Community Colleges in California

California community colleges by the numbers

Community colleges

165

Share of state colleges

39.3%

Median published in-state tuition

$1,288

National public 2-year median

$4,288

Counts and shares come from CampusPin's committed institution-distribution snapshot; the tuition median is the published in-state figure from the tuition-by-state snapshot. Those cover every community college in the state. The list below shows the first 100 of 165 alphabetically, so per-college superlatives are withheld on this page rather than computed over part of the state. Published prices are before financial aid, net price is typically lower, and lower tuition is not a measure of quality.

What work without a bachelor's degree pays in California

69% of jobs in California are in occupations the federal government reports as typically entered with an associate degree, a certificate, some college, a high-school diploma, or no formal credential. 27% of that employment pays more than $58,240, the median wage across all occupations there.

Jobs not typically needing a bachelor's

69%

Of those, paying above the local median

27%

California median wage, all occupations

$58,240

Best-paid such occupation in California

Radiation therapists ($166,450) — typically entered with an associate's degree

These figures describe occupations, not graduates. They do not measure what community-college students in California earn, and they are not evidence that any credential caused the pay. Typical entry education is a national assignment describing what people entering an occupation usually hold, not a requirement and not a guarantee that a particular employer accepts it. A median describes everyone working in an occupation, experienced and new alike, so it is not a starting salary, and wages are not adjusted for cost of living.

How California compares with the other 50 jurisdictions