Public · Community college
City College of San Francisco
San Francisco, California · Large city
- 8%
- Transfer rate
- $6,906
- Avg net price
- 40%
- Grad / completion
- $45,805
- Median earnings
City College of San Francisco is a public certificate-granting institution in San Francisco, California (large city setting), enrolling 17,348 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). Admission is open to all applicants.
About San Francisco, California
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the fourth-most populous city in California and the 17th-most populous in the United States. The earliest archeological evidence of human habitation in the area dates to 3000 BCE. The Ohlone name for San Francisco was Ahwaste, meaning "place at the bay". Although the Financial District, Union Square, and Fisherman's Wharf are well known around the world, San Francisco is also characterized by its numerous culturally rich streetscapes featuring mixed-use neighborhoods anchored around central commercial corridors to which residents and visitors alike can walk. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Large city
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 4 miles to San Francisco, CA
- To the ocean
- 3 miles
- Nearest airport
- 8 miles to San Francisco (SFO) · major hub
How City College of San Francisco compares
Higher than 26% · #299 of 382 in California
Higher than 43%
Higher than 85% · #65 of 326 in California
Cheaper than 83% · #65 cheapest of 377 in California
Lower than 72%
Lower than 16%
Larger than 99%
Percentiles compare City College of San Francisco with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in California.
Student body
Undergraduates by gender
- Women9,13053%
- Men8,21847%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White24%
- Black7.2%
- Hispanic27%
- Asian30%
- Other or multiracial13%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 17,348
- Student–faculty ratio
- 24 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 17%
- First-generation students
- 55%
- Students over 25
- 59%
- Median family income
- $13,954
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $113,355
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Where students come from
Home state of the 2,560 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From California95%
- International4.4%
Most first-years stay in state — City College of San Francisco draws overwhelmingly from California.
4% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $1,696
- Out-of-state tuition
- $14,656
- Room & board
- —
- Books & supplies
- $1,294
- Total cost of attendance
- $16,870
- Average net price
- $6,906
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated
- 40%
- First-year retention
- 70%
- Transferred to another college
- 8%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $34,896
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $45,805
- Median debt at graduation
- $8,218
- Students with federal loans
- 1%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 31%
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- No
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- CCCAA
- Varsity athletes
- 242 (136 men · 106 women)
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Varsity sports (9)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- B
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.7 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 10
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 32
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 6 campuses (19,267 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Modest institutional aid: 37% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $1,287. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 1,097 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $45,805
- Typical debt at graduation
- $8,218
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 18%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 48%
Typical debt would take roughly 1.8 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $4,168 (9%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 66°F
- Winter low
- 46°F
- Annual rain
- 20.6″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, San Francisco Oceanside, CA US station (3 mi from campus).
What City College of San Francisco graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to City College of San Francisco
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare City College of San Francisco side by side →
Orange Coast College
Costa Mesa, California · Midsize city · 33 mi to Los Angeles
- Students
- 16,091
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 12%
- Earnings
- $47k
Sierra College
Rocklin, California · Large suburb · 21 mi to Sacramento
- Students
- 14,122
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 11%
- Earnings
- $45k
Santa Rosa Junior College
Santa Rosa, California · Midsize city · 50 mi to San Francisco
- Students
- 15,080
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 10%
- Earnings
- $47k
San Diego Mesa College
San Diego, California · Large city · 6 mi to San Diego
- Students
- 16,098
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 16%
- Earnings
- $45k
Fullerton College
Fullerton, California · Large suburb · 22 mi to Los Angeles
- Students
- 17,121
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 8%
- Earnings
- $43k
Mt San Antonio College
Walnut, California · Large suburb · 23 mi to Los Angeles
- Students
- 26,140
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 7%
- Earnings
- $46k
Colleges near City College of San Francisco
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA · Public · Bachelor's · 18,639 students
Hilltop Beauty School
Daly City, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 77 students
University of California-San Francisco
San Francisco, CA · Public · Graduate
San Francisco School of Massage & Bodywork
San Francisco, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 139 students
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 5,287 students
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
San Francisco, CA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 226 students
California Institute of Integral Studies
San Francisco, CA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 38 students
California College of the Arts
San Francisco, CA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 990 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.












