Public Associate Good 57/100

Los Angeles City College

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

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Los Angeles, California

About Los Angeles City College

Thinking about Los Angeles City 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.

Los Angeles City College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Los Angeles, California. It enrolls 11,198 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
Open
Graduation
6.2%
Net Price
$10,261
Median Earnings (10yr)
$36,190
Enrollment
11,198
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 (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.

Good
57/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes 32
Value 49
Affordability 39
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

As a two-year college, Los Angeles City College 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 $10,261 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
$10,261
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
26%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
4%
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
$18,924

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
    $9,814
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $10,076
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $11,783
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $14,784

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.

$2,506
10% percentile
$4,070
25% percentile
$12,750
Median percentile
$17,500
75% percentile
$29,000
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 $10,000 ↓ $2,750
No Pell $8,725 ↓ $4,025
Dependent students $5,500 ↓ $7,250
Independent students $10,500 ↓ $2,250
Female students $9,500 ↓ $3,250
Male students $9,884 ↓ $2,866
Pell recipients: 18.5% (2,356 students)No Pell: 16.1% (2,056 students)Dependent students: 10.2% (1,296 students)Independent students: 19.4% (2,474 students)Female students: 17.6% (2,239 students)Male students: 18.3% (2,329 students)Overall Median$12,750
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $9,500, close to what completers borrow ($12,750) but without the degree to show for it.

Graduation Rate & Retention

6% 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
6%
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 $36,190 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)
$36,190
Earning > $25K
57%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$28,000$30,000$33,000$35,000$37,0006 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
$31,300

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

Male graduates
$35,500

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

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 ↑ 25.7 pts across 6 years
46.8%1yr57.5%3yr58.1%5yr72.5%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 73% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 11,198 students, a large student community. Worth knowing: 59% are the first in their family to go to college, and 74% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.

Total Enrolled
11,198
Part-Time
74%
First-Generation
59%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
Hispanic 50.6% 5,664
White 20.8% 2,330
Asian 9.5% 1,062
Black 9.4% 1,047
Other 3.6% 403
International 3.3% 366
Hispanic: 50.6% (5,664 students)White: 20.8% (2,330 students)Asian: 9.5% (1,062 students)Black: 9.4% (1,047 students)Other: 3.6% (403 students)International: 3.3% (366 students)Total11,198

Student Life & Campus Culture

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

Setting
Large City Los Angeles, California
Housing
Commuter campus No on-campus housing
Adult Learners
46% 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 Interdisciplinary Studies graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Los Angeles City College offers an extensive catalog of programs: 62 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.

2 Programs
7 Programs
10 Programs
8 Programs
3 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
$5,347
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Avg Faculty Salary
$117,706
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

157 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 157 100% $117,706

Pros & Cons of Los Angeles City College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Los Angeles 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
  • Below-average net price
  • Open admissions
  • 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
  • Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
  • Mostly part-time student body, less full-time campus feel
Best for: Based on the data, Los Angeles City College is a fit for students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; working adults or students needing part-time study options.

Frequently Asked Questions about Los Angeles City College

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

Is Los Angeles City College hard to get into?
Not especially. Los Angeles City College 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 Los Angeles City College?
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 Los Angeles City College cost?
Budget around $10,261 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 Los Angeles City College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $36,190 a year against a net price of $10,261, about 3.5 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 Los Angeles City College known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Liberal Arts, 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 Los Angeles City College graduates earn?
About $36,190 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 Los Angeles City College accredited?
Yes. Los Angeles City College is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.
How many students attend Los Angeles City College?
11,198 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Los Angeles City College?
6% 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 Los Angeles City College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Los Angeles City College located?
Los Angeles City College is located in Los Angeles, California.
What programs does Los Angeles City College offer?
62 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Liberal Arts, 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 Los Angeles City 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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