Public · Community college
Rio Hondo College
Whittier, California · Fringe rural
- 4%
- Transfer rate
- $14,379
- Avg net price
- 25%
- Grad / completion
- $44,950
- Median earnings
Rio Hondo College is a public certificate-granting institution in Whittier, California (fringe rural setting), enrolling 15,684 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). Admission is open to all applicants.
About Whittier, California
Whittier is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Whittier's roots can be traced to Spanish soldier Manuel Nieto. In 1784, Nieto received a Spanish land grant of 300,000 acres (1,200 km2), Rancho Los Nietos, as a reward for his military service and to encourage settlement in California. On April 17, 1900, the Whittier Public Library Board of Trustees held its first meeting in Landrum Smith's drugstore. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Fringe rural
- Highest degree offered
- Bachelor's
- Nearest big city
- 12 miles to Los Angeles, CA
- To the ocean
- 19 miles
- Nearest airport
- 16 miles to Long Beach (LGB) · major hub
How Rio Hondo College compares
Higher than 7% · #373 of 382 in California
Higher than 95%
Higher than 83% · #73 of 326 in California
Cheaper than 53% · #140 cheapest of 377 in California
Lower than 96%
Lower than 4%
Larger than 98%
Percentiles compare Rio Hondo 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
- Women8,50454%
- Men7,18046%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White12%
- Black2.5%
- Hispanic69%
- Asian4.9%
- Other or multiracial12%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 15,684
- Student–faculty ratio
- 31 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 26%
- First-generation students
- 68%
- Students over 25
- 47%
- Median family income
- $19,376
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $116,298
- Endowment
- $3,694,920
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 3,647 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From California100%
Most first-years stay in state — Rio Hondo College draws overwhelmingly from California.
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
- $1,388
- Out-of-state tuition
- $9,884
- Room & board
- —
- Books & supplies
- $1,062
- Total cost of attendance
- $21,391
- Average net price
- $14,379
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
- 25%
- First-year retention
- 100%
- Transferred to another college
- 4%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $35,115
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $44,950
- Median debt at graduation
- $5,500
- Students with federal loans
- 1%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 29%
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- No
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- CCCAA
- Varsity athletes
- 207 (129 men · 78 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
- A
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.2 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 2
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 7
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 5 campuses (17,441 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?
Rio Hondo 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)
- $44,950
- Typical debt at graduation
- $5,500
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 12%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 44%
Typical debt would take roughly 1.2 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 $8,713 (21%) 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
- 88°F
- Winter low
- 45°F
- Annual rain
- 15.7″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, San Gabriel Fire Dept, CA US station (5.9 mi from campus).
What Rio Hondo College 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 Rio Hondo College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Rio Hondo College side by side →
Los Angeles Pierce College
Woodland Hills, California · Large city · 21 mi to Los Angeles
- Students
- 13,436
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 9%
- Earnings
- $45k
Los Angeles Valley College
Valley Glen, California · Large city · 13 mi to Los Angeles
- Students
- 12,601
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 9%
- Earnings
- $43k
Southwestern College
Chula Vista, California · Large city · 11 mi to San Diego
- Students
- 18,614
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 7%
- Earnings
- $40k
Cabrillo College
Aptos, California · Midsize suburb · 24 mi to San Jose
- Students
- 8,002
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 10%
- Earnings
- $44k
Santa Barbara City College
Santa Barbara, California · Small city · 1 mi to Santa Barbara
- Students
- 9,889
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 25%
- Earnings
- $48k
Coastline Community College
Fountain Valley, California · Small city · 29 mi to Los Angeles
- Students
- 7,393
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 14%
- Earnings
- $44k
Colleges near Rio Hondo College
Latin American Bible Institute
La Puente, CA · Private nonprofit · Associate · 111 students
Whittier College
Whittier, CA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 764 students
Diamond Beauty College
South El Monte, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 67 students
Regan Career Institute
El Monte, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 56 students
University of the West
Rosemead, CA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 32 students
Hacienda La Puente Adult Education
La Puente, CA · Public · Certificate · 491 students
Professional Institute of Beauty
El Monte, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 93 students
Premiere Career College
Irwindale, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 105 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.