Public Associate Good 68/100

East Los Angeles College

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Monterey Park, California

About East Los Angeles College

Thinking about East Los Angeles College, a college in California where more students graduate in Liberal Arts than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

East Los Angeles College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Monterey Park, California. It enrolls 27,753 students (a very large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
—
Graduation
9.5%
Net Price
$10,852
Median Earnings (10yr)
$42,006
Enrollment
27,753
Student : Faculty
30:1

Accreditor Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Open / Online), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Good
68/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes 52
Value 62
Affordability 42
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

East Los Angeles College does not report an acceptance rate. Schools that do not publish one are usually open-admission, but confirm with the admissions office before you assume it.

Acceptance Rate
—
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $10,852 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$10,852
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
24%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
1%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$1,238
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$10,572
Room & Board (off-campus)
$25,407
Books & Supplies
$1,062
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$6,930
Total Cost of Attendance
$19,193

Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $10,536
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $10,059
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $11,971
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $15,346
  • Over $110,000
    $16,430

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$2,000
10% percentile
$3,500
25% percentile
$10,500
Median percentile
$9,974
75% percentile
$19,382
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $7,250 ↓ $3,250
No Pell $5,500 ↓ $5,000
Dependent students $5,024 ↓ $5,476
Independent students $9,500 ↓ $1,000
Female students $7,480 ↓ $3,020
Male students $6,500 ↓ $4,000
Pell recipients: 17.6% (1,845 students)No Pell: 13.3% (1,400 students)Dependent students: 12.2% (1,279 students)Independent students: 23.0% (2,418 students)Female students: 18.1% (1,904 students)Male students: 15.8% (1,654 students)Overall Median$10,500
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $6,750, less than completers ($10,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

9% of students who start here finish within six years, and 66% come back after first year. Most students who start here do not finish. That is the single most important number on this page. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
9%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
66%
Returning for their second year
What this means: Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $42,006 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$42,006
Earning > $25K
66%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$32,000$35,000$38,000$40,000$43,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$33,800

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$40,500

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $6,700, about 17% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 29.4 pts across 6 years
42.6%1yr53.3%3yr65.9%5yr72.1%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 72% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 27,753 students, a sprawling student community. Worth knowing: 69% are the first in their family to go to college, and 80% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.

Total Enrolled
27,753
Part-Time
80%
First-Generation
69%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
Hispanic 63.1% 17,504
White 12.5% 3,455
Black 6.7% 1,846
Asian 6.1% 1,693
Other 1.4% 383
International 0.7% 194
Hispanic: 63.1% (17,504 students)White: 12.5% (3,455 students)Black: 6.7% (1,846 students)Asian: 6.1% (1,693 students)Other: 1.4% (383 students)International: 0.7% (194 students)Total27,753

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at East Los Angeles College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Large Suburb Monterey Park, California
Housing
Commuter campus No on-campus housing
Adult Learners
50% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure
Designation
Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Social Sciences graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

East Los Angeles College offers an extensive catalog of programs: 73 distinct programs across 28 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

2 Programs
10 Programs
9 Programs
6 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 30 students for every instructor here: high, so expect big lectures and to work harder for one-to-one time.

Student : Faculty
30:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$3,830
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Avg Faculty Salary
$112,835
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

313 instructional faculty across 1 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Instructors 313 100% $112,835

Pros & Cons of East Los Angeles College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where East Los Angeles College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Below-average net price
  • Wide variety of programs and student life
  • Low typical debt at graduation
  • First-gen-friendly student body
  • Flexible part-time enrollment options
CONS
  • Larger class sizes than typical
  • Large institutional setting can feel impersonal
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • First-year retention is below typical
  • Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Best for: Based on the data, East Los Angeles College is a fit for working adults or students needing part-time study options; students who want a large campus with breadth and variety.

Frequently Asked Questions about East Los Angeles College

The questions families ask most about East Los Angeles College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

How much does East Los Angeles College cost?
Budget around $10,852 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is East Los Angeles College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $42,006 a year against a net price of $10,852, about 3.9 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is East Los Angeles College known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Social Sciences, Biological and Physical Sciences. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do East Los Angeles College graduates earn?
About $42,006 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is East Los Angeles College accredited?
Yes. East Los Angeles College is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.
How many students attend East Los Angeles College?
27,753 students. Large, so expect big lectures and more independence in finding your own footing. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at East Los Angeles College?
9% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is East Los Angeles College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is East Los Angeles College located?
East Los Angeles College is located in Monterey Park, California.
What programs does East Los Angeles College offer?
73 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Social Sciences, Biological and Physical Sciences. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at East Los Angeles College?
30 students per instructor. On the high side, so expect big classes and to seek out contact time yourself. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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