Study ranks California’s best community colleges

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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.

Long Beach City College on Wednesday, March 16, 2022 in Long Beach, CA. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

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