Golden West College
Huntington Beach, California · Website
$43,145
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$43,145
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Golden West College is a public 2-year college in Huntington Beach, California with 9,034 undergraduates. Its average net price after grants is $4,824 a year (tuition and fees $1,380 in-state, $11,628 out-of-state). 49% of students finish within 3 years. Former students earn a median $43,145 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $7,179 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$4,824
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$1,380
Out-of-state $11,628
Admission rate
Open
Completion rate
49%
Within 3 years, US 58%
Median debt
$7,179
About $76 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$43,145
Rank 2,215 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $4,824
- Tuition in-state
- $1,380
- Tuition out-of-state
- $11,628
- Cost of attendance
- $14,618
- Students with a need-based grant
- 23%
- Students with federal loans
- 1.6%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $3,417
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $4,126
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $7,481
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $10,405
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $1,176 in 2015-16 to $1,380 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- Open admission
- Undergraduates
- 9,034
- Part-time students
- 68%
- Women
- 53%
- Students per teacher
- 29
- Completion rate
- 49%
- Retention rate
- 70%
- Highest degree
- Associate's degree
- Programs
- 74
- Endowment
- $13.6M
- Other
- Hispanic-serving, Open admission
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 2,215 of 5,094 US colleges and 224 of 494 in California (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | CA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $4,824 | $20,161 | $7,702 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $1,380 | $8,086 | $4,656 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | - | 76% | 79% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 49% | 64% | 38% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 70% | 80% | 64% | 75% |
| Median debt | $7,179 | $11,537 | $10,417 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $34,462 | $36,048 | $33,563 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $43,145 | $41,472 | $38,555 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 2-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 50% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 56% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
74 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesCertificate | Certificate | 1,766 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's | Associate's | 1,733 | Withheld | Withheld | $35,791 | $44,125 |
| Biological and Physical SciencesAssociate's | Associate's | 472 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $50,181 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's | Associate's | 184 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,733 |
| Psychology, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 131 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $39,288 |
| EconomicsAssociate's | Associate's | 127 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 105 | Withheld | Withheld | $17,485 | $26,307 |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related SciencesCertificate | Certificate | 101 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsCertificate | Certificate | 89 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $57,702 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's | Associate's | 85 | $12,666 | $82,984 | $104,521 | $80,813 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsAssociate's | Associate's | 73 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $46,706 |
| Communication and Media StudiesAssociate's | Associate's | 58 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $43,243 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 48 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| MathematicsAssociate's | Associate's | 47 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Special Education and TeachingAssociate's | Associate's | 39 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Biology, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 37 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| ChemistryAssociate's | Associate's | 36 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Fine and Studio ArtsAssociate's | Associate's | 35 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| SociologyAssociate's | Associate's | 33 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $44,144 |
| Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 28 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $27,014 |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 22 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $51,586 |
| HistoryAssociate's | Associate's | 21 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $38,929 |
| PhysicsAssociate's | Associate's | 20 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 19 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $37,796 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessAssociate's | Associate's | 15 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Huntington Beach and California on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in California
- Homes: Homes for sale in California
Questions and answers
How much does Golden West College cost?
$4,824 a year is the average net price at Golden West College after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $1,380 for in-state students and $11,628 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $14,618. Families earning under $30,000 pay $3,417 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Golden West College?
Golden West College has open admission: it accepts students who meet its basic requirements, such as a high school diploma.
How much do Golden West College graduates earn?
$43,145 a year is the median pay of former Golden West College students who work, 10 years after they started ($34,462 after 6 years). That ranks 2,215 of 5,094 US colleges and 224 of 494 in California. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's) at $82,984.
How much student debt do Golden West College graduates have?
$7,179 is the median federal student loan debt of Golden West College graduates, about $76 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 1.6% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Golden West College?
49% of first-time, full-time students at Golden West College finish within 3 years. 70% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 2-year colleges is 38%.
What are the most popular majors at Golden West College?
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (1,766 certificate graduates), Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (1,733 associate's graduates), Biological and Physical Sciences (472 associate's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 74 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.