The main quad in Aptos features a bust honoring Martin Luther King Jr.

Cabrillo ranked first in transfers to UC Santa Cruz according to Chancellor George Blumenthal in his address to the Cabrillo College Governing Board in November 2007 and as of 2020 was one of the top community college feeders to UCSC.

[6] Cabrillo offers hundreds of courses leading to four-year degrees in many majors.

Cabrillo's career education is closely connected to the nearby Silicon Valley business environment as well as that of the greater San Francisco Bay Area.

A variety of not-for-credit classes are available on a fee basis through the Cabrillo College Extension program.