Public · Community college

San Jose City College

San Jose, California · Large city

12%
Transfer rate: $16,959
Avg net price: 34%
Grad / completion: $46,215
Median earnings

San Jose City College is a public associate-granting institution in San Jose, California (large city setting), enrolling 7,105 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). Admission is open to all applicants.

PublicMidsize · 7,105 undergradsLarge cityCCCAANear the coast

About San Jose, California

San Jose, officially the City of San José, is the most populous city in the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California, and the 13th-most populous in the United States, with an estimated 989,814 residents as of 2025. San Jose, along with most of the Santa Clara Valley, has been home to the Tamien tribe of the Ohlone people since around 4,000 BC. The Tamien spoke Tamyen language of the Ohlone language family. Because the downtown area is in the flight path to nearby San Jose Mineta International Airport (also evidenced in the above panoramic), there is a height limit for buildings in the downtown area, which is underneath the final approach corridor to the airport. (Wikipedia)

Setting: Large city
Highest degree offered: Associate
Nearest big city: 3 miles to San Jose, CA
To the ocean: 11 miles
Nearest airport: 3 miles to Norman Y. Mineta San Jose (SJC) · major hub

How San Jose City College compares

#84 · Cheapest Community Colleges

Graduation rate34%

Higher than 18% · #337 of 382 in California

First-year retention65%

Higher than 33%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$46,215

Higher than 85% · #61 of 326 in California

Average net price$16,959

Cheaper than 43% · #170 cheapest of 377 in California

Student–faculty ratio26 : 1

Lower than 9%

Undergraduate enrollment7,105

Larger than 94%

Percentiles compare San Jose City 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

Women4,17259%
Men2,93341%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

White15%
Black4.6%
Hispanic51%
Asian22%
Other or multiracial8.3%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment: 7,105
Student–faculty ratio: 26 : 1
Pell Grant recipients: 21%
First-generation students: 58%
Students over 25: 39%
Median family income: $15,562
Avg faculty salary (academic year): $147,204

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 1,566 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

From California93%
Other U.S. states3.4%
International3.6%

Most first-years stay in state — San Jose City College 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: $1,366
Out-of-state tuition: $11,922
Room & board: —
Books & supplies: $2,727
Total cost of attendance: $26,081
Average net price: $16,959

Outcomes

Graduated: 34%
First-year retention: 65%
Transferred to another college: 12%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry: $39,993
Median earnings, 10 years after entry: $46,215
Median debt at graduation: —
Students with federal loans: 1%
Paying down their loans (1 year in): 31%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students

34%

First-generation

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: 160 (106 men · 54 women)

Varsity sports (7)

Football68

Track and Field (Outdoor)29

Basketball25

Softball17

Volleyball10

Golf8

Cross Country3

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

Campus safety

Safety grade: B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students: 1.1 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024): 1
Property offenses (2022–2024): 28

Reported offenses in an average year

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

9.7reported offenses a year

0.3 violent a year9.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary

7.7

Arson

1.3

Aggravated assault

0.3

Motor vehicle theft

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

$16,430

$30–48k

$15,652

$48–75k

$18,524

$75–110k

$22,207

$110k+

$20,198

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.

of first-years get a grant from the school

$1,005

average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 6% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $1,005. 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 549 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): $46,215
Typical debt at graduation: —
Debt vs. one year's pay: —
Out-earn a HS grad: 44%

Weigh it value

The payoff is less clear-cut here — weigh the debt against the earnings and your intended field before borrowing heavily.

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

$41,077

Men

$53,238

Men out-earn women by $12,161 (30%) 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: 83°F
Winter low: 43°F
Annual rain: 16.1″

Average temperature

HighLow

Average precipitation (inches)

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, San Jose, CA US station (2.7 mi from campus).

What San Jose City College graduates study — and earn

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesCert.

197 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

197———Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssoc.

189 grads— 1 yr$46k 5 yr— debt

189—$46,398—Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming ServicesCert.

102 grads$23k 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

102$23,253——Biological and Physical SciencesAssoc.

65 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

65———Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssoc.

61 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

61———Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesCert.

58 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

58———Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesCert.

58 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

58———Psychology, GeneralAssoc.

47 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

47———Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and InspectionCert.

47 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

47———Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesAssoc.

41 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

41———Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsCert.

32 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

32———SociologyAssoc.

28 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

28———

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 San Jose City College

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

Coastline Community College

Public

Fountain Valley, California · Small city · 29 mi to Los Angeles

Students: 7,393
Tuition: $1k
Transfer: 14%
Earnings: $44k

Cabrillo College

Public

Aptos, California · Midsize suburb · 24 mi to San Jose

Students: 8,002
Tuition: $1k
Transfer: 10%
Earnings: $44k

Merritt College

Public

Oakland, California · Large city · 14 mi to San Francisco

Students: 5,288
Tuition: $1k
Transfer: 15%
Earnings: $44k

Cuesta College

Public

San Luis Obispo, California · Fringe rural · 86 mi to Santa Barbara

Students: 7,180
Tuition: $1k
Transfer: 10%
Earnings: $46k

Napa Valley College

Public

Napa, California · Small city · 35 mi to San Francisco

Students: 3,813
Tuition: $1k
Transfer: 11%
Earnings: $50k

Los Angeles Harbor College

Public

Wilmington, California · Large city · 19 mi to Los Angeles

Students: 6,694
Tuition: $1k
Transfer: 9%
Earnings: $41k

Colleges near San Jose City College

CET-San Jose

San Jose, CA · Private nonprofit · Certificate · 266 students

2 mi

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 6,552 students

2 mi

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA · Public · Bachelor's · 27,601 students

3 mi

Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts

San Jose, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 3,421 students

3 mi

The Salon Professional Academy-San Jose

San Jose, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 196 students

4 mi

West Valley College

Saratoga, CA · Public · Associate · 6,416 students

6 mi

Mission College

Santa Clara, CA · Public · Associate · 5,784 students

6 mi

Paul Mitchell the School-San Jose

San Jose, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 91 students

6 mi

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.