Study ranks California’s best community colleges

Study ranks California’s best community colleges 

Californians looking to get their associate degrees have some pretty good options to choose from, according to a new study. 

Researchers at financial services company WalletHub analyzed 653 schools that are part of the American Association of Community Colleges and evaluated them on three key dimensions: cost and financing, education outcomes and career outcomes. 

Once the dimensions were constructed using 18 total metrics that were graded on a 100-point scale, researchers determined each school’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score. 

According to WalletHub, Maryland is home to the best community colleges in America, with five ranking within the top 45 nationwide. Rounding out the five states with the best community colleges are New Mexico, Connecticut, Wyoming and Oregon. 

Data from the WalletHub study shows that California’s statewide community college system as a whole ranks as the 17^th-best in the U.S., behind New York and ahead of Tennessee. 

The study looked at 77 specific two-year institutions across the state and found that, by WalletHub’s metrics, the best community college in California is right here in SoCal: Irvine Valley College, which scored 67.48 out of 100.   

Following Irvine Valley College is College of San Mateo (66.9/100); Moreno Valley College (66.48); De Anza College (66.4) and Saddleback College (66.36).   

For reference, the institution WalletHub found to be the “best” community college in America – Manhattan Area Technical College in Manhattan, Kansas – finished with a score of 70.63 out of 100. 

A list of California’s top 77 community colleges can be viewed below: 

Rank    Community college    Location    Score (out of 100)
1.    Irvine Valley College    Irvine    67.48
2.    College of San Mateo    San Mateo    66.90
3.    Moreno Valley College    Moreno Valley    66.48
4.    De Anza College    Cupertino    66.40
5.    Saddleback College    Mission Viejo    66.36
6.    Santa Rosa Junior College    Santa Rosa    66.23
7.    Norco College    Norco    65.35
8.    Evergreen Valley College    San Jose    64.97
9.    West Hills College-Lemoore    Lemoore    64.19
10.    Orange Coast College    Costa Mesa    64.16
11.    Golden West College    Huntington Beach    64.12
12.    Pasadena City College    Pasadena    64.11
13.    L.A. Harbor College    Los Angeles (Wilmington)    63.97
14.    L.A. Pierce College    Los Angeles (Woodland Hills)    63.71
15.    San Jose City College    San Jose    63.46
16.    Riverside City College    Riverside    63.16
17.    Butte College    Oroville    62.70
18.    Ohlone College    Fremont    62.30
19.    Cerritos College    Norwalk    62.00
20.    Sierra College    Rocklin    61.93
21.    Reedley College    Reedley    61.84
22.    College of the Siskiyous    Weed    61.62
23.    Las Positas College    Livermore    61.28
24.    Palomar College    San Marcos    60.90
25.    Coastline Community College
(3 campuses)    Garden Grove, Westminster, Newport Beach    60.37
26.    Moorpark College    Moorpark    60.29
27.    L.A. Mission College    Los Angeles (Sylmar)    60.20
28.    L.A. Southwest College    Los Angeles (West Athens)    59.98
29.    City College of San Francisco    San Francisco    59.91
30.    Chaffey College    Rancho Cucamonga    59.60
31.    Lassen Community College    Susanville    59.56
32.    College of Marin    Kentfield    59.54
33.    Mt. San Antonio College    Walnut    59.52
34.    Glendale Community College    Glendale    59.39
35.    College of the Sequoias    Visalia    59.38
36.    Diablo Valley College    Pleasant Hill    58.84
37.    College of the Desert    Palm Desert    58.55
38.    Citrus College    Glendora    58.42
39.    L.A. Trade Tech College    Los Angeles (Downtown)    58.17
40.    Contra Costa College    San Pablo    57.73
41.    Fullerton College    Fullerton    57.73
42.    West Hills College-Coalinga    Coalinga    57.71
43.    Ventura College    Ventura    57.65
44.    L.A. Valley College    Los Angeles (Valley Glen)    57.53
45.    Mt. San Jacinto Community College District    San Jacinto, Menifee    57.50
46.    Los Medanos College    Pittsburg    57.43
47.    San Diego Miramar College    San Diego    57.35
48.    San Joaquin Delta College    Stockton    57.34
49.    Grossmont College    El Cajon    57.31
50.    College of Alameda    Alameda    57.09
51.    Woodland Community College    Woodland    56.91
52.    Fresno City College    Fresno    56.87
53.    L.A. City College    Los Angeles (East Hollywood)    56.68
54.    Yuba College    Marysville    56.33
55.    Imperial Valley College    Imperial    55.93
56.    Barstow Community College    Barstow    55.70
57.    Berkeley City College    Berkeley    55.47
58.    Allan Hancock College    Santa Maria    54.99
59.    Laney College    Oakland    54.72
60.    East Los Angeles College    Monterey Park    54.43
61.    San Bernardino Valley College    San Bernardino    54.33
62.    Porterville College    Porterville    53.63
63.    Cuyamaca College    El Cajon    53.62
64.    San Diego City College    San Diego    53.54
65.    Sacramento City College    Sacramento    53.35
66.    Folsom Lake College    Folsom    52.44
67.    Columbia College-California    Sonora    52.41
68.    Cosumnes River College    Sacramento    52.37
69.    Long Beach City College    Long Beach    51.97
70.    American River College    Sacramento    51.78
71.    Taft College    Taft    50.86
72.    Cerro Coso Community College    Ridgecrest    50.80
73.    Oxnard College    Oxnard    50.61
74.    Compton College    Compton    49.91
75.    El Camino Community College District    Torrance    49.27
76.    Victor Valley College    Victorville    47.19
77.    Palo Verde College    Blythe    44.76

Source: WalletHub
The full WalletHub study, including the full list of 653 best community colleges in the country, click here.