El Camino Community College District is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Torrance, California. It enrolls 19,210 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.
AccreditorWestern Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
Academic CalendarSemester
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 (2-Year), 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.
Strong
74/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes56
Value83
Affordability53
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
As a two-year college, El Camino Community College District admits essentially everyone who qualifies, so plan around cost and completion instead of your odds of getting in.
Acceptance Rate
Open
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 $5,968 a year on average, it sits well below what public colleges charge nationally. At that level cost is rarely the reason to rule a college out. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$1,144
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$7,630
Room & Board (off-campus)
$19,431
Books & Supplies
$2,136
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$6,192
Total Cost of Attendance
$15,246
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
$4,319
$30,001 – $48,000
$5,149
$48,001 – $75,000
$8,298
$75,001 – $110,000
$11,546
Over $110,000
$12,869
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.
$1,25010%percentile
$2,21025%percentile
$6,50075%percentile
$13,50090%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 $4,750
—
No Pell $5,250
—
Dependent students $4,298
—
Independent students $5,000
—
Female students $4,875
—
Male students $4,750
—
What this means:
27% of students receive Pell grants. Most cost is borne by families above Pell thresholds. Verify your individual aid offer before deciding.
Graduation Rate & Retention
7% of students who start here finish within six years, and 72% 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
7%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
72%
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 $41,589 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)
$41,589
Earning > $25K
64%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
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
$33,600
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$42,700
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $9,100, about 21% 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 ↑
24.5 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Moderate. Only 52% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 19,210 students, a sprawling student community. Worth knowing: 57% are the first in their family to go to college, and 62% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.
Total Enrolled
19,210
Part-Time
62%
First-Generation
57%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
Hispanic 44.7%8,579
Black 11.7%2,253
White 11.5%2,205
Asian 10.5%2,009
Other 1.9%367
International 1.7%332
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at El Camino Community College District. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
El Camino Community College District offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
73 distinct programs across
30 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.
There are 27 students for every instructor here: high, so expect big lectures and to work harder for one-to-one time.
Student : Faculty
27:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$4,284
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Avg Faculty Salary
$114,956
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
347 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
347
100%
$114,956
Pros & Cons of El Camino Community College District
No college is right for everyone. Here is where El Camino Community College District is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
Modest first-year retention
Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
Mostly part-time student body, less full-time campus feel
Best for:
Based on the data, El Camino Community College District is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; families focused on keeping net cost low; working adults or students needing part-time study options.
Frequently Asked Questions about El Camino Community College District
The questions families ask most about El Camino Community College District, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is El Camino Community College District hard to get into?
Not especially. El Camino Community College District admits most qualified applicants, and reports no competitive acceptance rate. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at El Camino Community College District?
No acceptance rate is reported, which for a college like this normally means admission is open to anyone meeting the basic requirements. Confirm with the admissions office rather than assuming it.
How much does El Camino Community College District cost?
Budget around $5,968 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 El Camino Community College District worth it?
On the numbers, yes: strong return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $41,589 a year against a net price of $5,968, about 7.0 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 El Camino Community College District known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Business Administration, 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 El Camino Community College District graduates earn?
About $41,589 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 El Camino Community College District accredited?
Yes. El Camino Community College District is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.
How many students attend El Camino Community College District?
19,210 students. Large, so expect big lectures and more independence in finding your own footing. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at El Camino Community College District?
7% 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 El Camino Community College District a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is El Camino Community College District located?
El Camino Community College District is located in Torrance, California.
What programs does El Camino Community College District offer?
73 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Business Administration, 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 El Camino Community College District?
27 students per instructor. On the high side, so expect big classes and to seek out contact time yourself. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in California
Other colleges in California share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
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