Most Affordable Colleges in California
25 schools ranked by lowest average net price after financial aid. Updated from the latest federal filings.
Includes two-year, technical and community colleges alongside four-year universities — the typeis shown under each name. Schools appear only where the underlying figures exist: a real undergraduate population and a published graduation rate. Satellite campuses that repeat a parent institution's numbers are collapsed into one entry.
| # | School | Net Price | Grad Rate | Earnings 10yr | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canada College Redwood City · community | $32 | 22.0% | $50,087 | — |
| 2 | College of the Sequoias Visalia · community | $480 | 33.7% | $39,092 | — |
| 3 | College of San Mateo San Mateo · community | $536 | 30.9% | $54,172 | — |
| 4 | Imperial Valley College Imperial · community | $1,115 | 40.2% | $34,487 | — |
| 5 | Skyline College San Bruno · public | $1,738 | 26.7% | $55,702 | — |
| 6 | Victor Valley College Victorville · community | $1,947 | 27.0% | $36,119 | — |
| 7 | Hartnell College Salinas · community | $2,039 | 16.2% | $44,316 | — |
| 8 | Irvine Valley College Irvine · community | $2,090 | 31.3% | $49,156 | — |
| 9 | Santiago Canyon College Orange · community | $2,129 | 26.5% | $44,956 | — |
| 10 | San Joaquin Delta College Stockton · community | $2,407 | 29.7% | $43,212 | — |
| 11 | Cerritos College Norwalk · community | $2,424 | 30.2% | $41,156 | — |
| 12 | Yuba College Marysville · community | $2,576 | 26.4% | $39,552 | — |
| 13 | Santa Monica College Santa Monica · public | $2,779 | 28.0% | $42,193 | — |
| 14 | Modesto Junior College Modesto · public | $2,818 | 27.8% | $42,368 | — |
| 15 | Taft College Taft · community | $2,823 | 10.8% | $38,861 | — |
| 16 | Shasta College Redding · public | $2,878 | 24.4% | $39,269 | — |
| 17 | Santa Ana College Santa Ana · public | $3,133 | 18.9% | $43,552 | — |
| 18 | San Diego Miramar College San Diego · community | $3,337 | 22.2% | $48,224 | — |
| 19 | West Valley College Saratoga · community | $3,423 | 24.2% | $51,688 | — |
| 20 | Hacienda La Puente Adult Education La Puente · public | $3,536 | 82.7% | $39,271 | 100.0% |
| 21 | College of the Canyons Santa Clarita · community | $3,702 | 29.9% | $49,022 | — |
| 22 | Antelope Valley Community College District Lancaster · public | $3,860 | 29.1% | $36,526 | — |
| 23 | Pasadena City College Pasadena · community | $3,864 | 32.7% | $43,937 | — |
| 24 | California State University-Los Angeles Los Angeles · public | $3,967 | 67.5% | $59,211 | 91.3% |
| 25 | Citrus College Glendora · community | $4,135 | 35.4% | $42,065 | — |
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Data from U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS, College Scorecard, Clery Act). Updated annually. Rankings reflect the data as reported — not editorial opinion.