Public · Community college
College of the Canyons
Santa Clarita, California · Large suburb
- 11%
- Transfer rate
- $3,702
- Avg net price
- 45%
- Grad / completion
- $49,022
- Median earnings
College of the Canyons is a public associate-granting institution in Santa Clarita, California (large suburb setting), enrolling 15,832 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). Admission is open to all applicants.
About Santa Clarita, California
Santa Clarita is a suburban city in northwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States. The oldest archaeological site in the area dates back to roughly 3000 BC. About AD 450, the Tataviam arrived, displacing the Chumash people who previously inhabited the area. Santa Clarita, along with other foothill regions in Greater Los Angeles is known for its movie ranches. The valley contains multiple movie ranches including Melody Ranch, Sable Ranch, Rancho Deluxe, Golden Oak Ranch, Blue Cloud Movie Ranch, and Veluzat Movie Ranch. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Large suburb
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 31 miles to Los Angeles, CA
- To the ocean
- 25 miles
- Nearest airport
- 18 miles to Hollywood Burbank/Bob Hope (BUR) · major hub
How College of the Canyons compares
Higher than 31% · #275 of 382 in California
Higher than 44%
Higher than 89% · #49 of 326 in California
Cheaper than 95% · #24 cheapest of 377 in California
Lower than 51%
Lower than 12%
Larger than 98%
Percentiles compare College of the Canyons 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
- Women9,02157%
- Men6,81143%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White26%
- Black5.8%
- Hispanic52%
- Asian8.7%
- Other or multiracial7.8%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 15,832
- Student–faculty ratio
- 25 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 18%
- First-generation students
- 51%
- Students over 25
- 41%
- Median family income
- $21,409
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $122,040
- Endowment
- $4,170,364
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 2,461 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From California94%
- Other U.S. states2.1%
- International4.0%
Most first-years stay in state — College of the Canyons 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
- $1,166
- Out-of-state tuition
- $10,958
- Room & board
- —
- Books & supplies
- $1,062
- Total cost of attendance
- $11,360
- Average net price
- $3,702
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
- 45%
- First-year retention
- 70%
- Transferred to another college
- 11%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $37,697
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $49,022
- Median debt at graduation
- $9,612
- Students with federal loans
- 1%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 29%
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
- 347 (241 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 (11)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- A
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.1 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 3
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 5
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (18,075 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: 4% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $950. 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 1,331 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)
- $49,022
- Typical debt at graduation
- $9,612
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 20%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 48%
Typical debt would take roughly 2.0 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 $8,046 (18%) 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
- 96°F
- Winter low
- 44°F
- Annual rain
- 16.8″
- Annual snow
- 0.1″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Newhall 5NW, CA US station (1.6 mi from campus).
What College of the Canyons 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 College of the Canyons
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare College of the Canyons side by side →
Saddleback College
Mission Viejo, California · Large suburb · 34 mi to Riverside
- Students
- 17,684
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 9%
- Earnings
- $51k
San Diego Miramar College
San Diego, California · Large city · 14 mi to San Diego
- Students
- 11,271
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 12%
- Earnings
- $48k
Pasadena City College
Pasadena, California · Midsize city · 10 mi to Los Angeles
- Students
- 21,466
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 9%
- Earnings
- $44k
Cypress College
Cypress, California · Small city · 20 mi to Los Angeles
- Students
- 13,354
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 10%
- Earnings
- $44k
Santa Ana College
Santa Ana, California · Large city · 29 mi to Los Angeles
- Students
- 22,485
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 7%
- Earnings
- $44k
Norco College
Norco, California · Large suburb · 12 mi to Riverside
- Students
- 8,779
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 9%
- Earnings
- $51k
Colleges near College of the Canyons
California Institute of the Arts
Valencia, CA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 860 students
The Master's University and Seminary
Santa Clarita, CA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,622 students
Los Angeles Mission College
Sylmar, CA · Public · Associate · 7,999 students
Academy of Esthetics and Cosmetology
San Fernando, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 30 students
California State University-Northridge
Northridge, CA · Public · Bachelor's · 32,691 students
Academy for Salon Professionals
Northridge, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 134 students
Jama's Beauty & Barber College
West Hills, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 57 students
Annenberg School of Nursing
Reseda, CA · Private nonprofit · Certificate · 7 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.