Pasadena City 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 21,466 students.
About This School
Pasadena City College is a public institution located in Pasadena, California with approximately 21,466 undergraduate students enrolled. The average net price after financial aid is $3,864 per year. The graduation rate is 44%, and the typical graduate earns $39,300 within 10 years of enrollment.
Pasadena City College (PCC) is a public community college in Pasadena, California. It was founded in 1924 as Pasadena Junior College.
This is a strong option for students looking to keep costs low while building a path to a four-year transfer — median debt at graduation is just $6,651, which is impressively manageable. That said, median earnings of $39,300 a decade after enrollment are modest, so it's worth being intentional about your transfer or career target rather than assuming the credential alone will move the needle financially. Best suited for motivated students who have a clear next step in mind, whether that's transferring to a UC or Cal State or entering a specific career field.
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: 6% 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.
Pasadena City College graduates earn most above the national rate in Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($107,357 vs $80,813 nationally), and most below it in Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness ($33,915 vs $40,162).
| Major | Grads | Here | National | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 1,359 | $41,598 | $44,125 | −$2,527 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 754 | $50,752 | $48,733 | +$2,019 |
| Psychology, General | 204 | $42,700 | $39,288 | +$3,412 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 68 | $107,357 | $80,813 | +$26,544 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 67 | $33,915 | $40,162 | −$6,247 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 65 | $45,235 | $43,243 | +$1,992 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 61 | $44,033 | $46,706 | −$2,673 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 55 | $30,107 | $31,650 | −$1,543 |
| Sociology | 53 | $39,348 | $44,144 | −$4,796 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | 39 | $41,808 | $34,184 | +$7,624 |
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 (21,466 undergraduates).
Contact & Location
Official Links
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See How Colleges Compare
Pasadena City 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 Pasadena City College cost?
The average net price at Pasadena City College is about $3,864 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 Pasadena City College?
Pasadena City College has a graduation rate of 44%, 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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