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Best Community Colleges in Los Angeles: Transfer, Tuition & Programs for 2026

GradeToGrad Editorial Team

March 29, 2026

Compare 20+ LA community colleges with tuition from $1,142 to $1,556. 80,000 CA students transfer to UC/CSU each year — here's how to join them.

Why Community College in Los Angeles?

Los Angeles has one of the richest community college networks in the country — over 20 public CCs with tuition from $1,142 to $1,556/year. That's not a typo. California subsidizes community college tuition so heavily that full-time enrollment costs less than a monthly car payment.

And the transfer system actually works: roughly 80,000 California CC students transfer to a UC or CSU campus every year. Nearly 40,000 earn an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) that guarantees admission as a junior to a Cal State campus. LA community colleges regularly send students to UCLA, UC Irvine, CSU Long Beach, and other top schools.

The Major Systems

Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD)

LACCD is the largest community college district in the nation, serving over 100,000 students across 9 campuses. Tuition is $1,238/year (46/unit for CA residents).

Campuses:

Los Angeles City College (Hollywood) — 10,857 students, strong nursing program ($83,699 ADN earnings), arts and media
LA Trade-Technical College (Downtown) — 10,165 students, strongest in skilled trades, culinary, and construction technology
West Los Angeles College (Culver City) — 7,277 students, near major entertainment studios
LA Southwest College (South LA) — 3,793 students, serving an underserved community with strong transfer programs

All LACCD colleges participate in UCLA's Transfer Alliance Program (TAP), which gives priority admission consideration to UCLA for students who complete the program.

Standalone Community Colleges

Santa Monica College — $1,156/year, 21,194 students. SMC is legendary for UC transfers — it consistently sends more students to UCLA than any other community college in the country. Strong liberal arts, business, and entertainment technology programs.

Pasadena City College — $1,180/year, 20,624 students. Top nursing program (ADN graduates earn $83,823) and strong STEM transfer track. PCC sends significant numbers to Caltech, USC, and UCLA.

Long Beach City College — $1,556/year, 21,899 students. Two campuses (Liberal Arts and Pacific Coast) with strong transfer rates to CSU Long Beach and UC Irvine. The $1,556 tuition is the highest in the area but still remarkably affordable.

El Camino College (Torrance) — $1,144/year, 18,994 students. Lowest tuition in the area. Strong nursing program and STEM transfer pathway. Located in the South Bay with good access to aerospace industry partnerships.

Cerritos College (Norwalk) — $1,364/year, 18,710 students. Excellent nursing ($83,079 earnings), automotive technology, and dental hygiene programs. Southeast LA location serves a large commuter student base.

Fullerton College — $1,150/year, 16,637 students. One of the oldest CCs in California with strong transfer rates to CSU Fullerton and UC Irvine. Highest 6-year earnings among LA CCs at $34,531.

Orange Coast College (Costa Mesa) — $1,208/year, 16,117 students. Strong aviation, marine science, and visual arts programs. Highest earnings outcome at $35,739/yr six years after enrollment.

Rio Hondo College (Whittier) — $1,388/year, 15,365 students. Top nursing earnings ($88,475 for ADN) and strong fire technology and EMT programs.

Transfer Pathways

Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT)

California's ADT program is one of the best transfer systems in the country:

Complete 60 units with a 2.0+ GPA
Earn an Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T) or Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T)
Guaranteed admission to a CSU campus as a junior (though not guaranteed at your first-choice campus)
Priority admission consideration at many UC campuses

UCLA Transfer Alliance Program (TAP)

All LACCD colleges participate in TAP, which provides:

Priority admission consideration to UCLA (though not guaranteed)
Academic counseling aligned with UCLA admission requirements
TAP certification on your application

UC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)

Guaranteed admission to specific UC campuses (UC Irvine, UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, UC Riverside, UC Merced, UC Santa Cruz) for CC students who meet GPA and course requirements. Not available at UCLA or UC Berkeley.

Cost Comparison

Path	4-Year Cost	Annual Tuition
4 years at UCLA	$55,000+	$13,747/yr
4 years at CSU Long Beach	$28,000+	$7,008/yr
2yr CC + 2yr UCLA	$30,000	$1,200 then $13,747
2yr CC + 2yr CSU	$16,400	$1,200 then $7,000

The CC-to-CSU path saves roughly $12,000-16,000. The CC-to-UCLA path saves about $25,000.

Best Programs by Field

Nursing: Pasadena City College ($83,823 earnings), Rio Hondo ($88,475), LA City College ($83,699), Cerritos ($83,079)

STEM Transfer: Santa Monica College (top UCLA feeder), El Camino (aerospace connections), Fullerton College

Skilled Trades: LA Trade-Tech (construction, welding, culinary), Cerritos (automotive), Rio Hondo (fire technology)

Arts & Entertainment: Santa Monica College (entertainment tech, film), West LA College (near studios), LA City College (cinema, theater)

Business: Orange Coast College, Fullerton College, Santa Monica College — all with strong transfer tracks to business schools at CSU and UC

Financial Aid & Free Tuition

California Promise Program: Free tuition for first-time, full-time students at participating CCs. Since tuition is already $1,100-1,500/year, this effectively makes college free.

Board of Governors Fee Waiver: Waives enrollment fees based on income — available even for students who don't qualify for Promise.

Cal Grant B: For low-income students, provides a living allowance on top of free tuition.

Federal Pell Grant: Up to $7,395/year — since CC tuition is $1,100-1,500, Pell can cover tuition, books, transportation, and more.

Bottom line: Most low-to-moderate income LA students can attend community college completely free, and many receive money back from financial aid to cover living expenses.

How to Choose

Priority	Best Fit
Transfer to UCLA	Santa Monica College (most UCLA transfers)
Lowest tuition	El Camino College ($1,144/yr) or Compton College ($1,142/yr)
Nursing	Rio Hondo ($88K earnings) or Pasadena City College
Skilled trades	LA Trade-Tech
South Bay location	El Camino College
Orange County	Fullerton College or Orange Coast College
Inland Empire	Riverside City College or Chaffey College

Next Steps

Compare LA community colleges side by side on GradeToGrad — see tuition, transfer rates, and program offerings for every school.