Rio Hondo College
A good fit for families looking for lower cost and students who want a large campus community. graduation rate is below 25% — most students don't finish here. 100% freshman retention — students rarely leave.
About This School
Rio Hondo College is a public institution located in Whittier, California with approximately 15,684 undergraduate students enrolled. The average net price after financial aid is $14,379 per year. The graduation rate is 25%, and the typical graduate earns $40,500 within 10 years of enrollment.
Río Hondo College is a public community college in Whittier, California. Founded in 1960, it is named after the Rio Hondo and mainly serves the cities of Whittier, Pico Rivera, Santa Fe Springs, El Monte, and South El Monte. Río Hondo College offers 30 associate degrees for transfer that guarantee transfer to California State Universities, 60 associate degrees and 127 certificates. Rio Hondo offers on-campus, online, and off-campus courses to all of its students. It is the first community college in California offering a bachelor's degree in Automotive Technology. Rio Hondo also offers a Pathway to Law School program to one of six top California law schools.
Worth considering if you're planning to transfer to a Cal State, since Rio Hondo offers 30 guaranteed transfer degree pathways and keeps student debt remarkably low at just $5,500. The 27% graduation rate is a real concern, though — it signals that many students struggle to finish, so you'll need to be proactive about using counseling and support services. Median earnings of $40,500 a decade out are modest, making the low-cost, transfer-focused path a smarter play here than expecting the degree alone to dramatically shift your income.
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: 20% less for female graduates. National avg ~16%.
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 (15,684 undergraduates).
Contact & Location
Official Links
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University of California-Los Angeles
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University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley, CA · Public
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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