SDCCE serves approximately 40,000 students per year through its seven campuses: CE at Mesa College, CE at Miramar College, César E. Chávez, the Educational Cultural Complex (ECC), Mid-City, North City and West City; it also conducts programming at various other off-campus sites throughout San Diego.

[1] After World War II, adult high school classes were offered to returning veterans.

In 1970 a separate community college district was established under a local governing board.

[2][3] Today, SDCCE is the largest institution of its kind in the nation with a wide and varied curriculum.

In 2019, San Diego Continuing Education (SDCE) was awarded the title of Heather Van Sickle Entrepreneurial College of the Year, by the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE).