Public · Community college

Fullerton College

Fullerton, California · Large suburb

8%
Transfer rate: $6,134
Avg net price: 34%
Grad / completion: $43,366
Median earnings

Fullerton College is a public associate-granting institution in Fullerton, California (large suburb setting), enrolling 17,121 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). Admission is open to all applicants.

PublicLarge · 17,121 undergradsLarge suburbCCCAANear the coast

About Fullerton, California

Fullerton is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States. There was a large village in the area along the Santa Ana River that has since been identified as the Hutuknga. The village was one of the largest throughout all of Tovaangar, or the Tongva world. It was connected by marriage ties to other villages in the area, including Genga. Fullerton is home to a vibrant music scene. In the early 1990s, the Historic Ice House, built in 1902 and restored in 1989 featured several venues showcasing bands such as Room to Roam and Trip the Spring. (Wikipedia)

Setting: Large suburb
Highest degree offered: Associate
Nearest big city: 22 miles to Los Angeles, CA
To the ocean: 14 miles
Nearest airport: 14 miles to Long Beach (LGB) · major hub

How Fullerton College compares

#16 · Cheapest Community Colleges

Graduation rate34%

Higher than 18% · #340 of 382 in California

First-year retention72%

Higher than 48%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$43,366

Higher than 80% · #86 of 326 in California

Average net price$6,134

Cheaper than 86% · #50 cheapest of 377 in California

Median debt at graduation$4,500

Lower than 98%

Student–faculty ratio25 : 1

Lower than 12%

Undergraduate enrollment17,121

Larger than 99%

Percentiles compare Fullerton College 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

Women9,29554%
Men7,82646%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

White15%
Black3.0%
Hispanic61%
Asian13%
Other or multiracial8.7%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment: 17,121
Student–faculty ratio: 25 : 1
Pell Grant recipients: 27%
First-generation students: 53%
Students over 25: 27%
Median family income: $20,972
Avg faculty salary (academic year): $119,259

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 3,455 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

From California97%
Other U.S. states0.6%
International2.2%

Most first-years stay in state — Fullerton College draws overwhelmingly from California.

2% 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: $1,150
Out-of-state tuition: $12,379
Room & board: —
Books & supplies: $2,267
Total cost of attendance: $14,369
Average net price: $6,134

Outcomes

Graduated: 34%
First-year retention: 72%
Transferred to another college: 8%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry: $34,531
Median earnings, 10 years after entry: $43,366
Median debt at graduation: $4,500
Students with federal loans: 2%
Paying down their loans (1 year in): 30%

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing: No
Application fee: Free
Athletics: CCCAA
Varsity athletes: 429 (297 men · 132 women)

Varsity sports (13)

Football123

Soccer56

Baseball50

Track and Field (Outdoor)31

Basketball29

Volleyball28

Water Polo26

Softball24

Tennis20

Cross Country16

Golf11

Beach Volleyball8

Swimming7

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade: A
Reported offenses per 1,000 students: 0.2 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024): 6
Property offenses (2022–2024): 5

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

3.7reported offenses a year

2.0 violent a year1.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Robbery

1.0

Motor vehicle theft

1.0

Aggravated assault

0.7

Burglary

0.7

Fondling

0.3

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.

< $30k

$4,944

$30–48k

$5,200

$48–75k

$7,915

$75–110k

$10,392

$110k+

$11,574

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?

Fullerton College funds essentially no grants of its own — almost all aid here comes from federal (Pell), state, or outside sources rather than the school's own discount. Its sticker price is what it is.

Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid, 2022–23 full-time first-year undergraduates.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years): $43,366
Typical debt at graduation: $4,500
Debt vs. one year's pay: 10%
Out-earn a HS grad: 44%

Typical debt would take roughly 1.0 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

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.

Women

$40,314

Men

$46,644

Men out-earn women by $6,330 (16%) 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: 87°F
Winter low: 46°F
Annual rain: 11.9″

Average temperature

HighLow

Average precipitation (inches)

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Fullerton Muni AP, CA US station (3.5 mi from campus).

What Fullerton College graduates study — and earn

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesCert.

1,544 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

1,544———Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherAssoc.

1,184 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

1,184———Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssoc.

359 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

359———Psychology, GeneralAssoc.

166 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

166———SociologyAssoc.

135 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

135———Criminal Justice and CorrectionsAssoc.

109 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

109———Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming ServicesCert.

103 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

103———Special Education and TeachingAssoc.

99 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

99———Communication and Media StudiesAssoc.

69 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

69———Visual and Performing Arts, GeneralAssoc.

63 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

63———Radio, Television, and Digital CommunicationAssoc.

57 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

57———Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesAssoc.

54 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

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 Fullerton College

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Fullerton College side by side →

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Students: 18,132
Tuition: $1k
Transfer: 9%
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Transfer: 8%
Earnings: $42k

Sacramento City College

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Transfer: 11%
Earnings: $42k

Cosumnes River College

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Students: 14,023
Tuition: $1k
Transfer: 10%
Earnings: $42k

San Diego Mesa College

San Diego, California · Large city · 6 mi to San Diego

Students: 16,098
Tuition: $1k
Transfer: 16%
Earnings: $45k

El Camino Community College District

Torrance, California · Large suburb · 13 mi to Los Angeles

Students: 19,210
Tuition: $1k
Transfer: 11%
Earnings: $42k

Colleges near Fullerton College

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South Baylo University

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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.