Transfer from
Woodland Hills into California's four-year system
You're weighing whether to spend your first two years at Los Angeles Pierce College before finishing a bachelor's elsewhere in California. That decision turns on real numbers: transfer rates, earnings outcomes, what it costs you out of pocket, and whether Pierce's programs align with where you want to go.
~17,000 undergrads, 23% transfer out by year 8, median $45k 10-yr earnings, $12,936 median debt.
A solid San Fernando Valley CC with a functional transfer track record
Los Angeles Pierce College enrolls nearly 17,000 undergrads in Woodland Hills and sends 23% of students to a four-year institution within eight years — above the national community college norm. Median earnings land at $45k ten years out, and median debt is $12,936. Liberal Arts and Sciences leads completions at 3,052, with Biological and Physical Sciences and Humanities adding significant volume. In-state tuition is $1,196, and the three-year loan default rate is 0%. Net price of $13,270 is higher than some California peers, so financial aid research matters here.
Los Angeles Pierce College sits in Woodland Hills, in the western San Fernando Valley, and enrolls nearly 17,000 undergraduates — though 72% attend part-time, meaning most students are balancing work or family alongside coursework. The college's top program by volume is Liberal Arts and Sciences, with 3,052 completions, a clear signal that transfer-prep is the dominant use case here. Biological and Physical Sciences follows at 837 completions, and Humanities adds 314 more. The eight-year transfer-out rate is 23%, which places Pierce meaningfully above the lower end of the community college range. Median earnings ten years out sit at $45k, median debt is $12,936, and the three-year loan default rate is 0%. In-state tuition is $1,196, but the net price — $13,270 — is notably higher than many California community college peers, so students should investigate grant eligibility carefully before assuming low out-of-pocket costs.
What this CC teaches at scale
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies. | 3,052 |
| Biological and Physical Sciences. | 837 |
| Humanities/Humanistic Studies. | 314 |
| Economics, General. | 247 |
| Business Administration and Management, General. | 235 |
| Child Care Provider/Assistant. | 204 |
| Mathematics, General. | 180 |
| Psychology, General. | 153 |
| Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration. | 82 |
| Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician. | 71 |
Source · IPEDS completions (all undergraduate credentials).
Where California transfers tend to go
Reflects state-aggregated IPEDS transfer-in volume — CC-specific destinations are not publicly available from IPEDS or the College Scorecard.
Frequently asked
- Is Los Angeles Pierce College a good place to start a bachelor's degree?
- The data gives a measured yes. Twenty-three percent of Pierce students transfer to a four-year institution within eight years — a functional result, though the 72% part-time enrollment rate means timelines stretch for most students. In-state tuition is $1,196, but the net price is $13,270, which is higher than some California peers, so financial aid eligibility matters. Median earnings ten years after enrollment are $45k, median borrower debt is $12,936, and the three-year loan default rate is 0%. Pierce's dominant program — Liberal Arts and Sciences with 3,052 completions — is built for transfer. If you arrive with a clear target and a realistic timeline, the numbers hold up.
- How does Los Angeles Pierce College's transfer-out rate compare to typical community colleges?
- Pierce's eight-year transfer-out rate is 23%. National research places the average community college transfer rate in the 15–25% range, so Pierce sits squarely in the upper half of that band. The 72% part-time enrollment rate matters here — students working or caring for family often need more than two years to complete transfer-eligible coursework, which pushes outcomes into the longer tail of that eight-year window. An additional 1.2% of students were still enrolled at the eight-year mark, and 31% had completed a credential at Pierce itself. Taken together, the picture is one of a CC that functions as a real transfer pipeline, not a credential dead end — but one where students need to stay deliberate about their path.
- What programs does Los Angeles Pierce College offer at meaningful scale?
- Pierce's highest-volume program by a wide margin is Liberal Arts and Sciences, with 3,052 completions — the clearest indicator that the college is organized around transfer-prep. Biological and Physical Sciences follows at 837 completions, which supports STEM transfer paths. Humanities contributes 314, Economics 247, and Business Administration and Management 235. Mathematics (180) and Psychology (153) round out the academic transfer programs, while Child Care Provider/Assistant (204) and Criminal Justice (82) serve workforce-oriented students. The concentration in Liberal Arts and STEM-adjacent programs means that students with a bachelor's degree goal in social sciences, business, or natural sciences will find established course infrastructure — not thin or rotating offerings.
Methodology — Transfer signals reflect IPEDS Outcome Measures 8-year cohorts; earnings and debt come from the College Scorecard. Destinations are state-aggregated; we do not claim CC-specific transfer destinations without authoritative per-student tracking data.