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Study ranks California’s best community colleges
By Will Conybeare,
2 days ago
Californians looking to get their associate degrees have some pretty good options to choose from, according to a new study .
Researchers at financial services company WalletHub analyzed 653 schools that are part of the American Association of Community Colleges and evaluated them on three key dimensions: cost and financing, education outcomes and career outcomes.
Once the dimensions were constructed using 18 total metrics that were graded on a 100-point scale, researchers determined each school’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score.
According to WalletHub, Maryland is home to the best community colleges in America, with five ranking within the top 45 nationwide. Rounding out the five states with the best community colleges are New Mexico, Connecticut, Wyoming and Oregon.
Data from the WalletHub study shows that California’s statewide community college system as a whole ranks as the 17 th -best in the U.S., behind New York and ahead of Tennessee.
Long Beach City College on Wednesday, March 16, 2022 in Long Beach, CA. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
The study looked at 77 specific two-year institutions across the state and found that, by WalletHub’s metrics, the best community college in California is right here in SoCal: Irvine Valley College, which scored 67.48 out of 100.
Following Irvine Valley College is College of San Mateo (66.9/100); Moreno Valley College (66.48); De Anza College (66.4) and Saddleback College (66.36).
For reference, the institution WalletHub found to be the “best” community college in America – Manhattan Area Technical College in Manhattan, Kansas – finished with a score of 70.63 out of 100.
A list of California’s top 77 community colleges can be viewed below:
Rank
Community college
Location
Score (out of 100)
1.
Irvine Valley College
Irvine
67.48
2.
College of San Mateo
San Mateo
66.90
3.
Moreno Valley College
Moreno Valley
66.48
4.
De Anza College
Cupertino
66.40
5.
Saddleback College
Mission Viejo
66.36
6.
Santa Rosa Junior College
Santa Rosa
66.23
7.
Norco College
Norco
65.35
8.
Evergreen Valley College
San Jose
64.97
9.
West Hills College-Lemoore
Lemoore
64.19
10.
Orange Coast College
Costa Mesa
64.16
11.
Golden West College
Huntington Beach
64.12
12.
Pasadena City College
Pasadena
64.11
13.
L.A. Harbor College
Los Angeles (Wilmington)
63.97
14.
L.A. Pierce College
Los Angeles (Woodland Hills)
63.71
15.
San Jose City College
San Jose
63.46
16.
Riverside City College
Riverside
63.16
17.
Butte College
Oroville
62.70
18.
Ohlone College
Fremont
62.30
19.
Cerritos College
Norwalk
62.00
20.
Sierra College
Rocklin
61.93
21.
Reedley College
Reedley
61.84
22.
College of the Siskiyous
Weed
61.62
23.
Las Positas College
Livermore
61.28
24.
Palomar College
San Marcos
60.90
25.
Coastline Community College (3 campuses)
Garden Grove, Westminster, Newport Beach
60.37
26.
Moorpark College
Moorpark
60.29
27.
L.A. Mission College
Los Angeles (Sylmar)
60.20
28.
L.A. Southwest College
Los Angeles (West Athens)
59.98
29.
City College of San Francisco
San Francisco
59.91
30.
Chaffey College
Rancho Cucamonga
59.60
31.
Lassen Community College
Susanville
59.56
32.
College of Marin
Kentfield
59.54
33.
Mt. San Antonio College
Walnut
59.52
34.
Glendale Community College
Glendale
59.39
35.
College of the Sequoias
Visalia
59.38
36.
Diablo Valley College
Pleasant Hill
58.84
37.
College of the Desert
Palm Desert
58.55
38.
Citrus College
Glendora
58.42
39.
L.A. Trade Tech College
Los Angeles (Downtown)
58.17
40.
Contra Costa College
San Pablo
57.73
41.
Fullerton College
Fullerton
57.73
42.
West Hills College-Coalinga
Coalinga
57.71
43.
Ventura College
Ventura
57.65
44.
L.A. Valley College
Los Angeles (Valley Glen)
57.53
45.
Mt. San Jacinto Community College District
San Jacinto, Menifee
57.50
46.
Los Medanos College
Pittsburg
57.43
47.
San Diego Miramar College
San Diego
57.35
48.
San Joaquin Delta College
Stockton
57.34
49.
Grossmont College
El Cajon
57.31
50.
College of Alameda
Alameda
57.09
51.
Woodland Community College
Woodland
56.91
52.
Fresno City College
Fresno
56.87
53.
L.A. City College
Los Angeles (East Hollywood)
56.68
54.
Yuba College
Marysville
56.33
55.
Imperial Valley College
Imperial
55.93
56.
Barstow Community College
Barstow
55.70
57.
Berkeley City College
Berkeley
55.47
58.
Allan Hancock College
Santa Maria
54.99
59.
Laney College
Oakland
54.72
60.
East Los Angeles College
Monterey Park
54.43
61.
San Bernardino Valley College
San Bernardino
54.33
62.
Porterville College
Porterville
53.63
63.
Cuyamaca College
El Cajon
53.62
64.
San Diego City College
San Diego
53.54
65.
Sacramento City College
Sacramento
53.35
66.
Folsom Lake College
Folsom
52.44
67.
Columbia College-California
Sonora
52.41
68.
Cosumnes River College
Sacramento
52.37
69.
Long Beach City College
Long Beach
51.97
70.
American River College
Sacramento
51.78
71.
Taft College
Taft
50.86
72.
Cerro Coso Community College
Ridgecrest
50.80
73.
Oxnard College
Oxnard
50.61
74.
Compton College
Compton
49.91
75.
El Camino Community College District
Torrance
49.27
76.
Victor Valley College
Victorville
47.19
77.
Palo Verde College
Blythe
44.76
Source: WalletHub
The full WalletHub study, including the full list of 653 best community colleges in the country, click here .
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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