Golden West College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Huntington Beach, California. It enrolls 9,034 students (a large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
AccreditorWestern Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (2-Year). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Strong
76/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes56
Value91
Affordability52
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
As a two-year college, Golden West College generally admits all qualified applicants.
Acceptance Rate
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending Golden West College isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $4,824 per year. That's well below the typical net price for public colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$4,824
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
23%
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)
$1,380
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$11,628
Room & Board (off-campus)
$23,659
Books & Supplies
$1,465
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$6,192
Total Cost of Attendance
$14,618
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
$3,417
$30,001 – $48,000
$4,126
$48,001 – $75,000
$7,481
$75,001 – $110,000
$10,405
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.
$1,75010%percentile
$3,12125%percentile
$7,179Medianpercentile
$9,25075%percentile
$16,00090%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 $5,500
↓ $1,679
No Pell $4,000
↓ $3,179
Dependent students $4,500
↓ $2,679
Independent students $6,000
↓ $1,179
Female students $5,250
↓ $1,929
Male students $5,500
↓ $1,679
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,250, close to what completers borrow ($7,179) but without the degree to show for it.
Graduation Rate & Retention
20% of full-time students who enrolled at Golden West College graduate within six years, and 68% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
20%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
68%
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
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered Golden West College earn a median of $43,145 ten years after first enrolling. That's close to the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$43,145
Earning > $25K
65%
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
$37,700
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.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$38,400
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$43,700
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$51,900
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
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 ↑
26.7 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 86% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Golden West College is home to 9,034 students, a large student community. Some distinctive traits: 53% are first-generation college students, 68% study part-time.
Total Enrolled
9,034
Part-Time
68%
First-Generation
53%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
Hispanic 33.1%2,987
Asian 30.3%2,735
White 23.9%2,155
Other 5.4%490
International 2.8%251
Black 1.8%165
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Golden West College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Large SuburbHuntington Beach, California
Housing
Commuter campusNo on-campus housing
Adult Learners
26%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
Designation
Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)
What You Can Study
Golden West College offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
42 distinct programs across
23 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.
The student-to-faculty ratio at Golden West College is 26:1, high (larger classes are common).
Student : Faculty
26:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$2,481
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$13M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$124,581
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
126 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
126
100%
$124,581
Pros & Cons of Golden West College
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Golden West College tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Very affordable net price after aid
Open admissions
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
First-year retention is below typical
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Mostly part-time student body, less full-time campus feel
Best for:
Based on the data, Golden West College 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 Golden West College
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Golden West College.
Is Golden West College hard to get into?
Golden West College has open or near-open admissions. Most qualified applicants are accepted.
What is the acceptance rate at Golden West College?
Golden West College has an acceptance rate of 0%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
How much does Golden West College cost?
The average net price after aid at Golden West College is $4,824 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Golden West College worth it?
Strong return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $43,145 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $4,824 per year. That's roughly 8.9x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Golden West College known for?
Golden West College is best known for its programs in Liberal Arts, Liberal Arts, Biological and Physical Sciences. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do Golden West College graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering Golden West College are $43,145, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is Golden West College accredited?
Yes. Golden West College is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.
How many students attend Golden West College?
Golden West College enrolls 9,034 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at Golden West College?
Golden West College graduates 20% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Golden West College a public or private college?
Golden West College is a Public institution.
Where is Golden West College located?
Golden West College is located in Huntington Beach, California.
What programs does Golden West College offer?
Golden West College offers 42 distinct programs. The most popular include Liberal Arts, Liberal Arts, Biological and Physical Sciences.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Golden West College?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Golden West College is 26:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
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.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Build Your College List Pillar
The full process of narrowing from 3,839 US colleges to a shortlist of ~10. Cost, location, size, selectivity, and fit factors that actually predict whether you'll thrive.
What actually makes a college work for first-generation students, the support and aid signals that predict success, and how to find the schools that deliver them using federal data.
How to find the colleges that deliver the strongest return on a STEM degree by weighing earnings outcomes against net cost, rather than chasing the most selective name.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
American Colleges by the Numbers
One federal dataset, 3,839 colleges. The median school costs $16,371 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,259 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Higher education data
Net price
College enrollment
Acceptance rate
College ownership
Do Selective Schools Actually Graduate More Students?
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
Graduation rate
Acceptance rate
Selectivity
Completion
College outcomes
For-Profit Colleges Charge the Most and Pay the Least
For-profit colleges post the highest median net price of any sector and the lowest graduate earnings. They cost more than private nonprofits and pay less than publics.
For-profit colleges
Net price
Earnings
College ROI
College ownership
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
