Pasadena City College
Pasadena, California · Website
$43,937
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$43,937
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Pasadena City College is a public 2-year college in Pasadena, California with 21,466 undergraduates. Its average net price after grants is $3,864 a year (tuition and fees $1,180 in-state, $9,820 out-of-state). 48% of students finish within 3 years. Former students earn a median $43,937 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $6,651 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$3,864
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$1,180
Out-of-state $9,820
Admission rate
Open
Completion rate
48%
Within 3 years, US 58%
Median debt
$6,651
About $71 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$43,937
Rank 2,131 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
- $3,864
- Tuition in-state
- $1,180
- Tuition out-of-state
- $9,820
- Cost of attendance
- $13,677
- Students with a need-based grant
- 31%
- Students with federal loans
- 0.9%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $3,051
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $2,631
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $6,003
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $9,136
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $11,261
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 $1,152 in 2015-16 to $1,180 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
- 21,466
- Part-time students
- 60%
- Women
- 54%
- Students per teacher
- 23
- Completion rate
- 48%
- Retention rate
- 76%
- Highest degree
- Associate's degree
- Programs
- 135
- 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 2,131 of 5,094 US colleges and 214 of 494 in California (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | CA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $3,864 | $20,161 | $7,702 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $1,180 | $8,086 | $4,656 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | - | 76% | 79% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 48% | 64% | 38% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 76% | 80% | 64% | 75% |
| Median debt | $6,651 | $11,537 | $10,417 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $32,759 | $36,048 | $33,563 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $43,937 | $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. 38% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 55% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
135 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 HumanitiesAssociate's | Associate's | 1,359 | Withheld | Withheld | $41,598 | $44,125 |
| Biological and Physical SciencesAssociate's | Associate's | 835 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's | Associate's | 754 | Withheld | $20,816 | $50,752 | $48,733 |
| Psychology, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 204 | Withheld | $24,894 | $42,700 | $39,288 |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 198 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $62,343 |
| EconomicsAssociate's | Associate's | 176 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 79 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| MathematicsAssociate's | Associate's | 71 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $59,929 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingCertificate | Certificate | 68 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $80,020 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's | Associate's | 68 | Withheld | $90,156 | $107,357 | $80,813 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessAssociate's | Associate's | 67 | Withheld | Withheld | $33,915 | $40,162 |
| Special Education and TeachingAssociate's | Associate's | 66 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Communication and Media StudiesAssociate's | Associate's | 65 | Withheld | Withheld | $45,235 | $43,243 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsAssociate's | Associate's | 61 | Withheld | $28,492 | $44,033 | $46,706 |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business OperationsCertificate | Certificate | 58 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Fine and Studio ArtsAssociate's | Associate's | 55 | Withheld | Withheld | $30,107 | $31,650 |
| SociologyAssociate's | Associate's | 53 | Withheld | Withheld | $39,348 | $44,144 |
| Legal Support ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 44 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $49,747 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsCertificate | Certificate | 42 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $33,673 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 39 | Withheld | Withheld | $41,808 | $34,184 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital CommunicationAssociate's | Associate's | 36 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $36,074 |
| Political Science and GovernmentAssociate's | Associate's | 35 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $45,147 |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 32 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $36,134 |
| Computer ProgrammingCertificate | Certificate | 30 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 30 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $31,135 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Pasadena and California on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in California
- Homes: Homes for sale in California
Questions and answers
How much does Pasadena City College cost?
$3,864 a year is the average net price at Pasadena City College after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $1,180 for in-state students and $9,820 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $13,677. Families earning under $30,000 pay $3,051 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Pasadena City College?
Pasadena City College has open admission: it accepts students who meet its basic requirements, such as a high school diploma.
How much do Pasadena City College graduates earn?
$43,937 a year is the median pay of former Pasadena City College students who work, 10 years after they started ($32,759 after 6 years). That ranks 2,131 of 5,094 US colleges and 214 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 $90,156.
How much student debt do Pasadena City College graduates have?
$6,651 is the median federal student loan debt of Pasadena City College graduates, about $71 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 0.9% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Pasadena City College?
48% of first-time, full-time students at Pasadena City College finish within 3 years. 76% 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 Pasadena City College?
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (1,359 associate's graduates), Biological and Physical Sciences (835 associate's graduates), Business Administration, Management and Operations (754 associate's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 135 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.