Tuition
Residency/Tuition Estimates
There are three ways to define your residency:
- College District
If you live in the Del Mar College tax district, you are considered in-district without exception.
- Texas Resident
In determining residency, the College will use the same guidelines as the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. In order for the State of Texas resident’s tuition rate to apply, you must supply the documentation required. See the Proof of Texas Residency section of the Catalog for a list of acceptable documentation.
- Out-of-State
If you have not proven your Texas residency at the time of preregistration and/or registration, you will be considered an out-of-state student and billed accordingly.
Tuition by Type of Course
There are basically two different types of courses—credit and noncredit—at the College. Tuition differs for each type. There's actually a third—Texas Certificate of High School Equivalency (TXCHSE), formerly known as GED preparation, which is absolutely free!
1. College Credit Courses
There are two ways of looking at tuition for credit classes—the total cost or the per hour cost.
A. Total Cost
This first chart gives you an idea of the total cost of a semester at the College for Fiscal Year 2020–2021:
Del Mar College Semester Cost (2020–2021)
| Semester Hours |
District Residents |
Out of District |
Out of State/Foreign |
| 3 |
$400.00 |
$550.00 |
$661.00 |
| 6 |
$715.00 |
$1,015.00 |
$1,237.00 |
| 9 |
$1,030.00 |
$1,480.00 |
$1,813.00 |
| 12 |
$1,345.00 |
$1,945.00 |
$2,389.00 |
| 15 |
$1,660.00 |
$2,410.00 |
$2,965.00 |
B. Semester Hour
This second chart breaks down the tuition charge per semester hour:
Del Mar College Semester Cost (Per Semester Hour)
| Area of Residence |
Tuition Charges
Per Semester Hour |
Minimum Tuition
Per Semester |
| 2019–2020 |
2020–2021 |
| Texas, In-District |
$67.00 |
$69.00 |
$69.00 |
| Texas, Out-of-District |
$67.00 |
$69.00 |
$69.00 |
| Out-of-State |
$104.00 |
$106.00 |
$250.00 |
| Foreign |
$104.00 |
$106.00 |
$250.00 |
Note: Fiscal years 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 tuition correct as of date of printing but is subject to change by the Board of Regents.
The tuition estimates provide for 12 semester hours or four regular 3 credit-hour courses. Estimated tuition for additional courses or specialized classes that require special instruction, labs or uniforms may increase tuition costs.
2. Noncredit Courses
Tuition for typical noncredit courses ranges from $2 to $6 per hour of instruction.
Texas Certificate of High School Equivalency (TXCHSE)
If you don’t have a high school diploma and wish to earn a Texas Certificate of High School Equivalency (TXCHSE), formerly known as GED, test preparation classes are offered by the Office of Adult Education initiatives.
Tuition Policy
The Texas resident in-district and out-of-district per-semester credit hour tuition rate shall be the same as determined by the Board of Regents. The tuition for out-of-state residents and foreign students shall be at rates mandated by state statutes. Texas State legislative action may affect the tuition and fee structure of the College.
Tuition and fee charges must be paid at the time of registration, which is not complete until all payments have been made.