Public Bachelor's Strong 83/100

Foothill College

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

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Los Altos Hills, California

About Foothill College

Thinking about Foothill 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.

Foothill College is a public institution offering bachelor's degrees based in Los Altos Hills, California. It enrolls 11,137 students (a 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
4.4%
Net Price
$7,653
Median Earnings (10yr)
$57,072
Enrollment
11,137
Student : Faculty
22:1

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

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.

Strong
83/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes 81
Value 88
Affordability 41
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Foothill 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 Schools that do not publish one are usually open-admission, but confirm with the admissions office before you assume it.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 $7,653 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.

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
$7,653
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
9%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
2%
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)
$1,565
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$12,590
Room & Board (off-campus)
$20,793
Books & Supplies
$1,794
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$6,501
Total Cost of Attendance
$16,361

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
    $6,571
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $6,390
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $9,389
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $11,193
  • Over $110,000
    $14,237

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
$12,000
75% percentile
$20,000
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 $7,000 ↓ $3,500
No Pell $5,500 ↓ $5,000
Dependent students $4,901 ↓ $5,599
Independent students $8,802 ↓ $1,698
Female students $7,000 ↓ $3,500
Male students $6,334 ↓ $4,166
Pell recipients: 17.7% (1,859 students)No Pell: 13.9% (1,461 students)Dependent students: 12.4% (1,302 students)Independent students: 22.3% (2,338 students)Female students: 17.7% (1,859 students)Male students: 16.0% (1,682 students)Overall Median$10,500
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $6,500, less than completers ($10,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

4% of students who start here finish within six years. 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
4%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
—
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 $57,072 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$57,072
Earning > $25K
75%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$48,000$50,000$53,000$56,000$58,0006 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
$52,500

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

Male graduates
$65,700

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

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $13,200, about 20% 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.

Declining: debt management worsening over time ↓ 4.3 pts across 6 years
86%1yr91.3%3yr81.7%5yr
What this signals: Strong. 82% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 11,137 students, a large student community. Worth knowing: 50% are the first in their family to go to college, and 65% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.

Total Enrolled
11,137
Part-Time
65%
First-Generation
50%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
Hispanic 34.3% 3,816
White 25.5% 2,835
Asian 25.1% 2,795
Other 6.5% 726
International 4.0% 441
Black 3.2% 360
Hispanic: 34.3% (3,816 students)White: 25.5% (2,835 students)Asian: 25.1% (2,795 students)Other: 6.5% (726 students)International: 4.0% (441 students)Black: 3.2% (360 students)Total11,137

Student Life & Campus Culture

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

Setting
Large Suburb Los Altos Hills, California
Housing
Commuter campus No on-campus housing
Adult Learners
41% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Quarter scheduling structure
Designation
Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)

What You Can Study

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

Foothill College offers an extensive catalog of programs: 61 distinct programs across 26 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
8 Programs
3 Programs
2 Programs
2 Programs
8 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 22 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.

Student : Faculty
22:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$5,127
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$12M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$106,685
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

167 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 167 100% $106,685

Pros & Cons of Foothill College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Foothill 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
  • Very affordable net price after aid
  • Solid post-graduation earnings
  • Low typical debt at graduation
  • First-gen-friendly student body
  • Flexible part-time enrollment options
CONS
  • Larger class sizes than typical
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • Most students don't qualify for need-based federal aid
  • No graduate programs offered at this institution
  • Mostly part-time student body, less full-time campus feel
Best for: Based on the data, Foothill College is a fit for families focused on keeping net cost low; working adults or students needing part-time study options.

Frequently Asked Questions about Foothill College

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

How much does Foothill College cost?
Budget around $7,653 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 Foothill College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: strong return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $57,072 a year against a net price of $7,653, about 7.5 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 Foothill College known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Business Administration, Psychology. 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 Foothill College graduates earn?
About $57,072 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 Foothill College accredited?
Yes. Foothill College is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.
How many students attend Foothill College?
11,137 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Foothill College?
4% 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 Foothill College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Foothill College located?
Foothill College is located in Los Altos Hills, California.
What programs does Foothill College offer?
61 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Business Administration, Psychology. 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 Foothill College?
22 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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