Diablo Valley College
A good fit for families who need the lowest possible cost and students who want a large campus community. no major red flags in the data. a public school with 15,358 students.
About This School
Diablo Valley College is a public institution located in Pleasant Hill, California with approximately 15,358 undergraduate students enrolled. The average net price after financial aid is $8,312 per year. The graduation rate is 47%, and the typical graduate earns $47,800 within 10 years of enrollment.
Diablo Valley College (DVC) is a public community college with campuses in Pleasant Hill and San Ramon in Contra Costa County, California. DVC is one of three public community colleges in the Contra Costa Community College District. It opened in 1949. DVC has more than 22,000 students and 300 full-time and 370 part-time instructors.
This is a strong option for students in the East Bay looking to save money on their first two years before transferring to a four-year university, with a manageable median debt of just over $10,000 at graduation. The concern worth flagging is that median earnings of $47,800 a decade after enrollment are modest, so students should be intentional about their transfer or career path rather than assuming the credential alone will drive strong financial outcomes.
Popular Programs
Percentage of degrees awarded. Source: College Scorecard.
Notable Alumni
Source: Wikidata. Used for context only.
Admissions
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Cost & Financial Aid
Net Price by Family Income
Average annual cost after grants/scholarships, by household income. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Financial Aid
Full Cost
After Graduation
Earnings 6 Years After Enrollment, by Gender
Gap: 21% less for female graduates. National avg ~16%.
What Each Major Actually Earns
Median earnings four years after graduation, by major, next to the national median for that same major at every college. The school-wide average hides this: at most schools the spread between the best- and worst-paying majors is far wider than the gap between schools.
Diablo Valley College graduates earn most above the national rate in Criminal Justice and Corrections ($59,444 vs $46,706 nationally), and most below it in Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities ($39,995 vs $44,125).
| Major | Grads | Here | National | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 253 | $56,853 | $48,733 | +$8,120 |
| Psychology, General | 173 | $48,309 | $39,288 | +$9,021 |
| Economics | 94 | $60,076 | $53,068 | +$7,008 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 56 | $59,444 | $46,706 | +$12,738 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 51 | $39,912 | $43,243 | −$3,331 |
| Political Science and Government | 46 | $43,165 | $45,147 | −$1,982 |
| Sociology | 40 | $56,683 | $44,144 | +$12,539 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 7 | $39,995 | $44,125 | −$4,130 |
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data. Median earnings of graduates working and not enrolled four years after completing an associate's degreehere. Majors with too few graduates to report are omitted for privacy, so this is not the school's full program list.
Will This School Pay Off?
Strong return. Graduates earn well above their debt load.
Earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. These are means across all graduates, not specific to any major.
Student Body
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (15,358 undergraduates).
Contact & Location
Official Links
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See How Colleges Compare
Diablo Valley College is one of thousands of colleges in our data studies, each built from the same U.S. Department of Education data shown on this page. Compare schools head to head:
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Diablo Valley College cost?
The average net price at Diablo Valley College is about $8,312 per year after grants and scholarships, based on federal data. Your actual cost depends on your family's finances and aid package.
What is the graduation rate at Diablo Valley College?
Diablo Valley College has a graduation rate of 47%, according to U.S. Department of Education data.
Sources & Methodology
Primary data source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Accessed via automated sync. Latest values may come from different reporting years depending on the metric.
School overview from Wikipedia. Used for context only, not as a primary data source for admissions, cost, or outcomes claims.
- Earnings figures are institution-level averages, not major-specific.
- Some metrics are based on Title IV financial aid recipients only.
- Some values may be privacy-suppressed or rolled up by the Department of Education.
- Contact the school directly for current admissions requirements and costs.
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