Public · Community college
West Valley College
Saratoga, California · Large suburb
- 10%
- Transfer rate
- $3,423
- Avg net price
- 51%
- Grad / completion
- $51,688
- Median earnings
West Valley College is a public associate-granting institution in Saratoga, California (large suburb setting), enrolling 6,416 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). Admission is open to all applicants.
About Saratoga, California
Saratoga is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. In 1847, European settlers created a settlement at what is now Saratoga when William Campbell (father of Benjamin Campbell, the founder of nearby Campbell, California), constructed a sawmill about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) southeast of the present downtown area. The 2016 Coldwell Banker Home Listing Report listed Saratoga as the most expensive housing market in the United States. In 2010, Bloomberg Businessweek named Saratoga the most expensive suburb in California. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Large suburb
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 8 miles to San Jose, CA
- To the ocean
- 13 miles
- Nearest airport
- 8 miles to Norman Y. Mineta San Jose (SJC) · major hub
How West Valley College compares
Higher than 38% · #252 of 382 in California
Higher than 60%
Higher than 92% · #32 of 326 in California
Cheaper than 95% · #22 cheapest of 377 in California
Lower than 6%
Larger than 93%
Percentiles compare West Valley 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
- Women3,72958%
- Men2,68742%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White28%
- Black2.8%
- Hispanic34%
- Asian21%
- Other or multiracial14%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 6,416
- Student–faculty ratio
- 29 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 12%
- First-generation students
- 46%
- Students over 25
- 28%
- Median family income
- $17,594
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $141,039
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 1,344 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From California97%
- Other U.S. states0.7%
- International2.2%
Most first-years stay in state — West Valley 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
- $0
- Out-of-state tuition
- $8,702
- Room & board
- —
- Books & supplies
- $1,152
- Total cost of attendance
- $13,717
- Average net price
- $3,423
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
- 51%
- First-year retention
- 78%
- Transferred to another college
- 10%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $41,764
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $51,688
- Median debt at graduation
- —
- Students with federal loans
- 0%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 45%
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
- 226 (126 men · 100 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
- 0.3 / 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 (7,655 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: 19% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $2,401. 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 700 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)
- $51,688
- Typical debt at graduation
- —
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- —
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 50%
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.
Men out-earn women by $5,782 (12%) 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
- 85°F
- Winter low
- 40°F
- Annual rain
- 22.2″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Los Gatos, CA US station (3.5 mi from campus).
What West Valley 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 West Valley College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare West Valley College side by side →
San Diego Miramar College
San Diego, California · Large city · 14 mi to San Diego
- Students
- 11,271
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 12%
- Earnings
- $48k
Mission College
Santa Clara, California · Midsize city · 6 mi to San Jose
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- Tuition
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- Transfer
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Norco College
Norco, California · Large suburb · 12 mi to Riverside
- Students
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- Tuition
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- Transfer
- 9%
- Earnings
- $51k
Las Positas College
Livermore, California · Small city · 26 mi to San Jose
- Students
- 7,299
- Tuition
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- Transfer
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College of the Canyons
Santa Clarita, California · Large suburb · 31 mi to Los Angeles
- Students
- 15,832
- Tuition
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- Transfer
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- Earnings
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Irvine Valley College
Irvine, California · Large city · 31 mi to Riverside
- Students
- 10,286
- Tuition
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- Transfer
- 8%
- Earnings
- $49k
Colleges near West Valley College
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San Jose, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 196 students
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San Jose City College
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Santa Clara University
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San Jose State University
San Jose, CA · Public · Bachelor's · 27,601 students
Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts
San Jose, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 3,421 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.