Public Associate Good 63/100

Fresno City College

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

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Fresno, California

About Fresno City College

Thinking about Fresno City College, a college in California where more students graduate in Health 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.

Fresno City College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Fresno, California. It enrolls 21,251 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
6.7%
Net Price
$8,069
Median Earnings (10yr)
$37,361
Enrollment
21,251
Student : Faculty
26:1

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
63/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes 23
Value 72
Affordability 55
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Fresno City 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 Schools that do not publish one are usually open-admission, but confirm with the admissions office before you assume it.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 $8,069 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
$8,069
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
31%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
0%
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)
$1,334
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$10,154
Room & Board (off-campus)
$17,982
Books & Supplies
$1,980
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$7,506
Total Cost of Attendance
$17,198

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
    $7,450
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $8,107
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $10,285
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $13,774
  • Over $110,000
    $13,965

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.

$1,121
10% percentile
$1,750
25% percentile
$4,058
Median percentile
$4,000
75% percentile
$6,750
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 $3,500 ↓ $558
No Pell $2,625 ↓ $1,433
Dependent students $2,819 ↓ $1,239
Independent students $3,500 ↓ $558
Female students $3,500 ↓ $558
Male students $3,200 ↓ $858
Pell recipients: 18.3% (742 students)No Pell: 13.7% (556 students)Dependent students: 14.7% (598 students)Independent students: 18.3% (742 students)Female students: 18.3% (742 students)Male students: 16.7% (678 students)Overall Median$4,058
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $3,307, close to what completers borrow ($4,058) but without the degree to show for it.

Graduation Rate & Retention

7% 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
7%
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 $37,361 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)
$37,361
Earning > $25K
61%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$29,000$31,000$34,000$36,000$38,0006 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
$30,200

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

Male graduates
$37,100

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


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$31,600

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$37,100

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$41,100

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $6,900, about 19% 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 ↑ 14.3 pts across 6 years
57.8%1yr62.7%3yr60.3%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: 21,251 students, a sprawling student community. Worth knowing: 52% are the first in their family to go to college, and 69% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.

Total Enrolled
21,251
Part-Time
69%
First-Generation
52%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
Hispanic 67.0% 14,242
White 14.3% 3,030
Asian 10.5% 2,238
Black 4.3% 912
Other 3.1% 665
International 0.1% 30
Hispanic: 67.0% (14,242 students)White: 14.3% (3,030 students)Asian: 10.5% (2,238 students)Black: 4.3% (912 students)Other: 3.1% (665 students)International: 0.1% (30 students)Total21,251

Student Life & Campus Culture

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

Setting
Large City Fresno, California
Housing
Commuter campus No on-campus housing
Adult Learners
36% 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 Business graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Fresno City College offers an extensive catalog of programs: 90 distinct programs across 31 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.

9 Programs
7 Programs
1 Program
2 Programs
7 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 26 students for every instructor here: high, so expect big lectures and to work harder for one-to-one time.

Student : Faculty
26:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$3,776
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$7.9M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$103,224
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

416 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 416 100% $103,224

Pros & Cons of Fresno City College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Fresno City 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
  • 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
  • Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
  • No graduate programs offered at this institution
  • Mostly part-time student body, less full-time campus feel
Best for: Based on the data, Fresno City 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 Fresno City College

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

How much does Fresno City College cost?
Budget around $8,069 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 Fresno City College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $37,361 a year against a net price of $8,069, about 4.6 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 Fresno City College known for?
Mostly Health Sciences, Nursing, Business Administration. 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 Fresno City College graduates earn?
About $37,361 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 Fresno City College accredited?
Yes. Fresno City College is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.
How many students attend Fresno City College?
21,251 students. Large, so expect big lectures and more independence in finding your own footing. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Fresno City College?
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 Fresno City College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Fresno City College located?
Fresno City College is located in Fresno, California.
What programs does Fresno City College offer?
90 different programs, most commonly Health Sciences, Nursing, Business Administration. 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 Fresno City College?
26 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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