Hartnell College
Salinas, California · Website
$44,316
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$44,316
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Hartnell College is a public 2-year college in Salinas, California with 9,453 undergraduates. Its average net price after grants is $2,039 a year (tuition and fees $1,404 in-state, $10,374 out-of-state). 40% of students finish within 3 years. Former students earn a median $44,316 a year 10 years after they started.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$2,039
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$1,404
Out-of-state $10,374
Admission rate
Open
Completion rate
40%
Within 3 years, US 58%
Median debt
-
Earnings at 10 years
$44,316
Rank 2,098 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
- $2,039
- Tuition in-state
- $1,404
- Tuition out-of-state
- $10,374
- Cost of attendance
- $11,892
- Students with a need-based grant
- 32%
- Students with federal loans
- 0.3%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $828
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $465
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $3,124
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $6,856
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $9,885
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 $1,420 in 2015-16 to $1,404 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
- 9,453
- Part-time students
- 60%
- Women
- 46%
- Students per teacher
- 22
- Completion rate
- 40%
- Retention rate
- 73%
- Highest degree
- Associate's degree
- Programs
- 71
- Endowment
- $13.4M
- 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 2,098 of 5,094 US colleges and 211 of 494 in California (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | CA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $2,039 | $20,161 | $7,702 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $1,404 | $8,086 | $4,656 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | - | 76% | 79% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 40% | 64% | 38% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 73% | 80% | 64% | 75% |
| Median debt | - | $11,537 | $10,417 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $36,065 | $36,048 | $33,563 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $44,316 | $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. 28% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 59% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
71 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 | 724 | Withheld | $19,671 | $47,083 | $44,906 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's | Associate's | 341 | Withheld | $22,681 | $45,625 | $44,125 |
| Psychology, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 93 | Withheld | Withheld | $36,100 | $39,288 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's | Associate's | 87 | Withheld | Withheld | $44,509 | $48,733 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsAssociate's | Associate's | 62 | Withheld | $34,648 | $52,744 | $46,706 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessAssociate's | Associate's | 45 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $40,162 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's | Associate's | 40 | Withheld | Withheld | $131,440 | $80,813 |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing AssistantsCertificate | Certificate | 40 | Withheld | $63,321 | Withheld | $56,073 |
| MathematicsAssociate's | Associate's | 30 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $59,929 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 30 | - | Withheld | Withheld | $51,180 |
| Computer ProgrammingAssociate's | Associate's | 28 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and LinguisticsAssociate's | Associate's | 26 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $40,755 |
| SociologyAssociate's | Associate's | 26 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $44,144 |
| EconomicsAssociate's | Associate's | 24 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $53,068 |
| Agricultural Production OperationsAssociate's | Associate's | 22 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Agricultural Business and ManagementAssociate's | Associate's | 20 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $47,825 |
| PhysicsAssociate's | Associate's | 20 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $63,321 |
| Engineering, GeneralCertificate | Certificate | 18 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing AssistantsAssociate's | Associate's | 18 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 17 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $36,134 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 16 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $34,184 |
| Computer ScienceAssociate's | Associate's | 15 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Biology, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 15 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $44,758 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsAssociate's | Associate's | 15 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $65,389 |
| Engineering, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 14 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $72,916 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Salinas and California on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in California
- Homes: Homes for sale in California
Questions and answers
How much does Hartnell College cost?
$2,039 a year is the average net price at Hartnell College after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $1,404 for in-state students and $10,374 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $11,892. Families earning under $30,000 pay $828 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Hartnell College?
Hartnell College has open admission: it accepts students who meet its basic requirements, such as a high school diploma.
How much do Hartnell College graduates earn?
$44,316 a year is the median pay of former Hartnell College students who work, 10 years after they started ($36,065 after 6 years). That ranks 2,098 of 5,094 US colleges and 211 of 494 in California. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants (Certificate) at $63,321.
What is the graduation rate at Hartnell College?
40% of first-time, full-time students at Hartnell College finish within 3 years. 73% 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 Hartnell College?
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (724 certificate graduates), Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (341 associate's graduates), Psychology, General (93 associate's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 71 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.