nearly doubled from 5 years ago, it's still a really great deal since average CSU/UC/private universities costs about about 5-10 times MORE EXPENSIVE than attending community college. - Beautiful scenery as you drive on either Hwy 1 or O'Connor Way. - It's a decent sized college and the classroom sizes are appropriate in regards to size room and population; in basic terms, no overcrowding. This results with a lot of "one to one" with your teachers during office hours. - The library is top notch. Great place to study while you wait for your next class or look out the window at the views of the mountains. Bad: - Long commute if you're not a San Luis Obispo resident and even then, the commute can still be pretty long if you don't live in Mustang Village or any surrounding areas near Cal Poly. - It's a commuter school so it may get difficult to make friends here unless these friends either live in SLO or they live within the same region you do (ex: north or south county). - Parking is a nightmare. Too many kids double parking their big trucks or luxury cars, and too many kids going too close to the white line. It doesn't seem like campus police does much for these people, especially the ones that double park. - Along with great teachers, I've also had some bad ones and some bad ones that had no business in the teaching profession whatsoever. - The Student Services Center is a JOKE! You better hope that you will never need the assistance of these people because if you do, expect a lot of rude and angry people working there pretending like they have something better to do than their job! The answers to my questions might be obvious to them, but they weren't to me which was pretty much why I needed their help to begin with! - Budget cuts. As a result of budget cuts, a lot of classes either had to be cancelled or not be available until the next semester. They have these cuts yet they upgraded one of the big auditorium classrooms with new seats, a projector, and a top of the line JBL sound system (which I've NEVER SEEN USED ONCE when I had a class there). Seriously? This was how they chose to spend the money? No wonder why they've had so many threats of losing accreditation. - Speaking of accreditation problems, this school was under constant pressure, since 2009, to make improvements or else they lose their accreditation. Bottom Line: Had some really great times at this school, I have met many wonderful people, and have had lots of wonderful memories at this school, but despite all that, I am RELIEVED that I left that school and am glad that I don't have to "Goo Gone" my window because the parking permit left gunk on my window. read more

I feel bad about giving a negative review on a school. I wanted to go to school here when I was very young. I told my best friend from many years ago, right after we graduated HS, that I would go to Cuesta one day. Well, I was right, I am enrolled in Cuesta. I am unhappy with even just the one class I am taking. Talk about a negative professor. I cannot believe the email she sent me. So unfeeling and hateful. I am enrolled again for fall but I will for sure be wary. If you have a medical emergency, I have heard the professors do not care. I have experienced this first hand. The Financial Aid department - forget it!!! A fucking joke!!! Gave me barely any of my money for summer school and then mismanaged what they didn't give me. I may just drop my fall classes and attend elsewhere. read more

This is the worst school I've ever attended! Only had 2-3 great teachers, but everything else is below acceptable! Horrible staff, expensive, doesn't keep track of billing/payments, charged me twice in 20mins for a parking without a permit (and never cancelled one), and most teachers are not caring if you have to miss class due to family emergencies! You better hope you don't need help picking classes or guidance from the counselors in regards to your degree. I told them I had classes being transferred from another school and they still insisted I take specific classes. After attending those classes they then said I didn't need them and the classes from the other school completed my requirements to get my AA... Awesome, way to scam me for more $! Speaking of which, they also said I owed $$ (for I don't know what because They didn't specify) but they sent me the bill 2years later. Only two letters in, and they said they would send me to collections for not paying. When I went to pay, they said they don't accept credit cards and only cash, check, or pay online. IF you pay online, that's an extra fee, If you need cash, there's an ATM on campus- that charges you a fee. Ok, so it's 2015 and you don't have a square or any way to take a credit card?! After all of this, I said I still haven't received my diploma for my AA degree. Cashier said they don't send it right after you earn it, you have to request it... And to get a physical copy "that takes a really long time". I can't believe this school is still functioning with incompetent personnel and accreditation issues. read more

I recently posted about Cuesta College for Kids and my concerns about the kids getting around the campus during the 40 minute lunch break without adults around to watch out for them. I expressed my concerns to the director of the program and he has addressed the issue. There are more helpers around the campus, especially during the lunch break that are available for the kids should they need them. I do recommend walking around the campus a couple of times for them to get to know it. This is a wonderful program for kids. My son is really enjoying the the classes and his instructors. read more

Great location for a junior college has been wasted. They have almost lost their accreditation several times. Time to grow up Cuesta and become something the Central Coast can be proud of. Rent a cop parking staff are bottom feeders that prey on subsidizing their bare bones budget with bogus tickets. Shameful. Hard to believe a world class University is located right around the corner. Your grade for this year is a D+. read more

Cuesta is one of the best jc's in the state. I enjoy going here (planning on transferring to SFSU) for the most part there are some really cool teachers. The counselors are also pretty helpful (although if you plan on transferring out of state - kinda on your own) The campus is easy to navigate, clean - the bathrooms aren't bad, lots of grassy areas to sit as well as benches. As for the students who attend...My biggest pet peeve with them is that they DON'T KNOW HOW TO PARK!!!! the parking spaces are so close together and made for compact cars, yet these jerk-offs park CROOKED!!! and its always some douche bag with a huge truck that does it too. fuckers. I hope you all get tickets, you know who you are!! AND STOP DOING IT!!! Then you have the crowd that is there simply to keep their parents happy. Don't do anything in class, always want to copy off your work blah blah blah. Then you just have weirdos. But, what school doesn't?? Anyway, also like the first reviewer noted the campus is safe, a majority of my classes have been at night and I have never felt unsafe - they have plenty of campus police, and if you call them they are more than willing to escort you. read more

Too bad there isnt a rating system for colleges on yelp because 3 stars seems too low. but overall it was A-OK. yes it is very "vanilla" but its san luis obispo, wat do u expect? it is a pretty small school but its very nice, lots of places to wait in between classes, very safe, and modern facilities. the teachers seem to be hit and miss but go to rate my professor dot com for that. the fellow students...im not a fan of most of them. SLO is in some kind of time warp where people still put skateboarding brand stickers on their cars and listen to alot of rap music. im not sure how these rich kids can relate to the music tho. theres alot of douches ALOT! but its slo, so again what do u expect? and the parking abilities? these people suck at parking, as far as paralell goes, they all seem to leave enough space so that u can almost fit but not quite. parking wasters!!! btw Ive attended 3 JC's (in 2 years) so i have some experience. One in Norcal one in Cencal and one in Socal. read more

It has now been over a year since I sent in my first application for graduation and seven months since I discovered that there was a problem with my application. I still have not received an answer from the Records Department about the status of my new application (I have completed the courses at a four-year) and whether or not Cuesta will accept them. Seven months for a yes or a no. read more

This is a great college, every bit as good academically as Cal Poly. In addition to the transfer programs, there are many vocational programs. There really is something for everyone. Ignore the negative reviews. They are from students who were not successful at high school and expect to be coddled the same way the high school teachers had to. Time to be grown ups. You will have to study and be responsible. read more

Wow how this place has grown. being a graduate from the 70's to see it now is amazing. I just attended a play in the performing arts center and it is a fabulous facility. with all the modern equipment to make the theatre come alive. If you have the chance to see any of the events in the Performing Arts Center (PAC) is is a real treat. read more

Compared to my old JC this place is pretty weak. ok ok, its not terrible but its so small and there aren't too many classes per subject. Like my other jc there is terrible parking. some of the teachers are pretty cool but some of the others seem kinda crazy. It's a pretty "vanilla" place. not much diversity. read more

When I compare City College of San Francisco to my old jc Cuesta College, I realize that Cuesta doesn't have shit on my new school. Cuesta was fine and all for the first two years I attended right out of high school but in the long run there is no way in hell I could be there for longer than that. If you are looking for some diversity here you better move on and look elsewhere because this place is full of snobby people living off daddy's money who are too good to talk to you. The plus side is the campus is very clean and very safe even when taking night classes. I came across some good teachers there for sure, notably Mrs.Moore for nutrition, along with some really bad ones too but my overall experience with the academics was good. read more

Cuesta is such a great community college, I'd know because I went to two other ones before this. The music department at Cuesta is phenomenal. All the students are so kind and supportive of each other! Cassie Tarantino is such a fabulous, inspiring choir director, I loved taking Concert Choir with her this semester. I'm also incredibly excited to take Chamber Choir with John next Fall. My counselor at Cuesta was so very helpful in planning out my college pathway and how to get there. Lisa Wearda is the first college counselor I've ever seen and she really did a great job. She took over an hour to sit down and talk to me about everywhere I wanted to apply to and how to go about fitting in all these classes while working two jobs. Susan Chilton is a spunky and fabulous ASL teacher. I'm so glad I took her class this semester. Dr. K is probably one of the most incredible History Professors in the community college system. I've never had such a vivacious lecture class before. He really keeps you engaged and taught things about American history that I probably wouldn't even have known, had I never stepped foot into his class. He really does give the same kind of lecture that you'd expect in the UC system, if not better, because he makes the material exciting! What a gem! Jeremy Dickinson did a great job of making Intro to Philosophy bearable and easy to understand, because Philosophy can be very challenging at times if you do not have the right professor. Lisa Mifsud is such a wonderful, bubbly,, anthropology professor. I really enjoyed being in her class today, with her squirrel obsession and corny jokes. The Campus is very gorgeous, despite having to let all the grass die during the drought. All in all I have to say my past year at Cuesta has been A++. I'm getting good grades, I loved all my professors, and most of my classmates are so kind and friendly! It's a very easy place to make friends. Also, if you really want to do well here, try to go to office hours with every Professor at least once or twice a semester. It really helps to have a sit down and talk about where you're at in the class. read more

I called into the office to ask some simple questions not covered on the webstie. I did get one person who kept telling me to the website. The person told me the office was overwhelmed and under staffed. I like the college outlook and location. read more

The 29th Central Coast Writers' Conference, September 20-21, 2013 (always the 3rd weekend in September ) is for aspiring writers want to take the steps to become authors to authors want to perfect their skills to teens becoming proficient in their writing to teachers learning teachable moments to share with their writing students. More than 16 published authors, editors, agents and publishers present more than 34 workshops, plus critique service on 10 pages of your manuscript and writing competition. Intimate classes, writer-friendly presenters who know of what they speak!! Come to the Central Coast for a great weekend and hang out with writers...you might even find your agent! read more